St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-10-27

meanwhile we was sliding along, and
pretty soon reached North Conway,
where we was to give the machine a
drink. Dan, says I to my fire
man, there's somethin' out of the
way with this machine, and don't
know what it is
"'What makes you think sop said
Dan.
Il can't tell I replied, she works
all right; but 1 feel it in my bones.
. Guess your thinkin' of your wife,
returned Dam with laugh.
''But while we were gettin' in the
water took a lantern and went round
the engine. Looked at every part of
her, raped the bars, knocked the
wheels, tried her at every point, and
couldn't find nothin'.
..And I tried to think no more about
it, but the feeling was there all the
same, and do the best [ could I wasn't
able to throw it off s'Well, we had got
a pretty good distance in the mountains,
and with that light load '49' didn't
make nothin' of the up grades.
Perhaps, gentlemen, You have never
been through the hills in winter. It's
some different from summer, / can tell
yer. The mountains loom up dark and
solemn. and with their snow-covered
sides they seem kinder like big, ghostly
giants that have been turned to stone
standing guard over the valley. The
silence and desolation sorter awes one,
and it don't seem right to go shrieking
and screaming along their sides in the
dead O. night. This time it was worse
than ever. The storm had let loose all
the evil spirits in the air. The wind
swept down the valley with roar that
could be heard above the rush of the
train. 1t whistled and yelled at the
cab windows, and blew the rain and
sleet SO hard agin the winder frame |
could scarcely see the short distance Lit
by the headlight. The great trees
rocked to and fro and seemed to hold
out their arms in warning. 1t was a
solemn place for any one, and | felt it
particularly as had this awful weight
of anxiety on my mind that had been
agrowin' stronger and stronger each
minute.
Well, we had passed Bartlett's,
| goin' through there at a pretty good
jog, when like q flash of lightning the
parting words of my wife came back to
me: Be careful of that Frankenstein
| trestlet
THAT set me to thinkin'. Could this
be presentment of some disaster?
] Was there anything the matter with the
bridge? @
"sNonsense, says I, I'm natural
born fool If anything was wrong the
train two hours ahead would have found
it out and signaled me at Bartlett's. I'll
think of it no more, but tend to busi-
/ ness.
s.But in spite of me, 'be careful of the
Frankenstine trestle,' kept comm into
/ my head; even the wind seemed to
Shrek it. / pictured to myself a broken
rail and the yawning gulf on each side.
/ What terrible accident it would make;
what frightful chasm in which to
plunge. Then remembered Nell, and
the queer look that came over her face
when she gave me that singular eau
ton: BE careful of the Frankenstine
trestle.' We was a nearin' the bridge,
sure enough. On the up grade 49, was
making about twenty miles an hour,
and in less than ten minutes he would
be over the bridge, Or | caught my
breath, for at that moment those warm
ing words flashed into my mind once
more.
.s.f I'm ever to be cured of such
stuff, says I to myself, 'now's my
chance. What could Nell know about
the bridge? I'll put her across at full
4 speed.
i "A tall white birch that stood on a
spur of the mountain was the landmark
which showed me that we was acomin'
to the straight piece which led across
the bridge. put my hand on the
throttle to open the valve, when
/ "Well, gentlemen. don't suppose
/ you'll believe me, but as true as I'm
standin' here, my wife's voice whis-
pered in my ear not that one, Bob, the
brdke!i'
cit gave me such start that before
/ I knew what did | had opened the
i Westinghouse for all she was worth,
and the train came to a standstill in less
! than two lengths. Not waitin' to an
swer any questions from Dan, Igrabbed
/ nv lantern and rushed up the track to
the bridge and walked along the middle
plank until I reached the other side,
and then back again. Not thing was
out of place, every rail secure, and the
bridge was as sound as when first put
| up!
"Idiot!'' cried I, so much for your
foolish nonsense. This freak will cost
| you your job."
II could see the lights of the con-
I ductor and brakeman, who had with a
number OF passengers come out to see
what was the matter. How the boys
would laugh, thought. I should nev.
or hear the last of it. I was sneakin'
back to the cab, when I came to the
s.,ritoha Of n short sidinoc that had been