Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-07-12
GRAY

coal At least we must stop at Du-
freme. That was the next halt. The
little town approached. AS the first
house came into view, the engine sent
its shrieks of warning; it grew louder
louder.
We dashed into the street, up to the
station, where a group OF passengers
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 glared red hot. The heat,
the velocity, the terrible nervous strain
of the man beside me seemed to weight
the air. / found myself drawing long
stertorous breaths like one drowning.
heaped in the coal at intervals as
he bade me. did it because was op-
pressed by an odd sense of duty, which
never had in my ordinary brain work.
Since then have understood how it is
that dull, ignorant men, without spark
of enthusiasm, show such heroism as
soldiers, fremen, and captains OF
wrecked vessels. 1t Is this overpower-
ing sense of routine duty. It's finer
thing than sheer bravery, In my idea.
However, began to think that Mark
ley was mad-laboring under Some
frenzy from drink, though l 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 gauge
to the timepiece, with steadiness that
was more terrible and threatening than
any CLEAN of insanity would have
been. Once he glared back at the long
train sweeping after the engine with O
headlong speed that rocked 1T from
side to side.
One could imagine he saw hundreds
of men and women in the carriages,
talking, reading, smoking, unconscious
that their lives were all in the hold OF
one man, whom 1 now strongly sus'
pected to he 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 IA
going out"
1 did it, Yes, I did it. There was
something in the face of that man
could not resist. Then / climbed for.
ward and shook him by the shoulder.
"Markley," l shouted, "you are run,
ming this train into the jaws of death. .
II 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 gauge.
"Make up the fire." he commanded
and pushed in the throttle valve.
81 will not"
"Make up the fire, jack" very
quietly.
"I will not. You may murder your
self and mother, but you will not mur
der me-"
He looked at me. His kindly gray
eyes -claresl- like those of s-<sila -bsast
But he controlled himself a moment.
"I could throw you off this engin,
and make short work of you," he said
"But look here; do you see the station
yonder9"
saw a faint streak against the SIX.
about five miles ahead.
II was told to reach that station b.
@ o'clock" he continued. "The expires
train meeting US is due now. 1 ough
to have laid by for it at Dufreme.
was told to come on. The track Is
single one. Unless / can make tn
: siding at the station in three minutes
! we shall meet it in yonder hollow"
| Somebody's blunder?" said.
Eyes, / think So"
/ said nothing. i threw on coal; If
had had petroleum / should hay
: thrown it on. But never was calme
in my life. When death actually stare
man in the face it often frightens hi
into the most perfect composur'
: Markley pushed the valve still furthe
The engine began to give a strane
I painting sound. Far off to the south
y could see the bituminous black smol
!, of a train. 1 looked at Markley inqui
u ingly. He nodded. 1t was the express
s / stopped to the fire.
o "No more," he said.
; 1 looked across the clear summ'
sky at the gray smoke of the peacef1
q little village, and beyond that at
" black line coming closer, closer aero
s the sky. Then / turned TO the watc
e In one minute more-well, confess
o sat down and buried my face in n
q hands. / don't think tried to pray.
I; had a confused thought OF. mangle
II dying men and women-mothers al
!; their babies.
There was terrific shrek from u
IS engine against which / leaned. A
); other in my face. A hot, kissing tel
u pest swept past me. / looked up. v
a were on the siding, and the express HI
ID gone by. 1t grazed our end carriage
passing. In O sort of delirious Joy
lg sprang up and shouted to Markley. |
" did not speak. He sat there immovab
IN and cold as a stone. went to the ira
m and brought his mother to him, al
is when he opened his eyes and took Z
lg old lady's hand in his turned away.
I'd Yes, gentlemen, have been in ma
ne a railway accident, but 1 have alwa
tn considered that the closest shave / ey
10 had.
at "What was the blunder?"
don't know. Markley made light
tt il ever afterward and kept it a seer
OF but no man on the line stood so high
re the confidence of that company aft
n, that as he. BY his GOODNESS and mel
nd he had saved hundred lives.
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