Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-04-02
Gales aud Sketfhss.
OILIyG fHE TRACK
fcontinuea from yesterday.

The engine bounded like a spurred
horse On we went, swaying from side
m side. until it seemed as if Ne must
hmm the track. Meanwhile our enemies
along the road were not idle. Bullet
| after bullet whistled By US. but fortunate
Iv what with the darkness and rapidity
of our motion. none of them reached u.s.
I've had now arrived in sight of the
first battery. By the lights moving hur-
riedly along the parapet- it was obvious
that our approach was expected. As we
aassed abreast of the battery it gave US
first a compliment in the shape OF round
shot followed by storm of grape Here.
AGAIN. the darkness and our speed saved
US. Several of the grape shot glanced OH
the frame of the engine without doing any
damage. -,
live her some more fire, John. said
the engineer grimly. If they happen to
knock a hole in Us with one OF them bits
of iroa. YOU won't do no more firing. my
how. [ can tell YOU that and | folded my
arms and looked toward the battery, which
wa. evidently preparing to give us an
other salute. 1t came in the shape OF a
conical shot, with so true an aim that 1T
whizzed within foot of the boiler. and
carried off the bell. which fell with clang
among the bushes.
Thank you,' said the engineer, with
a Grin. We don't need the bell. any
how. You can use it yourself. to ring to
dinner with .
..By this time we had passed out of
range of the first battery, and we were
under the guns of two more. These
works had been constructed to command
the junction of our road with another run
ming south. There was also station at
this point, and as we whirled by saw
an engine standing upon the siding, with
steam up. l caught sight of number
of men running toward it as we'll as
others busy with car that stood near
it. What they were at could not make
out. for we passed them like flash OF
lightning. At this moment, too. the bat
teries, which had probably received notice
of our approach, opened fire upon US, and
for a moment the air seemed to be alive
with shrieking iron.
More fire, John.' cried the engineer !;
ram her full to the door, or it's all up
with us
..The fireman stopped to obey, but at
that moment shell struck upon the ca
boose and burst within three feet of US. 1t
was a 10-inch monster, and how any of us
escaped alive | fail to see. AS it was,
when the dust and smoke cleared away,
found the top OF the cab gone. portion OF
the caboose torn off and the fireman lying
! in a heap on the floor with his arm broken.
&" I'm knocked out. William he
groaned and now who's to fire her for
the rest of the trip?
81 WILL said. Il think | can man
age it
After placing the poor fellow in as
comfortable position as possble.l seized
the shovel and began my new duties.
by this time we had passed out OF
range of the batteries, which now and then
| however, sent sullen shot in our direc-
ton as parting evidence of their good
will.
We are safe y said with a sigh of re-
| lief; that was their last line of works.
| The road is clear before u.s.
! /" Il hope so. SIR responded the engi-
neer How is your arm, John?'
"'Very bad, William groaned the
! fireman; but that amt the worst of it.
We amt trough with the trouble yet
"'What do you meanp' | asked. The
scouts say there are no troops beyond us,
except our own at Kanakia station
g. But they are following u.s. replied
the poor fireman. They are after us hot
and heavy
Il looked at the engineer under the i'm
preston that the fireman was in a delirium
with his injury.
Hes ight, captain" said the engineer,
listening intently. Sure as fate they
have pulled out that engine we saw at the
junction, and are chasing us"
"'But there's no possibility of their
overtaking u.s." | replied.
".I don't know about that he said
gravely That engine is heavy one.
and have seen her make good so miles
with train behind her. This light ma
chine, and can't promise more than 40
at the most. Besides they have the ad-
vantage of us in the fact that they have a
car attached and we are running alone
81 should suppose that our lightness
would rather be in our favor than other
|. wise.' ! responded.
1. .'Got something to balance her, grunt-
|, ed the fireman, sententiously
"'John is right explained the engi
neer. You see, sir. If an engine has no car
, behind her. she is apt to jump and pound
: the rails, and, if you put her at full speed
to get off the track altogether. So while
that engine behind us can do her leve
, best we can't even let out 40 miles with
, out danger of a smash-up."
Il now comprehended the extent of ou
: peril. We had only run the gauntlet O
Scylla to be more effectually destroyed by
Charybdis To have been killed by
round shot from the fort would have been
, at least. soldiers death. To be run dowr
i and picked off coolly like ducks on pud
r die was. to put it mildly. decidedly un
dignified way of settling accounts will
the world. As for surrender, | am certai
. that neither of my companions thought o
it as means of escape any more than
did. A sacred trust, involving the fate Of
an army. perhaps of a nation, had beer
placed with us. To yield it to any but tn,
skeleton hand of death itself was a MOTTO,
which never entered our heads 1t wa
then lite. and more than life, that huns
upon the issue, and it was with such sen
sations as come to few mems experienc,
that we listened to the dull roar of tn,
approaching engine.
Meanwhile our own little machine wa
not idle. | had kept the furnace at a
white heat. The steam, pent up in the
boiler. groaned and wheezed like ths
Z I,.-, - tn