The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-03

three weeks, and when L came back 10
the cab I could hardly recognize him.
He had wild, queer look in his eyes, q
strange sound to his voice, and he was SO
sullen and morose that almost feared to
speak to him on matters of business. I
made two or three trips with him, and
but for the fear OF hurting his feelings l
I should have made application to be
changed. 1t was the third or fourth
trip after he returned to the road when
we left Cincinnati one November night
for the North. 1t was wild, stormy
night, and as we got out into the country
I caught Bob smiling and chuckling.
The wildness of the night seemed to
strike responsive chord in his soul.
Old '63 seemed to be in uncommon spir-
its, too, for she was sliding right along
with heavy train, and making no fuss
over it. I made some remarks about it
but Bob made no reply. Indeed, he act
ed as if he was alone in the cab. l didn't
| like the situation bit, for had sus-
picion that he wasn't quite right in his
head, and he was also squirting her be-
yond schedule time. We were to pass
side track accommodation about thirty
miles out of Cincinnati. She ought to be
in eight minutes ahead of our time, but
63 was beating schedule time SO fast that
I feared collision. The conductor had
his eyes open, however, and at stop
about twenty miles out be came forward
and ordered Bob to slow her down. We
had overreached five minutes in that
short run. Bob answered surly enough,
but as we pulled out again he obeyed
orders and checked her down to lose the
extra minutes gained.
We had passed the siding ell right
when I noticed that his nervousness in
creased. He would whistle for crossings
where none existed, and he would toot
supposititious cattle off the track Once,
seeming to ignore my presence altogeth-
er, he opened the furnace door and piled
in the fuel, although we we're carrying
more steam than I had ever seen on.
At Hamilton I was fully resolved to
speak to the conductor as he came for
ward and gave me opportunity, but he
did not. It was when I returned to the
cab after oiling up that Bob looked up
at me with a start, as if surprised to see
me, and said.
"Jim, I'm thinking of them"
"Yes, Bob, but they are better off," T
soothingly said "You must bear up
like mar. It's sad enough, God knows,
but you must meet it bravely."
"Did you SEQ"
"What?" I asked, as he suddenly
checked himself.
He did not answer. He looked at his
watch, signaled me to ring the bell, and
in moment more we were off. The
night was growing wilder, and we were
not ten minutes out of Hamilton when /
made up my mind that there was trouble
close at hand. Bob turned to look at
me now and then in way to prove that
he meditated evil, and from the way he
kept the whistle going the passengers
behind must have supposed the track to
be swarming with living distractions
We were about half way to Dayton, and
I had just replenis he'd the fire, when Bob
suddenly gave her all steam. It seemed
to me as if old 63 took a clean jump of
ten feet as she felt the extra steam, and [
shouted my alarm. The words were
hardly uttered before he was upon me.
"You've got to die with me- p he
screamed, as he clntched my arms, and
I'm not exaggerating bit when L tell
you that his eyes looked like Goals of
fire.
was by far the stronger man of the
two, but in his first rush he dashed me
about in dreadful way, and had almost
pulled me to the steps before [ called up
my muscles. Then did my best to save
him. He was bound to go OF and I was
bound to prevent, and, as we pulled and
tugged at each other, the train was run
ming go close to mile minute that none
of the passengers cared to reduce the
fraction. I think the struggle lasted
about five minutes. I was gradually
drawing him back into the tender, and
was wondering how / could secure him,
when he suddenly shut his teeth on my
right wrist, and bit and tore it like dog
1 had to let go my clutch, and as I did SO
he turned and leaped off, uttering cry
which rang in my ears for weeks after.
1t was high time the steam was shut
off. AS I afterward learned, every pas
senger was hanging on and praying to
heaven, for the dullest of them knew that
something had happened on the locomo-
tive. I brought her to standstill as
soon as possible, and when the conductor
reached the cab we backed up to look for
poor Bob's body. We found it about two
miles back, and it was shocking sight.
He had struck stump head first, and
head and face were simply bloody mass
Of flesh.
L ran the train into Dayton, and we
had scarcely come to standstill before
1 was seized with chill, and had to be
helped to the hotel. was just clean
broken down under the mental strain,
and it was plump six weeks before 1
crept out of my bed. 1 was determined
never to step foot ON an engine, but when