Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-08-13

We dashed into the street, up to
the station, where a group of passen-
gers waited, and passed it without
the halt of an instant, catching
glimpse of the appalled, faces and the
waiting crowd. Then we were in the
fields again. The speed now became
literally breathless, the furnace glar-
ed red hot. The heat, the velocity,
the terrible nervous strain of the man
beside me, seemed to weight the air.
/ found myself drawing long sterto-
rious breaths like one drowning.
heaped in the coal at intervals as
he bade me. l did it because / was
oppressed by an odd sense of duty,
which | never had in my ordinary
| brain work. Since then j have un-
derstood how it is that dull, ignorant
men, without spark of enthusiasm,
show such heroism as soldiers, fire.
men and captains of wrecked vessels.
1t is this overpowering sense of rou-
tine duty. It's a finer thing than
sheer bravery, in my idea. However,
| began to think that Markley was
mad, laboring under some frenzy
from drink, though had never seen
him touch liquor.
He did not move hand or foot, ex-
cept in the mechanical control of his
engine, his eyes going from the gage
/ to the timepiece with a steadiness
/ that was more terrible and threaten
ing than any CLEAN of insanity would
have been. Once he glared back at
the long train sweeping after the en-
gine with headlong speed that rock
ed it from side to side.
One could imagine he saw hun
dreds of men and women in the car
riages, talking, reading, smoking, ,un-
conscious that their lives were all in
the hold of one man whom | strongly
suspected to be mad. knew by his
look that he remembered their lives
were in his hand. He glanced at the
clock.
"Twenty miles, he muttered.
''Throw on more coal, Jack, the fire
is going out
| did it. Yes, did it. There was
something in the face of that man |
could not resist. Then / climbed
forward and shook him by the shoul-
der. ''Markley," shouted, you are
running this train into the jaws of
death"
81 know it," he replied quietly.
''Your mother is aboard this train"
"Heavens !" He staggered to his
feet, but even then he did not remove
his eyes from the gage.
"Make up the fire." he command
ed, ''and push in the throttle valve"
81 will not"
"Make up the fire, jack" very
quietly.
81 will not. You may murder
yourself and mother, but you shall
not murder me-"
He looked at me. His kindly gray
eyes glared like those of wild beast.
But he controlled himself in a mo-
ment.
81 could throw you off this engine
and make short work of you," he |
said. "rut l1ok here, do you see
that station yonder?"
| saw a faint streak against the |
sky about five miles ahead.
81 was told to reach that station
by six O'clock" he continued. "rhe |
express train meeting us is due now. |
l ought to have laid by for it at Dun
freme. / was told to come on. The |
track is a single one. Unless | can /
make the siding at the station in
three minutes, we shall meet it in |
yonder hollow"
"Somebody's blunder! L SAID
eyes, think So"
l said nothing. | threw on coal
if had had petroleum l should have
thrown it on. But l never was calm
er in my life. When death actually
stares a man in he face it often
frightens him into the most perfect
composure. Markley pushed the
valve still further The engine be-
gan to give strange painting sound.
Far off to the south l could see the
bituminous black smoke of a train.
l looked at Marllley inquiringly. He
nodded. 1t was the express? |
stopped to the fire.
"No more," he said.
/ looked across the clear summer
sky at the gray smoke of the peace
full little village, and beyond that at
a black line coming closer, closer
across the sky. Then | turned to
the watch In one minute more
well, | confess l sat down and buried
my face in my hands. / don't think
/ tried to pray. / had a confused
thought of mangled, dying men and
women, mothers and their babies.
There was a terrific shrek from
the engine against which / leaned.
Another in my face. A hot, Kissing
swept past me. looked up.
We were on the siding and the ex-
press had gone by. 1t grazed our :
end carriage in passing. In a sort of
delirious joy l sprang up and shout
ed to Markley. He did not speak.
He sat there immovable and cold as !.
a stone. | went to the train and :
brought his mother to him, and when :
he opened his eyes AM took the old !,