The Columbus journal., 1883-05-16
THE FAST FREIGHT.


Walter Carlisle had climbed into q
freight car that was standing on q side
track in the Wentworth depot and con-
cealed himself as well as he could in the
far corner. He was playing hide-and-
seek and bis companions were searching
for him outside the car-yard fence.
''They won't be likely to find me
here" he said, gleefully. to himself.
while he listened to their cries.
Presently he heard them scaling the
fence near the car. but just at that
moment man came along and pushed
to the heavy door.
Thank you," said Walter, half aloud.
'.Now they'll never find me-"
With the closing of tho door. how
ever, the noise of their cries was shut
out and Walter could no longer tell how
near to the car they might be. In q
moment something bumped against the
far end of the car with Jolt that sent it
back quite distance on the track, and
would have knocked Walter over if he
had not already been sitting. Then the
car began to move slowly forward. They
were going to shift it to another track.
Walter concluded; but as this would
throw the boys still further of the scent,
and give him besides free ride, he did
not mind it.
So he sat still while the car bounced
over the switch and felt somewhat disap-
pointed when it came to a stop little
way beyond. That was only for q
moment, however. Very soon it backed
down. until with another jolt it bumped
into car behind. Walter supposed that
the shifting process was now done, and
getting up, went to the door with the in
tention of opening it and jumping out
He had hardly risen, however. before
the car began to move forward again,
and this time it seemed TO be part of 3
heavy train. They must be making up
fast freight. he determined; and then he
began to wonder how near it was to five
O'Clock when the fast freight would
start on its eastward journey.
Meanwhile the car was moving faster
and faster and Walter found it difficult
to walk as far as the door. He would
roll it back, he thought, and be ready to
get out when the car stopped. But try
as hard as he might. he could not roll it
back, and the speed of the car kept all
the time increasing. With a growing
sense of alarm, Walter pulled out his
watch and looked at the face by ray of
light which streamed in through the
door.
1t was as much as he could do now 10
keep on his feet. and he had to hold on
to the framework of the car with one
hand, while he steadied the watch with
the other. Was his watch fast? That
could not be; it had not gained nor lost
Q minute in a month. But the hands
pointed to ten minutes after five; and
while the car jolted over switches and
swung around curves, until he could no
longer stand, the dismaying thought
forced itself upon Walter that this was
the fast freight, already on its way.
For q moment he hardly realized the
situation; but as he began to think over
what he knew about the train the out
look became very unpleasant, indeed.
Except for water it would not stop until
it reached New York. Even if it did stop
the sides of the car were so solid that he
might kick and pound and call out all
mig int without being heard by the few
brakemen who had the train in charge,
and who it was quite likely would not
come near his car at all. 1t was called
fast, but fast freight is very different
from a fast express, and Walter could
not hope that it would reach New York
within thirty hours. BY that time he
might be starved to death. The very
prospect of SO long q fast made him
hungry. How long could people live. he
wondered. without eating? The reeol-
lection of DR.. Tanner gave him some
comfort, but then DR.. Tanner had had
all the water he wanted, while Walter
did not have . drop.
BY this time he had crept back to his
corner, where he braced himself as well
a he could. though as the train went
still faster, and the empty car swayed
from side to side like ship at sea, the
boy was shaken and jolted until every
bone in his body began to ache. Before
him stretched out the long and weary
hours. How should he ever endure
them? II he could stand the hunger and
thirst, how could he bear the cold of the
autumn night, already beginning to
creep in through the cracks of the car?
What report would the boys carry back
when they did not lind him? And what
would his father and mother think? He
had never staid away from them night
In his life. How frightened they would
be! and how completely at loss for any
clew to his whereabouts! If Walter had
been fugitive from justice he could not
more completely have covered UP his
tracks.
On and on went the train around
curves, over bridges-as Walter could
tell from the sound--past other trains,
through towns and villages, battering
and br!ising the boys slender frame
with every bounce and jolt, until at last,
out of WEAKNESS, Walter fell asleep.
Once or twice in the night he woke up,
cramped, hungry and chilled, though it
was not 80 cold ss he had feared it would
be. and the fight of time gave him q
little more courage.
By-and-by, through the crevices of the
door, he discovered the welcome day.
light. So much, at any rate, of his Jour
ney was accomplished; but what would
he not give for good breakfast? As
the day went on, and his watch told him
Il was nine o'clock, ne fancied the bows
going to school, and wondering why he
did not appear; his father and mother,
filled with increasing alarm, going here
and there in search of him; the papers
getting hold of it, and announcing in
startling head Lines: .'Boy lostr' But
al Waller could do. though he was tired
and faint and anxious about the anxiety
of those at home was to wait-and this Is
always the hardest duty in the world.
II wanted q few minutes Of noon when
Walter was suddenly startled by feeling
Nhe onward motion Of the train checked,
Ipd the car in which he was imprisoned
Violently shaken from side to side. For
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