Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-22
AN ENGINEERS STORY.
The Strangest Freak of Affection on
Record.
arkansas 7rasele,

AThdHSdS IFUCeteP.
speaking of strange attachments. >,
SAD a Well known Arkansaw railway
conductor, ''reminds me of the strangest
freak of affection of which I think 9nv
record has been kept. On one of the
railways centreing at Little Rock, there
Is, short distance from the city, a stretch
oil woods pasture about a mile and a half
long. The land is as level as the floor.
ana Is surrounded by high fence. with
deep cattle gaps where the road runs
through. One day while we were rush
ing through the woods, deer jumped up
ana ran along close to the train until we
reached the fence, when he turned and
was soon lost to view. Next day when
the train came along again the deer met
us at the fence and ran along IN great
glee until we reached the other side of the
woods, when he turned aside NV en-
glneer became very much attached to
him, and always blew the whistle lust
before entering the woods. The old en-
glne, too, seemed to have an affection for
the animal, and would seem to chuckle
when the deer was at it's side.
lone day we were delayed by an acct
dent TO a freight train, and did not reach
the woods until after nightfalI. The en-
gineer blew his whistle. A light flashed
IN the woods, and. sir. and hope never to
tell the truth again if that deer wasn't
there carrying lantern on his horns. |
won't pretend to explain how he rot the
lantern. l am giving you the facts and
you can draw your own deductions.
When we passed he tossed the lantern
aside. One of the boys told me-and
mind you don't yOuch for its truth-that
the lantern fell from a freight train and
that the deer took it up and kept it on a
stump until our train came along"
"HoW do you suppose the deer lighted
the lantern" asked one of the company.
lit may have been already lit, but if it
wasn't it's no lookout of mine, for | am
only giving the facts as they occurred,
leaving all speculation to you. Some time
after this we were rushing along, nearing
the deer'S woods, when we saw the ami
mai standing ON the track waving red
flag. We stopped and discovered that an
immense tree had blown across the track.
Wen, sir, when we chopped the log out.
that deer put his horns against it and
helped us roll it away"
w here do you suppose he got the red
hagW asked an incredulous listener.
Il won't attempt to explain anything.
l am giving you the facts, and of course
you can do you own figuring for cOncIu-
slons; but one of the boys said that he
TOOK up an old white rag that he found
on the ground and rubbed it in bed of
red clay"
What became of this wonderful ami
mal?'
''That's what Pm going to tell YOU.
One day, about six months ago. we ar
rived at the woods as usual. The deer
met us and leaped alongside of us. The
engine, feeling pretty gaily that morn
ing anyhow, seemed to prance along the
track. just as we got about half way
through the woods, an immigrant looked
out the window, and yelling, 'iook at that
ar DEER snatched up double barrel gun
and fired a load of buckshot into the
poor thing. We stopped and went over to
where the deer lay on the green sward in
the last agOnies of death. He held out his
tongue and shook hands with all the
train men, but when he saw the immi-
grant, whom we dragged to the spot, he
frowned darkly, folded up his tongue and
put it back into his mouth. The Immi-
grant was nervous fellow and was much
excited. He bent over the deer as though
to get forgiveness, when the animal. brave
and reyengetul in death, raised up and
brought him crack across the head with
his stick-lIke fOreleg, and laid him low.
The deer and immigrant are buried near
each other, and our engine, which has
never recovered from the depressing eff
feet of the tragedy, always means when it
goes through the deer's woods"