The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-01-17

roar OF the neighborlng creek, which
was much swollen by resent rains. Look
ing up at the stars, many curious thoughts
regarding them came to his mind. There
was a very large, brilliant one almost d.
rectly above him, and he wondered If in
il there was any boy so troubled as he
then he thought that could not be, for
in such bright place night watchmen
were not needed.
Then he amused himself by almost
closing his eyes and watching the long
lines OF light that appeared to shoot from
the star, as il it were reaching out It's
lustrous arms in friendly intercourse with
its starry companions. Then it became
a rapidly approaching headlight OF an
engine; many other things, finally dark
pe's seemed to envelope it % and Ike was
fast asleep. lie dream ed he was being
carried up to brigh er ar, nearer and
nearer. and when he was so close that the
Ii hit dazzled his eyes, he awoke with a
start, to find lantern held close to his
eyes, and husky, though kind, voice,
sad:
"What be you doing here, ladw
Ike saw that it was old Sam Wimple,
the Waterman, whose beat was next his
fathcr's-and man who had years ago
been old. He answered;
"l'm here to watch father; he's not
we'll"
"You be dom fine watchin', Ike;
sleep on your post. Your fathers out on
his beat" said the old fellow, looking at
the flame of his lantern, and giving a
slight chuckle. "But sleep do come in
the night time, lad; it's natcral; and
them as is denied of it, it goes hard with.
Your father be breakin' down o. it, son. "
"Yes; we are all worried about it;
but l must be following him. Has he
been gone longl' asked Ike, taking a
lantern from the house and lighting it.
"Right smart while" replied Sam,
knocking from his lantern a large moth
which had been attracted by the light.
"The matter o. half an hour"
"Then l must be quick
"Be keeriul o. YOURSELF" said the old
Waterman, turning around, after he had
started down The track. "The fast mail
is due west in twenty minutes, and there
be fast excursion train, extra, east; and
them two, perwiding they be on time,
will pass Just beyont the bridge. BE
keerful O. yourself, lad; be keerful.
Good night"
Ike ran rapidly up the track in the di-
rection his father had gone. Severely
did he chidc himself for going to sleep
when so much depeoded upon his keep
ing awake. But he was soon relieved
by seeing, away up the track, lantern
moving as if it were being carried by
some one walking He ran on, resolving
to go to his father, remain with him, and
endeavor to cheer him in the long hours
of his watch.
He was running toward high trestle.
bridge over the swoolen creek, whose
angry roar sounded more terrible as he
came near it. 1t was wooden structure.
crossed by both tracks, in wild and
lonely spot, about mile from the prin-
cipal town of the road. When Ike
placed his foot on the bridge, and felt
its trembling. he knew that the stream
was rising rapidly He saw lantern,
about half way across, and, knowing it
s as his fathers, he decided to wait till
he came up.
He was thinking what he should say
in explanation of his presence, when he
felt violent jarring of the bridge, saw
the lantern waved frantically, heard a
deafening, fri ghtful crash, and stood
appalled, at the dreadful fact that part
of the bridge had fallen into the seeth.
ing torrent below, and his father with
it. He was most palsed with fright.
He called 'father," but his voice, weak
from terror, was drowned in the din of
the rushing water.
A brilliant meteor flashed across the
sky as if it had seen the disaster from
on high, and was now speeding to some
distant constellation to tell the direful
news. 1t seemed somehow to recall old
Sam Wimple's words: "The fast mail is
due west in twenty minutes, aud there
be q fast excursion train due east, and
them two will pass ust bcyont the
bridge" This brought him to his senses
a great calamity was imminent. Some
thing must be done, and done quickly,
for at least half the time had passed. lie
ran wildly out on the swaying bride.
Should he look after his father? No;
the trains the trains they were due in
few short minutes. He could stand,
he thought, at the break and wave his
lantern to them. No; that would not
do, for to the west, whence the excursion
would come, was sharp curve, and the
engineer would not see him until too
late.
STOPPING down at the very edge of the
break, he was gladdened to see that ar
iron brace had remained intact, and wal
now the only thing that spanned the
chasm. Could he cross it9 Not {
moment was to be lost, for he fancied hi
heard the distant shrek of an approach
ing engine. He must cross it, or the
angel of death would soon garner al
abundant harvest of human lives. Hi.
decision must be made instantly, for a
that moment the headlight of the fas
mail appeared down the track.
With quickness of thought, born o.
the desperate situation, he resolved OF
his coulse. Causing his lantern to show
red light by drawing down slide, hi
piaced it between the tracks. Then h
carefully crawled out on a projecting
beam, grasped the iron bar firmly, swung
himself clear of the timbers, and in tn,
dense darkness, started on his perilou
mission.
The bar quivered, as though it wished
to shake him off, but he chung to it will
desperation, and, hanging by his hands
he worked his way slowly along, agnon
izingly slow, when two trains, will
hundreds of precious lives on board