Nebraska advertiser., 1882-08-24


1--WE must signal them in some way.
If we only had lanternl" cried Frank,
breathlessly.
\ There's no time to loser' cried Bob
"HayW and with the word Ben and
Ned were off, and, before the others
could think what they meant, they were
back with their arms full of dry hay,
from little shed they had remembered
seeing a short distance up the hill.
1--WE had better 60 beyond the fallen
rock, and then, when we see the train
coming, we'll set fire to the hay" said
Joe, as they hurriedly divided the hay
into several small bundles.
They had just started up the track,
when there came sound which made
them stop. 1t was a faint whistle, far
away around the curve.
"Thc train is coming now and, be-
sides, our light won't be seen from
around the bendr' cried Ned, as the
boys stood staring blankly at one an
other, for at last they fully realized the
danger.
"Some of us must cross the bridge
and signal them from the other side of
the river" said Joe.
"The ties are cut from some places,
and we should have TO jump the gaps.
Men were setting blocks under the rails
when | came past there this evening;
they were then going to leave the gaps,
and replace the ties tomorrow" said
Johnny.
There won't be time to climb down
and up the banks, and cross on the little
foot-bridge, nor TO swing across the
gaps by holding to the rails" said Bob,
his voice shaking as he talked.
"There were boards laid lengthwise
across. I'll go over on them" cried
Johnny, remembering that he had seen
men wheel gravel, from the hill on the
other side, along the whole length of
the bridge, on a narrow path made of
two boards; and he determined to cross
by it, mounted on his wheel; there was
not time for running.
Get out all your handkerchiefs, tie
EN- together, and put them in this
pocket. Give me some matches, Davie
here, in my mouth. Hurry! hurry"
he went on, his fingers trembling as he
loored his own handkerchief around n
bundle of hay, so as to carry it on his
arm and leave both hands free.
"You mustn't gor' "You III be
killedn' "You can't cross on 'emr'
they cried, trying TO dissuade him while
yet they went on doing as he told them.
1t was perilous undertaking; but the
need was urgent-not second was to
be lost! As Johnny reached the bridge,
he felt like giving up; but the thought
of what would happen if he should not
go. gave him fresh courage.
Tell 'em at home that / tried TO do
| / IL hn nChn httf
choke in his voice would not let him
finish. And he was off.
The loose boards ratified and shook as
the wheels spun over them, and where
the ties were out they seemed to bend
beneath the weight. Johnny could
hear the sound of the water far below
him, but he did not dare to look down.
When he was half way over, he could
hear the roar of the train as it echoed
back from the hills, and he was almost
afraid too look toward the turn of the
track, for fear he should see the head
light of the engine cleaning around the
curve.
If he could only get over in time!
Faster and faster spun the wheels,
and faster and faster beat Johnny's
heart, as he reached the end of the tres
tle-work, and turned the bend.
The headlight of the coming train
shone bright and clear up the track.
"Oh, why do they go so fastP' said
Johnny to himself, as he stopped, and
leaped from his bicycle to light his sig
nal. He crouched down beside the
track and struck match against the
rail; but his hand shook so that the
head of the match flew off, The next
one burned, and he sheltered the flame
between his hands until the hay and
handkerchefs were in a blaze. IL
seemed a long time to Johnny, but it
really was only a moment until he was
up and away again, on n run along the
track, waving the flaming bundle back
and forth.
" they must see it! Yes, they are
whistlng They'll surely stop, nowr'
cried Johnny, half aloud, still waving
the fiery signal. The flames blew
against his hand but he was too excited
to mind the heat. The glaring eye of
the engine grew brighter and brighter.
But not until the train was close enough
for him to see the anxious face of the
engineer looking out from his window,
did the brave boy jump from the track.
"They're stopping was the last
thing he thought, for he heard them
whistle "down brakes" as he jumped
OFF the track; and he knew nothing more
until some men raised him in their arms
and asked him If he was hurt. Then he
opened his eyes to find his head on some
ones shoulder, and a crowd of strange
faces around him.
Here, little chap, what did you stop
us forP' asked an important man in blue
uniform and brass buttons, coming up
to the group around Johnny.
"ROck' S tumbled down lust across the