The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-09-11

hard that Tom could hardly see ont of
the window. At last the fury of the
storm seemed to have spent itself,
and Tom breathed sigh of relief
as he heard the wind lessening, for
he always feared to have his
father cross the bridge over the gorge
when the wind was blowing high, lest
the train should be blown over. He
looked down at the bridge as it entered
his thoughts, and something that he
saw there made his ruddy boylsh face
pale with terror Dragging himself
across the room slowly and painfully,
he got his fathers glass down from the
shelf and looked through it. No, he
had not been mistaken. His eyes had
told HIM the truth. Just at the begin
nlng of the bridge, and partly on it,
lay tall tree that had been blown
over by the gale. Unless the train
could be checked in time, it would be
derailed and hurled into that terrible
gorge.
No wonder the boy felt himself grow
ing faint with terror at the thought of
his fathers peril, as well as the dam
ger to all the others that were on the
train. How could they be warne ed in
time? The twilight shadows were al
ready growing deeper, and it would
soon be dark. Tom looked at his
bandaged leg with a groan of
despair If he only had the
use of it, he could soon
have made his way down the mount
ain side, and built a fire beside the
track that would have warned them!
There was no hope that he coald posi-
bly, drag himself that distance; even if
he could have borne the torture of
dragging his broken limb after him,
his strength would not have held out,
and then, too, the time would have
been too short. Tom groaned aloud.
Must he sit there and see the train 90
crashing over the edge of the gorge
without saying word to stay it?
In less than an hour now the train
would come laundering along, his
father would exchange signals with
him for the last time, and then. But
the thought of the signals sent an idea
through Toms brain that took his
breath away. Perhaps he could signal
with the lamp, and make his father
understand the danger He put the
lamp in the window and waited. 1t
was the only chance, and as the slow
minutes dragged themselves away,
and each one shortened the boys
agony of suspense, perhaps you can
guess how his whole heart went up in
fervent prayer that his father would
understand.
AT last the train rumbled through the
tunnel, and coming out into open air
swept around the curve, its headlight
cleaning like baleful eye. The en-
glneer was running fast now to make
up Tor delay at the station they had
just passed. He glanced up into the
darkness that shrouded the mountain
to see his boys signal Presently it
flashed out, then instead of waving
backward and forward it was suddenly
obscured, then it cleaned out again.
Something, the father never knew
what, made him connect the sudden
flashes with the little electric instru-
ment. He watched eagerly. Yes, he
was right, the boy was irving to tell
him something. He slackened the speed |
OF the train, and spelled the letters one
after another.
,nD-a-n-g-e-r-G-o-r-g-eE
That was all, but he understood, and |
under the hand of its master the train |
came to sudden standstill. Not a |
moment 100 soon, for when the train
II nahoS ran forward with lanterns they |
, ~ tne 1allen tree not six feet from
'he engine
1t would have been terrible acct
dent beyond doubt, and as the pas.
5engers learned the cause of the de-