Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1888-06-23

Ciaiui'u u. best way Is 10 tie him across
the rails, and let 'em finish him.,
"Ies. that's SOL" echoed the party.
"Dead men tell no tales, and he may
have seen our aces"
Il won't listen to such plan," said
one who seemed to exercise some infiu-
cnce over them. "We shalt have enoUgh
to answer for before this Job is finished
without killing him. How this nail
sticks :" he added. with an oath. "The
man who drove these spikes must have
meant 'cm 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 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.
Straning at the cords which bound my
wrists, l fancied they gave way little.
l remembered the trick of the necroman-
GERS who free themselves from their
bonds by alternately contracting and cx-
panding their muscles, and lay in ST.
lence, working in perfect frenzy of ex-
cltement until 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 yell which told me was
discovered, the whole gang started in
pursuit; but l 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!
iron the revolvers of the gang. They
were firing down the track, in the hope
OF stopping me with bullet.
As the gag, which mad not removed,
hindered my breathing, 1 was forced to
stop for moment to cut it away. While
so engaged, there came second volley,
this time more successful. / was struck
in the left arm midway between wrist
and elbow. ! should have tainted from
the shock, together with the rough usage
| had previously undergone, but for my
determination to keep up.
'Brace 10" / called, as if addressing
companion. "No time for such foolish
ness now, Tom. Remember the train !'
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, overcame the
faintness, staggered to my feet and ran
on. / soon noticed that the pursuit had
ceased. Either the train robbers thought
| was done for, or they had returned to
their unfinished work, trusting should
be unable to stop the train.
And now it flashed upon my mind for
the first time. How could accomplish
it, Light l had none-my lantern was
with the wreckers.
While l was thus deliberating, still
running on as fast as my condition would
permit, instinctively felt in my pocket
for matches. All, the oil! Why had l
not thought of that beforei OF course |.
"Of course the oil will stop them,
Tom. Spread it on the rails. Their old
seventy ton locomotive can get no grip
on that iron. Smear it thick, cover it
well, rub it on with your palm, so-both
rails, don't neglect an inch of either.
For life, Tom for life. Think of the
men, women and little children upon the
train!'
| worked with the desperation Of q
drowning man. Upon my knees, the
bottle under my disabled arm, pouring
the oil, by an inclination of my body, into
my right hand; aud spreading it upon
the rails.
In ten minutes the quart of oil was ex-
hausted, and as a result had both rails
for quite distance very well covered
with it.
had worked backward from the ap-
preaching train and now rose to my feet
at the end of my labor and at the ter
minus of the creased rails.
The train was coming.
Already the rails were singing with
vibration as the heavy train approached.
Here they come. How awful the sight
of a big locomotive, coming straight
toward one upon dark midnight! The
great, round eye of the head light stream
ing out into the darkness, the roar of the
exhaust, the hiss of the steam through
the cylinders, together with the rush and
roar of the train, make up terrifying
though magnificent sight.
stood upon the track, waving my
hands, far enough away to spring from it
before the train could reach me. but SO
that the head light wou'd shine upon me,
and could be seen by the engineer
"Now for it'll thought. She strikes
the oil-the big, seven-foot driving
wheels spin round as though the engine
had been lifted in the AIR.
Friction, the propelling influence is
gone now. She slackens speed. IcOuld
see the engineer plainly.
In my excitement / screamed as loud
as possible, in vain protest to the engi-
neer. who was pulling the lever which
sands the rails.
Shouting is of no avail, they could not
hear me.
Had there been sufficient upgrade
there the oil would have stopped them
quite. As it was, the inertia of the cars
composing the train was able to push the
engine over, sliding the wheels.
But one resource was left. and I thought
of it just in time. l stepped as close
to the rails as dared, and with all my
strength hurled the empty bottle at the
head light. 1t struck the glass and
shattered it to splinters, and the light in
stantly went out.
Then came the welcome signal from
the whistle for brakes, and sank down
unconscious.
When recovered. a moment sufficed
fo tell the story and nroceedinu slowly