Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-06-22
FNGINE NO. l.

Did you ever ride in the sscab' of a
locomotive?
F.! A reporter, you know, never allows
chance to slip wherein information
is to be fairly gained. 3 Z
! When burly-framed and large
hearted Buck Smith, engineer of No.
/, offered me ride in his ''cab," !"
you may depend-to use slang
phrase-'sI was there EstE
Smith was popular fellow. But
his extreme quietness of disposition
was remarked by every one, and there
was an everpresent, unmistakable ex-
preston of sadness in his handsome
eyes, withal his glance was keen as an
eagles when on the run and sslook-
ing out ahead.'' He was running the
st. Louis night express that backs
into Washington before heading west
ward. l was going as far as the cap
ital.
clambered, silly and unseen, into
the ''cab,' and was instantly alert
for everything, though careful to keep
myself out of the way.
Promptly at Z 80 the gong sound
ed. There was Kissing of steam, a
continuous, doleful changing of the
bell, puff! puff! and out of the glare
of C station we glided into dark
ness-darkness pitch and wet with
falling snow. ..--
Grim, stern, rigid as statue stood
Buck. l fell to wandering whether
an engineers arm never grew tired ,
when l knew that his trusty hand did
not dare once to be removed from
that small lever lin a route of hum
dreds of miles, while scores of human
beings slept TRANQUILITY in the ears be-
hind him-slept, and few indeed had
thought to offer a prayer for the
brave, resolute man on whose nerve
their very lives depended.
To my surprise, with the increase
of speed, there seemed to be less
noise in the "cab.'' And it was just
as l began to realize this, that the in
cident occurred which I now relate
to you. ~
We had passed Winans. I knew
there was no road to signal for; but
Buck suddenly exclaimed:
'.Blow, Harry
| The fireman pulled the cord, and
out On the night shrieked a peculiar
whistle, unlike any I,had ever heard.
At the same time, Harry, the young
fireman, glanced at me strangely and
shook his head. / looked instinct.
lively toward Buck Smith, and what ]
saw made my reporters heart jump
There was mystery in the "cab' Of
engine No. 1. s.
/ That firm hand was still tight OF
the lever, the stern, sad eyes still
fixed unsweryingly ahead; but l saw
on one cheek single, shining, rolling
tear. s-.g&
4 He was bending forward slightly
His rough shirt was open at the front
where, suspended by a leathern string
where two rings-one a plain golt
band, the other set with a beautiful
cleaning diamond. These rings were
pressed kiss!ngly to his lips.
"Buck's prayin' ~ said the fire
man, close to my ear.
i: Then Buck, as he carefully bic
away the rings:
'sHear that toot, Nat?' =
; "Yes.'
"Guess what it's for?''
''How should I!''
'For my little girl
'Why, I didn't know you had
child, Buck"
"Well, the whole world doesn'
know it-that's a fact. Coal up
, Harry; here's the grade!'
The iron door was wrenched open
! like, the fiery, seething mouth of
. monster dragon, while the fireman
!. piled his shovel. -E-
All had transpired in less than te
seconds. AS the glare had igllte'
/: broadly on the dark night, I saw, o
: the bank by the track-side-saw, a
we sped like the wind-a female fig
ure, who waved a lantern briskly t
and fro. 49, -, -r yz
: "God bless her, Nat-that's m
Dolly!.'' Then, presently: II dom
e know but l may as well tell you abou
it-though 1 don't tell everybody
t mind you. I've only had my hom
here few years-used to live nea
Point O. Rocks. AS pretty cottag
y it was, for a pretty wife, as any ma
: need wish for. You haven't know
Il me long, or you d have heard that
' married a girl who expected to IL
: herit handsomely. But I like yol
Nat. No matter how the match cam
. about. She was a. very delicate an
5 verybeautifal prize fofa rough ma
like I am. I won her away from
Ichap who was better off, better 'lool
ing than /. His name was Carr
Conrad. / was never jealous man
I did not even request my vito t
give up his acquaintance. So =
= thought nothing of it when sometimes
/ when l returned from a trip, she woul