Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-09-10
Riding . whirlwInd.


''You see that big stone yonder, close
TO the bridge2 Well, just at that very
spot was as nearly killed as any man
ever was who lived to tell of it. ~
The announcement was startling
one, and made me look at my travelling
companion with more attention than
had yet given him.
We were winding slowly up a seem
ingly endless hillside in queer little
cart Just big enough to hold ourselves
and our fiat-faced Tartar driver. who
kept cheering ON his stumbling horses
hyena. All around us huge dark green
mountain ridges, wooded TO tie very
top. surged up like rolling waves. while
along the steep rocky slope on the other
side of the valley ran like a long gray
seam, the railroad, along which We
ought to he travelling at that moment.
But about week before my arrival the
whole hillside behind us had suddenly
Topped over like the leaf of book, and
carried the railway track and everything
belonging To it with rush right down
into the valley.
81 was an engine-driver on the line
when it was irst opened.' resumed my
companion. seeing that he had attracted
my attention, ''and it wasn't bad fun
either, on the whole. The language
was rather puzzle at first, L must con-
fess; but after a while | picked up
enough to make myself understood,
and then | went along well enough.
my Russian mate was a very good
fellow, and We were soon like two
brothers together, although We never
managed to get hold of each others
names properly. He was called 'Yakov
1vanovitch,' or James the son of John
lit being the correct thing i'll Russia to
call every one by his own name and the
name of his father, but as l couldn't
quite bring my t, que round to Y akOv.
Iturned it into Jacob. Then he, again,
having heard me called Jack by some
body, turned that into Yack, and so We
remained Yack and Jacob to the end of
the chapter.
''In the fine Summer weather, when
there was no snow to block the line. and
when the hills were green and the sky
was bright overhead, we quite enjoyed
our work. But there was one place
that We never liked, and We always
breathed more freely when we had got
past it. dare say you can guess which
bit 1t was-that piece of steep hillside
that l showed you just now, away
t'other side of the valley.
''If the line had gone up ZigZag, as ii
ought, it would have been all right; but
they must go and run it up as straight
as they could, SO that twas just like
climbing the side of a house. Fact
our steam wouldn't help us there, and
we had to be wound up or let down by
wire rope, like that new railway up
| Mount Vesuvius. OF course we couldn't
help thinking of what would happen if
the rope broke and although l don't
call myself coward, can tell you my
heart was In my mouth every time we
went over that place.
"Well, one day We were Just getting
ready to start the down-train from
Tifiis, when up came two big trucks
loaded with GOverpment stores, which
we were to take in tow. L thought at
once of that bit of hillside, and what
| strain this extra weight would be upon
the wire rope. However, there were
our orders, and we had TO obey 'em !;
so we hitched the trucks on, and away
we went.
81 remembered afterward that Jacob
seemed gloomy and out of sorts that
day for the first time since I'd known
him, Just as if he had guess of what
was coming, poor fellow! However,
all went well till we came to the steep
bit where the wire rope was. And then,
Just as we were little way down it,
there came shock that threw me off
my feet, and away we flew like bullet
from gun. The rope had parted
After that everything seemed just
like bad dream, when you keep on
falling and falling for thousands of
feet, without ever gettiLg to the bot
tom. The rush of the train, as it flew
along like mad thing, took my very
breath away, and turned me quite sick
and giddy; but had just sense enough
lett to remember that there was cleft.
III our way, with bridge over it, and
close to that bridge great heap-f soft
earth and there l made up my mind to
jun.P ?t:
81 felt cold all over at the Thought OF
what was coming but there was nothing
else for it. l shut my eyes, and out L
flew like rocket. But the rush of the
train had given me such a send-off, in
stead Of alighting upon the earth heap
as intended, l shot right across the
bridge and gully and all, and pitched
headforemost into another pile OF loose
earth on the opposite side.
"When came to myself again, and
looked down into the valley, the whole
place where the pretty little station had
been was just like an earthquake. The
train had leaped from the rails just op-
pOsite the platform, torn it up. like
bit of paper, and gone through the house
behind it Is cannon-ball might go
through a pane of glass. The broken
timbers, the locomotive, cars, trucks,
stores. and what not were all tumbled
together in a heap, the bare sight of
which was enough to tell me what had
become of poor old Jacob. Ugh Z! |
can't bear to think of it now.
when all Was over, and things be-
gan to be got to rights bit, they went
up and measured that flying leap of
mine, and the whole length of it from
point to point was good thirty Seren feet
and something over. It's a fact, al
though perhaps you mayn't believe it;
but can't blame you if you don't, for
if it hadn't happened to myself L
\ l. = l., Of ha,-