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

and there in search of him; the papers
getting hold of it, and announcing in
startling headlines: ''Boy lostn' But
all Walter 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.
1t wanted few minutes of noon when
Walter was suddenly startled by feeling
the onward motion of the train checked,
and the car in which he was imprisoned
shaken from side to side. For
a moment, as he himself was rolled about
on the floor, he thought that the car was
going to upset; but presently it righted
and stood still. Evidently an accident
had happened, though as to what it was
Walter could not form any idea.
Now, when the train had stopped
however, was his chance TO make him
self heard. With all his might he kicked
against the door, and 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.
If he had been uneasy before, he was
almost wild now. What could be the
matterP 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 a terrible 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.
AS the boys senses cleared he realized
that a 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 wide gap
he could see the blue sky. If 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-fve degrees; its floor
was smooth and slippery, and it was
with the greatest difficulty that Walter
could scramble to the end.
When, after several reyerses he finally
reached it, and put his head out of the
opening, he witnessed a 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
arpassing underneath. Nota man was
anywhere 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 the 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 a 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, IN
derneath a 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
herep"
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?
I'm sure 1 don't know he said.
cit isn't due now, is it? Hadn't you
better let me-help you out of that?''
The man shook his head. ''No, no, u
he cried; ''the express is due presently
and if it ism tagged it will come around
the curve ahead and runinto this wreck
Is therea man around to run up the track
and flag itP''
Walter looked up and down the
track: 1t was lonely place, miles il
seemed from any settlement, and not {
person could be seen. His own heart
began to beat more quickly.
mo- he said, 'tthere isn't any one. .
"Then you will have to CO., said the
conductor. ''We're all smashed uI
here. First the engine went off the
track, and that broke up the engineer
and fireman.; and while the brakemer
and l were getting our wrecking tools
out of the caboose, something ran into
us from behind and broke us up, too
I suppose it was wildcat or else
there would have been somebody
around.''
Walter nodded his head. eyes" h,
said, sit was wildcat, and I guess the
engineer of that came to grief, too. But
is there anything 1 can do for you be
fore 1 goP"
The conductor uttered an exclamation
of pain.
30, do 90 ahead,'' he said. ..Don'
mind me; there are only half a dozen O
us here, and there'1 be five hundred
people in the express. Well hold out
guess, till you get back, and if W.
dOn't-SaY, young fellow, just take dow
my wife's name, will you? It's Mrs
James"-he stopped a 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.
''Runr' cried the conductor ''Neve
mind me. There's red flag lying OF
the track. Go as far as you can, for it
a down grade and the train will be com
| ing like the wind.
Before the conductor was through
Walter had snatched up the flag anC
hurried off. He had not realized befor,
how shaky his limbs were, nor how fain
he was from lack of food; but as he raj
past the overturned engine of his owl
train, and around the curve that LAY
ahead, it was as much as he could do t.
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