The Columbus journal., 1883-05-16

dark eyes opened and looked up ques-
toningly into his.
"Is the train safe'" tho boy asked.
family.
Hiram nodded.
'Oyes; it, all right" he said; ''and
we'lltake you right into our car"
The other breathed . little sigh Of
relief. ?.
"There's . smash-up Just ahead" he
murmured. 'sTell the conductor to 60
slow"
Then he closed his eyes, while Mr..
Watson and one or two other gentlemen.
who had meanwhile come up, lifted him
in their arms and carried him on board
the car. Here. however, while the train
moved slowly ahead. Mrs Watson's
ministrations restored him to conscious
ness. if not to strength.
lit was awfully silly in me to 60 and
faint" he exclaimed. apologetically. -
soon as he could speak. "But you see,
l ran pretty hard, and then had not
eaten anything since yesterday noon"
"But don't understand" said Mrs.
Watson. Don't you live round here?'
He laughed little nervously. 20
no." he said; ..I'm sort of stowawsy.
Igot locked up in the freight car at
Wentworth last night. We live in Went
worth, and my father is Judge Carlisle.
1.-THE collision hadn't stove hole II the
car. I'd be in there now"
''And where would we bel" asked
Hiram, soberly.
Walter turned pale again. THE
wreck lies across both the tracks," he
said. If you had kept on. you would
have run into it. There are half dozen
men buried in it now. sir'-turning to
Mr. Watson. Everybody in the train
was smashed up but me. And the con-
ductOr wouldn't let me stop to pull him
out. He began to give me q message to
his wife but he wouldn't even finish
that, because he heard the train coming.
Here we are Low, sir''-as the train
slowed up, and finally came to . stop.
'.Please let me get out. I'm all right
now, and want to tell that conductor
I wasn't too late"
1t was not long before the train hands
were hard at work extricating the in
jured men. none Of whom. happily. were
seriously hurt. How they escaped death
no one could tell, but no one suffered
more than few bruises or . fractured
limb, which time would easily repair.
To Walters great delight. the conductor
recognized him at once.
"Ah," he said, as cordially as the pain
of his wounds would allow. you're the
boy that saved the express. Well, l
guess Mr.. Watson won't forget it."
Walter turned red.
II only did what you told me-" he
said.
"Well. you did it right" said the
conductor. as he limped away to the
express. "Not everybody would have
had sense enough to do that. Only !
don't see where you dropped from just
at that moment
The boy laughed.
20, l live in Wentworth" he said.
II was q passenger on your train. You
locked me up in that Blue-ine car yon.
der.''
A look of amszement spread over the
mans face.
LOCKED up in the car. were your
And then brought to this place on pur-
pose to flag that train! Well, l call that
Providential Because if it hadn't been
for you. you know. thst express would
have been q total wreck" He paused
for moment as if the Providence were
more than he could take in. '.Well,"
he added, heartily. "I'll never forget
it, and 1 guess the company won't,
either"
And the company did not. A few days
after Walter got home. and when the ex-
element of his departure and return
had passed away, he received by express
little parcel and by mail an official let
ter from the railway company. The
parcel, when opened. disclosed beau
tiful gold watch, while the letter, which
was signed III. S. Watson. President"
begged him to accept the watch from
the directors of the company in recogni
ton of his services in saving from de-
struction the Chicago express.
Along with the letter came note ad-
dressed in a boys scrawny hand, and
reading as follows:
President of the road, did you? I wanted to
let me say anything about it. Isn't the watch
q lucky fellow We you are. anyhow Not only to
get gold watch, but to have the chance o:
riding. on . freight train. Papa says may
esSSC,e WAT "a ufs Is to be Ssle
| man.
Now, what I want to know is this. Next
| month papa and SOME OF his friends and are
going out on the plains to shoot. bu6alOes, and
papa is going to ask your father to let you come
| along. We have q special car, you know. and
| If you can only come We will have immense
fun. Don't you think your father will let you!
Please let me know right away.
''YOur friend,
| "HIRAM WATSON"
To this urgent appeal Judge Carlisle
could not say no. and Walter cherishes
eager anticipations of a buffalo-hunt and
q long ride in car which will be more
commodious and agreeable, notwith-
standing Hiram's preferences, than the
fast freigbt.-Harper's Young People.
| Princes in Custody.