The Columbus journal., 1883-05-16

sS~SA~~s~~
had happened, though Is to what it was
Walter corld not form any idea
, Now, when the train had stopped
however, was his chance 10 make him.
self heard. With all his might he kicked
against the door, aud cried out at the
top of his voice; but no one came. he
thought of stories he had read about
people who were shut up in dungeons,
and imagined himself to be one of them.
II he had been uneasy before, he was
almost wild now. What could be the
matter? How could he make any one
hear? He was putting these questions
to himself, when all at once. from the
rear of the train, came aterrible roar and
crash, with the sound of splintering
wood. Before he could think what had
happened his own car rose up on END,
and Walter found himself swiftly hurled
down its inclined floor, ..r.e -. .
As the boys senses cleared he realized
that q second accident had occurred.
Looking up to the rear end of the car.
now above his head, he saw that it was
broken away, and through y wide gap
he could see the blue sky. 1t he could
only climb up to it. here was a way OF
escape. Fortunately though good deal
bruised he was not hurt, and the excite
ment of the occasion gave him strength.
The car had been raised up at an angle
of more than forty-five degrees; its floor
was smooth and slippery, and it was
with the greatest difficulty that Walter
could scramble to the end.
When, after several reverses he finally
reached it, and put his head out of the
opening. he witnessed q scene of the
widest confusion. Whatever might
have happened before. this time the
train had been run il to from behind.
Cars were piled one upon the other,
and across both tracks and their
contents were scattered everywhere
around. The car in which he had
been imprisoned had been the last
one, it seemed. to feel the force Of the
shock, and WAS thrown up by platform
car passing underneath. Nota man was
anyw here in sight.
Walter did not waste much time in
getting down from his elevated position
and walking back to the scene of the
collision. Here he discovered that it
was wildcat" engine which had
done tie mischief. and had wrecked it.
self in the operation. There was no one
around, but as Walter drew near he began
to hear dismal groans coming out of the
debris, and to realize that Of all the peo-
pie On the train-conductor, brakemen
and engineer-he alone had escaped in
jury. For a moment he felt sick, but as
he heard voice calling him from the
ruins of the caboose, he hurried up. and
presently discovered the form of man,
whom he took to be the conductor. un-
derneath mass of wreckage. The voice
was very feeble, and Walter had to bend
over to hear it.
Say" the conductor exclaimed,
"what time is that Chicago express due
here?"
Walter started. He did not know
anything about the Chicago express
except that it was due at Went
worth at midnight. Why should the
conductor ask him? And why should
not the conductor be more concerned
about his own escape?
Pm sure I don't know" he said.
"It isn't due now, is it? Hadn't you
better let me help you out Of that?'
The man shook his head. mo. nc" )"
he cried; 1.-THE express is due presently,
and if it isn't tagged it will come around
the curve ahead and run into this wreck
Is there man around to run up the track
and flag it?''
Walter looked up and down the
track. 1t was lonely place, miles il
seemed from any settlement, and not a
person could be seen. His own heart
began to beat more quickly.
NO." he said, ''there isn't any one. -
"Then you will have to CO." said the
conductor. Were all smashed up
here. First the engine went off the
track, and that broke up the engineer
and fireman; and while the brakemen
and l were getting our wrecking tools
out of the caboose. something ran into
us from behind and broke us up, too.
l suppose it was q wildcat or else
there would have been somebody
around"
Walter nodded his head. "Yes," he
said, '.it was q wildcat. and l guess the
engineer of that came to grief, too. But
is there anything can do for you be-
fore I go?"
The conductor uttered an exclamation
of pain.
20, do 60 ahead" he said. '.Don't
mind me; there are only half dozen OF
us here. and there'll be five hundred
people in the express. Wen hold out,
I guess, till you get back. and if we
don't-Say, young fellow, just take down
my wife's name, will you? It's Mrs.
James''-he stopped q moment.
''What was that?" he asked.
Walter listened, while his face grew
pale. Far away up the track sounded
the faint note of a.locomotive whistle.
Rum cried the conductor. "Never
mind me. There's a red flag lying on
the track. Go as far as you can, for it 8
a down grade and the train will be COM
ing like the wind.
Before the conductor was through
Walter had snatched up the flag and
hurried of. He had not realized before
how shaky his limbs were, nor how faint
he was from lack of food; but as he ran
past the overturned engine of his own
tIdIus auu dIOuuu tue curve Iu0I lay
ahead, it was as much as he could do to
keep from falling down. He had not
failed to take in the conductors last
warning. The express was the fastest
train on the road; it would be running
over forty miles an hour, and he must
meet it far enough way from the wreck
to give it time to check its tremendous
momentum and come to a full stop,
Once more he heard its whistle in the
distance. Presently it would be thunder
ing down upon him. On he ran as fast
as his trembling legs would carry him.
until, turning curve, he could see the
thread of smoke far down the narrowing
track. Walter unfurled the flag and
waved it over his head. His heart
thumped up and down in his breast, his
legs shook SO that he could scarcely stand,
and it was all that he could do TO hold
the flag in his nervous fingers. He felt
as ii he were going to faint. Whss if he
gave out before the train came and the
engineer did not see himi With one arm
he grasped a telegraph pole. while with
the other he continued more and more
feebly to wave the signal. Nearer and
nearer came the train. but before it
reached him Walters strength had