Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1879-07-26

blown away before the terrible wind,
and was perhaps at this instant rolling
swiftly onward with its precious load to
destruction. What would happen to it?
Would it meet a train or run into a sta
I ton? Would the children try to get out,
or would they stay in the car till it was
wreckedp
He sprang to the door of the depot to
telegraph the terrible news down the
| line, but Just as he opened the door he
saw q faint white cloud on the western
horizon. 1t was train. Help was COM
ing. At the same instant his wife APP
peared with new grief and terror in her
eyes.
'sT cannot get a call in either direc-
| ton. The wires are blown down. ~
This added to the danger, for there
was now no means of sending word in
advance of the runaway car: 1t must
90 on to its fate without help or warn
Ing; : . : -. ! ~ s !
train bound east"
Nearer and nearer came the train.
and the father and mother stood watch
| ing it as it crept along the rails. 1t
seemed as If it would never come. At
last it reached the platform and proved
to be passenger train bound up the
Black River road and not intended to 90
in the direction in which the car had
been blown away. The instant it
stopped, the station master ran to the
engineer and told his terrible story. The
mother, with quicker wit, found the con-
duetOr and demanded that the engine be
taken off and sent after the childeen.
The conductor was a man of regular
habits, and such a bold request struck
him as something extraordinary. Take
the the engine of, and leave the train
and passengers waiting at this lonely
station? The idea was prepOsterOusl
Some of the passengers gathered near
and asked what was the matter. -
Three children lost, blown away in an
empty car. Some one said, "Yes 60 at
once. We can wait till the engine rec
turns" The conductor said he must
telegraph for instructions; but some one
said, THE wires are down." and the peo-
| pie only cried ont the more, Let the en-
CINE gOp so the mother ran to the ten
der and began to pull out the pin that
the engine might start.
Hold on, marin" said the brakemen.
"Tll east her of. You jump aboard if
you want to 60 too. Fire up, Jack, and
make her hum"
| It was all done in moment, and
away few the engine, leaving the con-
ductOr and the station master staring in
surprise at this singular proceeding.
| The station master did not feel very
happy. He had half intended to go with
the engine, but. 1t would never do to
leave his post. - -
Fire steady, Jack" said the engineer
| to the fireman. Its no use to get ex-
cited, for we're In for long race"
Its enough to make fellow excited
to see that woman" said the fireman..
The engineer turned round, and there
| by his side stood the mother, her eyes
straining ahead down the line in search
OF the missing ones. sai
| ooh, sirl open the throttle wide. Don't
| try to save coal at such time as this"
1--WE must keep cool, marin, and go
steady, or we shall run out of coal and
water and come tO'a stand-still on the
tline." - - 9 AsAks3 q
The woman, said not word, but nod
ded mournfnlly and leaned against the
side Of the cab for support, and then the
| fireman gave her his seat, where she
could look ont ahead over the line. How
the engine shook roaredI The little fin
ger of the steam gauge trembled and
rose higher and higher as the steam
pressure increased over the raging fire.
| The engine seemed to be eatiug up the
track in front, and behind the rails spun
out like shining ribbons in the sun. The
station and train had already sunk down
out of sight, and the grassy horizon on
either side seemed tcSfly away in kind
of gigantic waltz. The wind died away
to q dead calm, and in few moments a
little breeze sprang up and blew in at
the front windows. -
1--WE are beating the wind" said the
|engineer.- IF we can keep this pace up
we shall soon Overtake them"
How long have they been gomez"
shouted the fireman above the roar of
| the engine. EH2WfB ypDs
II don't know" screamed the woman,
without taking her eyes from the h0ri-
ION, where the rails met the sky. 1T
may have been two hours or more. They
were playing in the empty car" z" ga
"H0w did she get out Of the siding"
Gle meant the car. % f'7
Its one of the new switches" said
the engineer. "Cars can easily jump
out upon the main line" = rnI,...l..
Ali something ahead. Was it the rum
away car? No, the next station. What
terrible pacel Twenty miles already
"0h, don't st0pp cried the woman, as
she saw the engineer put his hand on
the Unbelievable. aa ~ .sigs.,s..
II must, marin. We are getting out of
water, and perhaps we can learn some
thing Of the runaway. 10
The sudden arrival of q solitary engine,
containing two men and woman, start
led the stati0n-master, and he came out
to see what it meant. he seemed to
guess at the truth, for he said: 'i bag
"After the runaway car"
Eyes, yes. There were three children
inside"
"Oh, marin, I'm sorry for ye. It went
past here, going twenty miles an hour.
| It came d0wn-grade all the way, but the
upgrade begins about two miles out. /
was inside when it passed, and didn't
|ssee it till it had gone past the door. rs
How long it took to fllthe tender! The
engine stood hot and smoking by the
water-tank, and the water came out in
slender stream, while the poor mother
stood looking on, fearful and impatient.
"GoOd-byel Pill put up the pipe
Heaven help ye!Ethe up grade"
The rest was lost, for the engine shot
ahead, on and on, out over the open
pvoirso Tho vrofop tomb coomod IN sink