Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-05-27
stealing a Ride.

ct is not often, says a locomotive
engineer, chat anybody tries to steal
a ride on an engine, though reeollect
one sturdy old tramp on the New
York Central Railroad, who would
sometimes roost on the cow-catcher
Of my locomotive in the night, and so
get lift OF fifteen or twenty miles out
Of Rochester before l knew he was
there. And / once saw horse-one
Of three which we accidentally ran
into on the track-thrown bodily
back over the cylinder, and up on the
loot board. The poor animal rode
there for some little distance, then
rolled off, with frightful squeal, and
went headlong down II rocky embank-
ment.
"0nce out in Dakota, too,-that
was after had entered the service of
the Northern Pacific Road, three
wild geese flew aboard of us one dark
night. They were three from a flock
which we startled out OF little lake
close beside the line, and | suppose
they were bewildered by theheadlight.
We heard them squall, and then saw
them Tapping about under the guard,
alongside the boiler. My fireman
opened the window, and running out
on the foot board, secured one ofthem;
the two others tell off.
but the most of an adventure in
that line happened to us late last fall,
after my fireman and Ihad been trans.
ferred to the Western Division of the
above mentioned road 1t was on
quite cold, windy night. We were
going along at good speed, with a
heavy freight, through a tract of
country where there were woods and
number of steep, high hills, around
the base of which the railroad curves
and winds its way.
Il sat looking ahead, and Jim, the
fireman, who had Just been shoveling
IN coal, sat back on his cushion for q
moment, and was looking out on his
side of the engine.
Suddenly we had glimpse ofsomc
dark object directly before the engine,
and felt slight shock.
What was that" Jim muttered.
Dye see it?'
eek, perhaps said ], 'or black
tail, or else maybe a tussock, stump,
or something, which the jar brought
down the bank
"'Well, I'm going forward to see
what it was, Jim said, after a mo-
ment; and opening the window, he
went out on the foot-board. didn't
pay much attention, but sat still,
looking steadily ahead on my own
side.
"All at once heard a chatter, and
saw Jim come back head first and all
standing into the cab, and clap the
screen to! He had lost his cap, and
looked wild. He seized a sledge out of
The tool-box, and turned, facing the
window.
"'What ais you, Jim?' I called
out.
"'Ails" he exclaimed. Jest you
look out heren
81 left my seat and went to the side
Of the cab, and there on thefoot-board
caught sight of about the ugliest-look-
ing brute | ever happened to see any
wherel 1t was crouched down, It's
claws out clutching hold, it's ears land
back, and its eyes regular balls of fire.
Jim first saw it down on the pilot,
but when the creature saw him look
ing round the boiler head, it Jumped
for him, and chased him back within
a few feet OF the cab window. The
beast looked the picture of fright and
fury. What freak had possessed 1t to
Jump on the cow-cateher is more than
| can guess.
"'steady, JIM l said. IN wake
MIN up! and l opened the whistle close
beside him.
"You should have seen that crea-
ture jump! He leaped into the air as
ii dynamite had been under him, and
went clear of us out OF sight into the
road-bed. That was the last we saw
of him that night.
But next day, when we came along
on our return trip, pulled up, and we
got down and looked around What
do you think we found2 Well, sir, it
was a big panther, or 1ion,' as they
call them out this way, dead, down
among some rocks forty or fifty feet
from the rails
1.-The train men hauled him out, and
took him along to show the other
boys. They SAID that the creature
weighed over two hundred pounds"