The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-12-09
A BULL ANDTH ELOOOMOTIvE
A Railroad Incident in Old Mexico.
A new railroad was in process of


construction, and pass was secured,
permitting me to ride on the engine,
and | reached the end of the grade in
the afternoon. Nearly a score OF
"Greasers" claimed passage on the
engine and tender, and clustered like
flies to the molassss, though repeated.
ly warned away. As it was, the COW.
catcher was covered with them, and We
slid out into the cleaning with all our
passengers in front instead of behind
the engine. The fireman's seat, above
and To the left of the furnace door,
was given TO me-a warm location.
The sun went down, and into the dark
ness the headlight threw a saffron
CLEAN over the rails, followed by a
ruddy glow, and then a broad shaft of
light projected far in advance. The
red faded out of the sky, aud we sped
into the dismal depths with a rattle
and roar that silenced us all. and
with a jolting and crashing that ne
cessitated a firm grip upon some sup
port. At intervals of three or four
minutes the active fireman swung
open the furnace door with bang, and
showed into its fiery throat fresh fuel
for its insatiate NAV. Not a word
was spoken, but at a nod from the
engineer the assistant attended to his
duties like an automatOn - first to
turn cock and le. the kissing steam
full into our faces; then to pull the
bell rope; next to ruu out to trim the
headlight, and ever and again to jerk
open the changing door and rake up
the almost molten mass of living Goals
within. With one hand on tue lever
the engineer peered out into the illu-
minated space ahead-to him familiar
ground, but to me mysterious and
unknown.
"That's the talkp chuckled the en-
gineer, as Roadway was gained, and
We were dashing down the track at
tremendous speed. "Just hear her
now Did you ever notice, young
man, that ar ingine can talk? Well,
she can. Didn't you hear her puff
and grupt like a human, as We started
off? oh, pshaw = she begins, what
do you want? choo, choo, chose! here
goes here you gol now you have it I?
How is that? how is that! Give it
to her. Break her heart ] break her
back! break her
"Jerusaleml Jim, look ahead |!
See that internal old bull on the track
right between the rails and head ON.
Jim, | can't stop her !! Blamed if the
old woman don't mean fight She
means to knock the stuffin out of that
bull! Heaven help them Greasers on
the cow-catcher! Hold on to some
thing, boys, boysl She will fight
Dog-gone her old heart, but she's a
bantam ]"
The lever swung over the entire
arc of the gauge, and the steam Kissed
in volume through the open throt-
tie, but the contrary old engine,
though trembling and sohbing with
the strain, shook her mailed sides,
"taking the bits in her teeth" and
leaving our driver aghast.
''Santa Marial Somos perdidos !
We're lost ]" walled the despairing
Mexicans.
"Guess they be" muttered the fire.
man; "and I wouldn't want to in
sure our own
Crash
The foes had met. The bull, oh,
where was he? Ask the remains
that now bestrewed the track. Ask
the sturdy old engine, now come to a
halt, her CORY front intact, and who
was now snorting defiance and vic
tory.
And the Mexicans?
"Jim !! look down ahead and see'f
she's hurt. Hockey amt it dark ~
Jim jumped through the cab win
dow and ran ahead. As he did so he
stumbled over a body. and another,
and three white forms came out of
the gloom to meet him.
"Guess it's all right he shouted
back.
"What amt she damaged biti"
"Kind o'bloody an battered, but |
esh as daisy. She amt lost even |
tooth"
"Ain't she tearerf"
"You bet"
swell, come up. Any greasers
killed ?"
Guess not seem to be all here"
"Any damaged%
"Don't seem to be"-after hurried |
questioning. "You see, three of 'em
jumped, and t'Other two crawled up
just in time to save their shins."
SIS that so Didn't know a Greas-
er could be SO spry. did kind of