The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-09-12
A Thrilling Episode.

oUsA hock Island railway freight
cVh0uctor. "let me tell you true one
that came under my observation last
winter out near Des Moines when |
was running on the Iowa division.
Inis Is no railroad yarn, but fact.
y saw it with my own eyes. One day
1--WE We're running along and | was in
stne engine. AS we began to cross a
Driuge we looked ahead and there
was little girl about six years old
Elainberlng over the timbers. She
1ehad Some school books in her hand ,
anu was evidently on her way home
rom school. The engineer whistled
when she turned her face toward US.
/ never forget that face as long as |
Il ~ -, " was just as white as the SNOW
! On Gae ice in the creek thirty or forty
feet below her. But she didn't scream,
D0r try to jump, nor do nothing. She
just looked at us with steady glare
As if she'd stop the train with her
eyes that we were unable to do with
our brakes. At first we We're all so
broke up we hadn't any idea what to
do, and believe we'd of stood there
like posts if she hadn't suddenly
stretched out her little arms towards
US in mute appeal for help, Well
sir, that broke the charm, and we all
started up wildly. lsWuDg way out
as far as could, holding by one hand.
and with the other mOtiOning her to
get dOWD-dOWn between the tim
bers. Would you believe it? That
little thing followed my directions as
if she'd been man. And she took
her time to it, too, and climbed down
as deliberately as if she'd been at
home. She was none too quick,
though. for her little brown hood,
with a red ribbon flutteling from it,
had no sooner disappeared between
the timbers than we thundered over
her.
"'Let her out, Bill,' l shouted to
the engineer, 'Iet her out lively, or
that little thing will never be able to
stick down there till we get over the
bridge, Turn her lOosen
$50 Bill he let her out, but she'd
no sooner reached the bank than |
jumped off and went heels over head
in snow bank. | got back to the
bridge as soon as ! could, and waited
fosnur long train to get by. Don't
mind tellin' ye that as | stood there
[ did something | never did afOre-
yes, sir, stood there and prayed that
that little one might be able to stick
it out till | could get to her. But |
guess my prayers are no good, for
when the train was by | rushed out
on the bridge. over timbers by the
dozen, expecting every minute to see
that little red ribbon. But it never
showed up. Tears began to fill my
eyes so that | could hardly see the
crosspieceS-I have a little girl of my
own, you know-but on and on L
went, and no brown hood or red rib
bon could / find. Then | turned and
looked to the ice below, and there she
was. Yes, she had fallen thirty or
forty feet through the bridge.
"How l got down to her l don't
know, but l got there. lifted her
up in my arms. Her eyes were closed
but she opened them, looked at me
a second, and said:
"How did you get down here ?"
"This question would have made
me laugh if | had felt sure she wasn't
hurt, but as it was l hurried up the
bank and tC the caboOse. She said
she wasn't hurt much, but | knew
she couldn't tell, and we started for
the next station.
81 am going home, amt I?' she
inquired, after we had fixed her up
in our bunk.
81 told her yes knowin' that
minute we were going right by her
house. / was in such a hurry to get
surgeon that thought it right to
deceive her. Pretty soon she went
off to sleep, and she looked so death
ly lying there that all of us went to
Wipin' our eyes like women.
Boys says l, if she never wakes
up I'll quit the road. l never want
to see that bridge again"
"And you have quit the road ?"
'No, Pm at the old business. She
got we'll, and all the spring used to
watch for my train as she would for
her papa coming home from work.
We never passed her house unless
she was out waving that little brown
hood at us and making that red rib
bon dance. Our engineer used to
whistle for her regularly, and she got
so she could tell that whistle as far as
she could hear it, Once in awhile,
when not in a hurry we'd stop and
folk with hnr Ghn Sai1 Gh InXn1 nc