Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-05-22


in wood to burn.
"In this sled was salvation for the train
At the foot OF The mountain was siding,
if could reach which on the hand-sled in
time to turn the switch, the runaway loco
motive would be diverted from the course OF
destruction and would hurl itself against
rocky barrier at the termination OF the SIDE
track.
"When I placed the sled between the
tracks, I could already see the glaring head
light Of the engine. 1t was very close now,
not more than an eighth of mile away.
"Would it not overtake me after l got
started, and before 1 reached the bottom OF
the grade? AS the suggestion entered my
mind, cold chill crept over me. But did
not take time to count the danger-l did
not dare to, lest I should become faint
hearted! I knew that the ties all the way
down were close together, and the sled
would cross them readily, as it had often
bone before with Pat.
81 gave myself a fling down on the sled,
in the old schoolboy fashion, on my stomach.
The impetus of my weight descending gave
the sled start, and the next second l was
fairly flying down the grade between the
rails.
81 had not gone far when I noted that the
locomotive no longer painted in that heavy,
distressed way that it had in rising the
grade on the other side.
81 knew what it meant. The top of the
gap had been reached, and she was running
on the level! In another minute she would
be coming after me. Then what?
81 can tell you that you need never wish
for such feeling as came over me as the en-
CINE started down the grade in pursuit of me.
81 thought had suffered mental agonies
on several previous occasions, but l know
now that never until then did I have the
faintest conception of how much human
being can suffer in brief space.
frozen sleet that my breath was fairly taken
away. dared not look back after had
been going few seconds for so swiftly was
I moving that it required my constant at
tention to guide the sled. One unguarded
moment might send me headlong down the
mountain side.
cit was awful not to be able to note the
progress of the pursuing locomotive by means
of sight, while my ears were telling me OF
its swiftly overtaking me. l shall never
forget my feelings then if should count my
years to a century.
"Thud thud thud! I could hear the
whirring wheels pound on the rails.
''The sled was large and heavy one, and
it could not help slipping along at terrific
rate on such grade as this. Yet fast as it
slid along I felt that there was need for
greater speed if would save the train. But
faster than this [ could not 60. Even now
was all but flying. And behind me the To-
comotive was bounding along like some
bloodthirsty monster, determined that l
should not escape.
sIt was only two miles to the bottom of
the grade, SO you can understand that it
would not take me long to reach it. Yet it
appeared to me that a year must have
elapsed between the moment started down
the grade and that other one when found
myself near the bottom.
t'Thud! thud! thud! The runaway loco
motive was coming nearer-coming nearer
with speed rivaling the flight of ball
from the cannon's mouth! l felt sure 1t
now could not be more than few hundred
feet behind yet dared not risk turning
my head even for one instant.
At last the switch was in sight,
"Thud thud thud The hOrribly-sug-
gestive sound was now close behind me.
Fast as the sled was travelling, it appeared
to me at this juncture as though it were only
crawling at a snaiPs pace. remember see
ing the switch-handle ahead Of me, of ut
tering a brief prayer, then digging my toes
into the sleet to stop my headway. The next
second steered the sled sharply around.
It slid sideways for some feet, and then lost
motion.
I did not take time to get upon my feet,
but Just rolled over in the direction of the
switch, clutching which, dragged myself
on my feet, and glanced back in the dlrec-
tion whence had just come.
''Good cause there was for the shudder that
thrilled me, for the locomotive was only a
couple of hundred yards away. Heavens
how she was tearing along!
"YOu can gain some idea perhaps, II you
stop to think that she was coming down
heavy grade, under full head of steam, of
the fearful rate at which she was travelling.
'There was scant time in which to turn
the switch. How I ever managed to 90 1t
in the time left me 1 do not pretend to un-
derstand but get it turned in time did.
GAS l gave the sWitch-handle pull to-
ward me, I instinctively shrank back out OF
the way. 1t was we'll that did so, for the
instant the wheels struck the curve of the
switch the engine left the rails, jolted for
a sOmerSault, struck heavily on some rocks,
and lay there, like monster painting for
breath.
''In that leap it made it tore away the
switch-handle, and had / not recoled from
it even as I did, should have suffered Sc
rious, if not mortal wounds.
81 still had work to do. 1 must warn
the now approaching train of danger, arising
from the torn rails.
chastity gathering together some dry
twigs, / lighted them at a point a hundred
feet beyond the break.
"When the train drew near, the engineer
saw the fire and came to halt. 1t being an
impossibility for him to pass until wreck
ing train had made repairs, he returned to
H.
"Two days later, the circumstances had
probably been forgotten, save by myself and
a very few others.
'And that is the account of the one adven-
ture connected with my position that is at
all different from the usual run of adven-
lures in the employ of a railroad company"
"But was not your brave deed in some
way recognized and rewarded?"
''It was not. l did not wish that it should
be, for was not cut out to fill the role of
hero"
"And the good old sled-what became of
that?"
"Pat has it with him tonight. If you are
going in the direction of H in the NOR
ming, you can go down the grade on it with
him."
I did 20 down the grade with Pat, the
next morning, on the sled, and more than
once I shuddered as we slipped past some
dangerous spot, where a slight miScalcula-
ton would have hurled us to the bottom of
some raVine.
had only to picture myself as being now
pursued by runaway locomotive to hearth
fy wish myself somewhere else.-,SatWolay
Night.
HE BROKE UP THE SCHOOL.
'That is the new school house, is it ?' in
uuired Miss Alice Ray, the "new teacher"
as the farmers plodding little team passed
by little white house standing endWise to
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