The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-05-15
Stealing q Ride.
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IL is not eItSn, says A ithcplnotiNP engineer, that anybody tries to steal q ride on an engine, though recolleN one sturdy old tramp on the New York Central railroad who would sometimes roost on the cow-catcher of my locomo- tive in the night, and so get lift of if tween or twenty miles out of Rochester before 1 knew he was there And i once saw a horSc-one of three which we accidentally ran into on the track -- thrown bodily back over the cylinder. and up on the foot-hoard The poor animal rode there for some little dis tance then rolled of. with friehiful squeal and went headlonE down rocky embank kmrnt.
 Once out in Dakota, too-that was after l 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 bewildorcd by the headlight We heard them squnll. and then saw them Tapping about under the guard alongside the boiler Nv fireman opened the window and run ming out on the foot-board secured one of them; the two others fell otf,
 But the most of an adventure in that line happened to Us late last fall. after my fireman and had been transferred to the western division of the above mentioned road It was on quite a cold windy night We were going along nt good speed, with 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 it way
 "l sat looking ahead, and Jim, the fireman, who had just been shovelling in coal, sat back on his cushion for n moment, and was looking out on his i side of the engine.
 Suddenly we had d glimpse of some object directly before the engine, and felt slight shock
 " What was that2' Jim muttered Dye see it?
 ." Elk perhaps, said l. or black tail, or else maybe il tussock, stump or something, which the jar brought down the bank
 '' Well. I'm going forward to see what 1t was, Jim said, after moment; and opening the window, he went out on the foot-board. didn't pay much atten- tion, but sat still, looking steadily ahead on my own side.
 All at once l heard 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 ails you, Jim?" called out
 "' Ails! he exclaimed Jest you look out herel
 left my seat and went to the side of the cab, and there on the foot-board caught sight of about the ugliest-lookin brute eyer happened to see anywherel It was crouched down, it's claws out clutching hold, it's ears laid back, and it's eyes regular balls of fire
 Jim first saw it down on the pilot. but when the creature saw him looking round the boiler-head, 1t jumped for him, and chased him back within few feet of the cab window The beast looked the picture of fright and fury What freak had possessed it to jump ! on the COW catcher Is more than I car guess.
 | him up and l opened the whistle close beside him
 iou should have seen that creature jump He leaped into the air as if dy. namite had been under him. and went clear of us out of sight into the road bed. This 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 found? Well. sir it was A big panther, or lion, as they call them out this way dead down among som" rocks forty or fifty feet from the rails
 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.
 A Box of Tobacco for $2.oo
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