The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-01-12

IN SIGHT
Before they reached Calhoun, however,
Andrews was released from his perilous
position. After he had chatted with the
conductor and engineer Of the down
freight for some time and found them in
disposed to go on their way, he said in the
most matter Of fact and positive manner:
81 must press on without more delay
Pull your engine ahead and let me out"
When the order was given in this direct
form they were Obliged TO obey or give a
good reason for refusing; and IL may be
considered certain that IL they had de-
layed, though Andrews did not threaten
violence, yet our engineers would at once
have taken control and executed the
order, probably not without bloodshed.
At last we are on the main track, with
no train between us and CHATTANOOGA
and II the reports from Huntsville are
true there Is no obstruction west of that
town, as all travel is cut of by Mitchell.
There is reason for exultation on our part.
An open road ahead and scores Of miles of
obstructed and broken track behind usl
For the whole morning we have been
running with train right in front of us,
or waiting for a belated one. We had
passed i've trains, all but one either ex-
tras or behind time-a wonderful achieve
menti now the way is clear to our own
lines; and the "Y' at Chattanooga is no
more difficult Of passage than any Of the
many side tracks we have already success
fully encountered. No small amount OF
the emulation we felt on first taking the
train was again ours, as we rushed rap
idly on for a mile or more, and then
stopped to cut the wire, and to take up
rail las we hoped for the last time. The
Oostenaula bridge was Just ahead, and
when that was burned, we would simply
run from bridge to bridge, firing them
nd %
this hard drudgery OF track rails
ing and still more terrible work
Of sitting silent and housed in dark car
waiting for trains to arrived We had
heard the whistle of following train
dozen miles back, but it probably was one
from Kingston, and II not wrecked by the
broken rail, would return there for tools.
We knew nothing of Fuller's and Muir
phys pursuit, and IL we had been told the
fun story, as already narrated, we would
have thought it too wild and improbable
even for good fiction.
But It was expedient to take up this
one rail more before we finally changed
our mode Of operations. A piece OF torn
track had been put before or after every
train that we had met. 1t was well to
put a broken road behind this passenger
train also, that it might not turn back
after us on any sudden suspicious freak
and come upon us while working at the
Resaca (Oostenaula) bridge. The crisis
of our fate approached, and we believed it
would be triumphantly passed. Nothing
had as yet been lost but time, and if we
were fairly prosperous for fifteen minutes
more, all would be regained; and the full
1llment of all our hopes, as far as human
prospects could reach, be in our own
hands.
No wonder that we worked gladly and
cheerfnlly. Scott climbed the pole with
even more than usual agility. Some
worked at the taking in OF all kinds of
combustibles, for we wished to be well
provided for the bridge. Every stick and
piece of wood we could get hold of was
soaking wet, but by breaking and whiting
they could be made TO add to a flame, and
from the engine, which was kept full of
wood for the purpose, we could give q
good start to a fire. We had only one
iron bar to drive out our spikes; a bent
''crow's foot" would have been worth
more than its weight in gold; but we
hammered away with what we had, and
spike after spike was drawn. Here / saw
Andrews show real impatience for the
flrst-I am not sure but may say the
only-time. He had altered his dress,
throwing of the cape and high hat that
he wore while at stations, and had a
small cap on, which greatly changed his
appearance The nearing Of the time
when his plans would all eliminate In
success seemed to thrill and inspire him.
He snatched the iron bar out OF the hands
of tho man who was welding It, and
though we had strong and practiced
workmen in our party had moi
before seen the blows rained down
with such precision and force. Some
say that he uttered an oath on this occa
sion, but though standing by did not
hear him, the only words did hear be
ing directions about the work, given III
his mild tones, but with quite an EN-
phatic ring of triumph in them H'
wanted that rail up in the fewest number
Of seconds and then-the bridget There
were several using a lever Of green wood
and trying to tear up the end Of a raj
from which the spikes had not yet beer
drawn; but the lever bent too much, anC
q fence rail was added and we lifted again
At that instant, loud and clear from thu
south, came the whistle Of the engine II
pursuit. IL was near by and running o.
thunders could not have startled us more
What could we dor At the end WHERE
we had been prying the rail 1t was bent
but 1t was still too firmly fixed for us Il
hope TO lift It or break 1t like the last
But we did the best in our power; WI
bent tho loose end up still further and pu
the fence rail carefully under IL, with the
either to stop and adjust ii or throw then
from the track, and then piled into the
car and engine with a celebrity born o
long practice, and with one of its ole
bounds that jerked us from our feet-fo
Brown and Knight threw the valve wild
open-the General bore us rapidly on
The impatience of Andrews to reach tn
bridge had not been diminished by tn
appearance of this new element in tn
situation.
Here our pursuers were greatly startled
Their story had been swiftly told whel
they reached Calhoun, and the engine AM
tender of the passenger car, with re-en
forcement of armed men, followed then
up the road. Fuller stood on the tende
of his own train, which was in front, gaz
ing intently forward TO see IL there wa
any dangerous obstacle or break in tn
track, such as they had already man
times encountered. Soon he behe1d us G
work with feelings which cannot be d.
scribed. Before getting near enough
see our number, we had mounted an
sped away, and he saw with exultatio
that we had not broken the track, an
that there seemed to be no obstruction
With full speed he ran on till too close
stop, and then beheld what he believed,
first, to be u broken rail and gave himse
up for lost; but it was on the inside of
curve, and as an engine running rapid
throws most of its weight on the outsid
when he ran on 1t the bent rail was on
straitened down, and they were safe
on the other side of this danger. III
next train, which followed almost imm
diately after, did not notice the obstru
ton ut all There is scarcely dou
that two minutes more, enabling us
finish getting a rail up at this point, won
have given the control of the day into o
hands, for there We're no more trains
the road either to delay Us or to be turn
back after US. But as 1t was, the Tex
pressed on after us without the slight'
loss OF Roadway.
The coming of this train before I
track was torn up was by far the most
rious misfortune that we had yet encor
tered. But might it not still be oyereon