Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-06-01


Recovering consciousness after few
moments, found myself bound, gagged
| and lying but few feet from gang OF
masked men, whom saw, as well as the
darkness would permit, at work with
bars removing one of the rails just at the
entrance of the bridge.
Train wreckers, 1 had heard great
| deal about the desperate character OF
| these ruffians, but was now making my
first &C ;uaintance with them.
AS they worked they discussed the
situation, and how they should dispose
of me-
II tell yer, Sam" one big fellow ex-
claimed "Best way is to tie him across
the rails, and let 'em finish him"
Eyes, that's so :" echoed the party.
dead men tell no tales, and he may
have seen our faces"
Il won't listen to such plan," said
one who seemed to exercise some influ-
ence over them. 1--WE shall have enough
to answer for before this Job is finished
without killing him. How this nail
sticks"' he added, with an oath. 1.-The
man who drove these spikes must have
meant 'em to stay. Come, mates He
is safe enough, and if we mean business,
we must be lively. The train will be
here in twenty minutes, and we have no
time to lose," and at the rail they all
sprang with a will
Twenty minutes, What could I hope
to do to save the train in my condition,
with so short time2
The thought of the terrible wreck
which must result if the derailed train
struck the bridge made me desperate.
Stralning at the cords which bound my
for
| remembered the trick of the necroman-
GERS who free themselves from their
bonds by alternately contracting and ex-
banding their muscles, and lay in ST.
lence, working in a perfect frenzy of ex-
cltement until l was able to free my
hands. In an instant my knife was out
of my pocket, and my feet free.
Without waiting to free myself from
the gag, sprang to my feet, and, at the
top of my speed, started down the track
in the direction of the approaching
train. With a yell which told me l was
discovered, the whole gang started in
pursuit; but had some little start of
them, and bounded along the ties, bent
upon stopping the train at any cost.
In the inky blackness of the night pur-
suit was difficult. Soon pop, pop! pop!
frc m the revolvers of the gang. They
were firing down the track, in the hope
of stopping me with bullet
AS the gag, which 1 mad not removed,
hlndered my breathing, I was forced to
stop for moment to cut it away. While
so engaged, there came second vo!ley,
this time more successful. l was struck
in the left arm midway between wrist
and elbow. 1 should have tainted from
the shock, together with the rough usage
had previously undergone, but for my
determination to keep up.
'Brace up!" called, as if addressing
a companion. ''NO time for such foolish
ness now, Tom. Remember the tramp
This l said aloud to myself, for the
solitary work of my nightly rounds had
given me the habit Of talking to myself,
for want of another companion.
Setting my teeth hard, l overcame the
faintness, staggered to my feet and ran
on. l soon noticed that the pursuit had
ceased. Either the train robbers thought
was done for, or they had returned to
their unfinished work, trusting 1 should
be unable to stop the train.
And now it flashed upon my mind for
the first time. How could 1 accomplish !
it? Light had none-my lantern was
with the wreckers.
While I was thus celebrating, still !
running on as fast as my condition would .
permit, instinctively felt in my pocket /
for matches. All, the oil! Why had 1
not thought of that before? Of course .
'Of course the oil will stop them,
Tom. Spread it on the rails Their old |
seventy ton locomotive can get no grip .
IN that iron. Smear it thick, cover it .
we'll, rub it on with your palm, so-both /.
ails. don't neglect an inch of either
For life, Tom! for life. Think of the .
men, women and little children upon the .
rain!'
l worked with the desperation of a
irowning man. Upon my knees, the !
bottle under my disabled arm, pouring
he oil, by an inclination of my body, into
nv right hand, aud spreading it upon
he rails.
In ten minutes the quart of oil was ex-
lausted, and as a result l had both rails
or quite a distance very well covered
With it.
l had worked backward from the ap-
,roaching train, and now rose to nv feet
t the end of my labor and at the ter
minus of the creased rails.
The train was coming.
Already the rails were singing with
ibratiOn as the heavy train approached
1ere they come. How awful the sight
f big locomotive, coming straight
oward one upon dark midnight! The
reat, round eye of the headlight stream
ng out into the darkness, the roar of the
exhaust, the hiss of the steam through