Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-03-01
THE FAST FREIGHT.

The FAST EREIGHTs
Walter Carlisle had climbed into a
freight car that was standing on a 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 his companions were searching
for him outside the car-yard fence.
''Ihey 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.
E'Thank you," said Walter, half aloud.
''Now they Il never find me'
With the closing of the 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 a
moment something bumped against the
far end of the car with Jolt that sent ii
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 sh fit it to another track,
Walter concluded; but as this would
throw the boys still further off 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 8
moment, however. Very soon it backed
down, until with another jolt it bumped
into car behind. Walter supposed thai
the shifting process was now done, anG
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 8
heavy train. They must be making ur
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 tC
get out when the car stopped. But try
as hard as he might, he could not roll il
back, and the speed of the car kept al
the time increasing. With a growing
sense of alarm, Walter pulled out his
watch and looked at the face by a ray Of
door.
1t was as much as he could do now tc
keep on his feet, and he had to hold or
to the framework of the car. with one
hand, while he steadied the watch with
the other. Was his watch fast? Tha
could not be; it had not gained nor los
a minute in month. But the hand.
pointed to ten minutes after five; anC
while the car jolted over switches anC
swung around curves, until he could nc
longer stand, the dismaying though
forced itself upon Walter that this was
the fast freight, already on its way.
For a moment he hardly realized thu
situation; but as he began to think owe
what he knew about the train the out
look became very unpleasant, indeed
Except for water it would not stop unit
it reached New York. Even if it did stoI
the sides of the car were so solid that h
might kick and pound and call out al
night without being heard by the few
brakemen who had the train in charge
and who it was quite likely would no
come near his car at all. 1t was calleC
fast, but fast freight is very differen
from a fast express, and Walter coult
not hope that it would reach New Yorl
within thirty hours. By that time h.
might be starved to death. The YER
prospect of so long a fast made hin
hungry. How long could people live, b
wondered, without eating? The reeol
lection of DR.. Tanner gave him som
comfort, but then DR.. Tanner had hat
all the water he wanted, while Waite
did not have a drop.
By this time he had crept back to hi
corner, where he braced himself as wei
as he could, though as the train wen
still faster, and the empty car swaye,
from side to side like a ship at sea, tn
boy was shaken and jolted until ever
bone in his body began to ache. Befor
him stretched out the long and wear
hours. How should he ever endur
themP If he could stand the hunger an
thirst, how could he bear the cold of tn
autumn night, already beginning I
creep in through the cracks OF the car
What report would the boys carry bac
when they did not find him! And wha
would his father and mother think? III
had never staid away from them nigh
in his life. How frightened they wOul
be! and how completely at loss for an
cleW to his whereabouts! If Walter ha
been fugitive from justice he could no
more completely have covered up hi
tracks.
On and on went the train aroun
curves, over bridges-as Walter coul
tell from the sound--past other trains
through towns and villages, batterin
and bruising the boys slender fran
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
was not so cold as he had feared itwoul
be, and the fight of time gave him
little more. courage.
By-and-by, through the crevices Of tn
door, he discovered the welcome day
light. So much. at any rate, of his jour
ney was accomplishedi but what woul,
10 not give tOg 2 good breakfast a