Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-02-19

mlltS Will u Tram ucuiuu Hci. iHis oHt
is a light machine and l can't promise
more than forty at most. Besides, they
have the advantage Of us in the fact
that they have Car attached and we
are running alone
al should suppose that our lightness
would be rather in our favor than other
wise
SCOT something to balance her,
grunted the fireman, sententiously.
John is right, explained the en-
gineer. You see, sir, il an engine has
no weight behind her she is apt to jump
and pound the rails, aud, II you put her
at her full speed, to get of the track al
together. So, while that engine behind
US can do her level best, we can't even
let out to forty miles without danger of
a smash-up.'
81 now comprehended the extent "f
our peril. We had only run the gauni-
let of Scylla 10 be more etiectually de-
stroyed by Chsry bdis. To have been
killed by round shot from the fort
would have been at least soldiers
death To be run down and picked of
coolly like ducks on apuddle was, 10 put
it mildly, decidedly undignitied way
of settl;Eg accounts with the world.
As for surrender, | am certain that mel
ther of my comrades thought OF IL as a
means Of escape any more than | Cid.
A sacred trust, involving the fate OF
an army, perhaps of anation, had been
placed with us. TO yield IL TO any but
the skeleton hand of Death itself was a
notion which never entered our heads.
1t was, then, life and more than life that
hung upon the issue, and II was with
such sensations as come TO few mems
experience that we listened 10 the dull
roar of the approaching engine.
meanwhile our little machine was
not idle. had kept the furnace at a
white heat. The steam, pent up in the
boiler, groaned and wheezed like the
breathing of an imprisoned giant. The
wheels spun around upoh the tracks,
crashing from side TO side, until there
were moments when even the engineer
peered with startled eye out Of the side
window at the complicated mechanism
below. AS we passed over long trestle-
bridge across wide marsh saw emerg-
ing from the shadows al the other end
the black form of the pursuing engine,
followed by the car, through whose
lighted windows a crowd Of armed men
were visible. Here we had a momen-
tary advantage, for, desperate as our en-
emies might be, their engineer dared
not carry his weighty engine over the
light framework as rapidly as We had
gone. 1t was but trifling gain, how
ever, for once on the solid road-bed
again the monster came on at redoub.
led speed.
"'More fire, captaip,' muttered the
engineer at this moment; 'on this grade
we must do our best or It will be all
over in five minutes
81 opened the furnace-door and began
shovelling in the coal. Uron the In
slant there was flash and report
from the cab windows of the pursuing
engine, and a rifle-ball smashed the
clock In our cab, within an inch OF the
engineers head.
"'The fame gives him fine mark,
observed the engineer, calmly. THAT
ball was meant for me, and but for the
swaying of the engine 1t would have hit,
too
81 completed my task as speedily as
possible and closed the furnace-door.
We were now In darkness again, and II
a ball reached US il must be by acci-
dent. Our enemies made no further at
tempt, however; confident, doubtless,
ofrunning us down very shortly. And
well they might be. We had ten miles
yet to run before reaching point where
they would themselves be in danger Of
capture or destruction from our own di-
vision OF Kanakia. During the last ten
miles they had decreased the distance
one-half, and, running AS we now were,
II 4. N 10 In Hun mi m
utes more.
"'Is there nothing we can doT ! ask
ed, anxiously.
"'Pirch something on the track,
said the fireman from his corner. May
be you can catch their wheels. Try one
OF the fire. bars
"Tt's good idea, John, replied the
engineer, perhaps you had better make
the experiment, captain
al seized one Of the heavy bars, piece
OF metal as thick as crowbar and ten
feet long, and, clambcring over the coal
In the caboose, leaned down and drop
ped the bar as nearly as could across
the track. Heaven forgive me. but
with what interest / waited for some
crash or outcry which should signal the
destruction OF our pursuers. In mo-
ment more there was sharp claDg
along the rails behind US, and crack
ling among the bushes lining the road.
".She has kicked it of, said the en-
gineer. Try my heavy overcoat. I've
known a piece Of cloth like that 10 get
among the wheels and jam them 30 that
you couldn't stir them All inch.'
"I did as directed. The garment fell
across the track, and exactly where the
forward trucks could strike IL. Pres
emily there was heavy jolting sound
behind us and a shrill escape Of steam.
"'Csught!' cried the engineer. IF II
L., ooI,, ,yoI1ad into tho uisfon-h -h1r