The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-01-21
"HOLD NUMBER TWELVE" "
The Part OF tho Story That Charley
Did Not Toll

ooh, you heard about that did youP
Who told you?"
"Charley Branscome, the conductor.
He said he was running the train at the
time"
$50 he was. What did he say about
itP"
"IIc said IL was the most daring
thing he ever knew n fellow do You
sec we were all in his room talking
about railroad escapes and that sort Of
thing, and then ho told how You saved
the train.
jess so" replied the tclcgrapher,
without seeming TO be very well
pleased that his hcroism had been the
subject of conversation. Now. honor
bright, didn't he add any thing by the
way of explanation to the story?'
"No. What explanation could
there bcP You dd save the train, didn't
you?'
"Oh, ! saved the train all right
enough. Charley il good sort of fell
low | tell you. Yes; he was conductor
Ou ANo - w lnhl llIl', sun w ihlShl
have added something to the story Of
heroism that would have been truo
enough, yet IL shows what good
hearted fellow he is not to have told
it,"
"Why. were YOU to blame any about
the dispatch? understood him to say
that il was no fault on your part.
mo. it was the train disp. .tcher's
fault lie should have let me know
sooner don't brag much about that
episode, but I'll tell You the whole
story.
The operator paused moment. and
seemed to look back on that most ex-
citing period of his life, The telegraph
machine chattcred away on the table,
but the messages were for some other
place.
you scc." ho began, "No. - was
due here at l:ij n. M She stopped
here for water aud for orders. ,<hc
was the fastest train on the line Mt that
time, and Branscomc did the ticket
scalping on board. That night it was
raining eats and DOGS. when Charley
came in with his lantern hung on his
arm, and stood ut the desk till Pete
backed the engine from the water tank.
Then he said. nothing for me. chp'
and said there was nothing, and he
says. well; so long. then, and out he
went. At that moment there was n
call for mo Mt tho instrument. and
answered IL. only waited to hear
three words cf that message, but | tell
you those three words just made my
hair stand on end. They were:
"'Hold No. u. -
IL gave one glance out of tho VIM
dow and saw the last Pullman sleeper
slowly passing The reminder of that
instant was taken up in sprinCng clear
over that counter and boiling out on
the platform. Luckily we had n long
platform ut that station and guess |
made the quickest time up that set OF
planks that was ever made along that
road. You see on day train il would
not be so bad. for the conductor always
swings himself on the last coach. but
on the night trains. especially at that
hour. everybody in the slccpers are
slecpcrs themselves. and SO he gets on
the last regular car, which is about the
middle of the train. No. II generally
had throc sloopers. She had four on
that night.
"Wel. | swung on the platform OF
the last sleeper just as it was passin 2
the end of the station, and was never
so thankful for any thing in all my life,
for the train was beginning TO go pretty
fast and il was that or nothing.
Il knew that even then there was not
second To bc lost. and must confess
that | was pretty badly ratt cd. Al
though had only heard the first three
words of the dispatch, | knew that
somo where on the line. near or close,
there was another train coming, that
expected to pass No. ~ at our siding.
I'll tried the door Of the sleeper aud
was Mortified 20 find il locked. |
Kicked and beat Mt the door. hut the
rorter was at the other end Of the car.
probably polishing up some ones boots
or very likely asleep, Then | tried To
break the glass Of the window 50 that
i could put in my arm and push back
the door catch. but YOU know how
thick the plate glass is in car door.
and | had nothing but my elbow So
break IL with Every moment lost
was putting me in frenzy. gave
one despairing Kick at the door, hoping
TO break 1t in. but 1t was no good.
"Thc next instant | resolved to get
at Pete, the engineer, by climbing over
the top of the traipr How ever got
up thore don't know. Idon't believe
could do IL now on standing car TO
save my life, and by this time the train
was rafting along at forty miles an
hour. swinging around those curves in
way that took my breath away.
1.-The top was slippery with the wet
and there was nothing to hold on to. l
started TO run along the top with the