The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-18


to touch a drop more. DO you hoarf
Jem turned f~uriously upon me and broke
out into a storm of abuse.
It's ~ use going on like That" ] said
firmly. Now. mark my woris. II | 500 YOU
touch it again, I shall stop az tho next staeiop
and report YOU
Jem glarel angrily, but said nothing, and J
weak enough 10 think that be- knew Ia
had met his match and would give in. For
some time h. was quieter. but only 10 pui ns
OIL my guard, tor at last looking round sd
denly. | caught Master Jom in tho very at
81 draining tho last drop from tAe bottle he
bad managed TO hide
"Jenf' I exclaimed angTily, soizing bis
arm and shaking him; You ought 10 be
ashamed Of yorrssiff'
Jem lGughcd noisily. Why, what's tho
harm 10 warns enc up u bit, mate. Take
a drop. too, 70 keep q fellow company, hold
inc out the empty bottle with another laugh
" Twill cheer you up finely"
IN cheer you UP, my fine fellow, re-
turned At tie very next station out You
-o. neck and crop! And a pretty -crape
youu Gnd yourself Ia, | reckon
Don't care muttered Jen. struggling
violently 'as / stil held him by the arm- let
70 Of ms. can't yoUf
.Iou had hettef keep quiet, +" sail, "lor
if vou don't Ill al. good heavens. for u
that instant / saw aomo.hing Chat made NY
blood ran c0ld-.hat made me thrust Jem
aside. c~ar,le-5 Of what happened 70 him.
W. bad just turned a slight curve and
there. a. &c seemed - me. clos 10 front Of us,
On The same lire OF rails, was a monster c1-
cursi0n train. Ny heart almost stopped beat
ng with unuti efahlo terror, and for moment
was nairiy paralyzcd. Then ! shut of
stoam. saizo1 the brake, and called to Jcm 10
whistle 10 the guard No WcTo going az a
smart pace, but If yo could attract the Gtton-
uono thoo,her driver ho might put on steam
and keep ahead long enough 10 enable US 20
stop.
"Whist.o. Jcml whistler I shouted but 70
my horror Jcm only roared with laughter
Pushing him aside ! sized tho handle, but
either the last drop had oveTaot the balance,
or the STRUGGLE with INC bod cxcited him he
yond control With a fcrco inprocation
he threw himself on me AMI tried 70 throw
mo down. Tai;on by surprise B was almost
0voruovcrcI, but iy a violent effort recov-
cred myself aad eudeayorcd 20 force Jem
back aud reach the handle.
shall never FORGET tho horror ri those few
seconds. which seemed 20 mo hso endless
hours Twice I nearly succeeded, but Jcm
seemed possessed by some fiend, and each
time he wr1nchci my hand away. Ia sheer
DESPERATION ! threw all my strength into ono
effort. hurled myself at Jem. and succeedci
in forcing him backward with one hand.
while with tho other / made a snatch at the
handle. but, unfortunately, Just Us touched
il. / stumbled over something. and We both
came down with a crash.
Unjust have struck myself violently against
something as / fen, though IN the excitement
Of the moment | hardly noticed It, for when
! uiel 10 get up / found / could not novel
Wasuttorly powcrlossl In that instant all the
terrible scene OF Che next few minutes seemed
10 flash before my eyes, and | groaned IN an
agony OF despair. My only comfort was. that
al least i should not hive to 500 il. With an
almost instructive prayer for help / made a
frantic attempt 20 get on my feet, only 70
sink back helpless and hall beside myself
with pain. But in falling hack | knocked
AGAINST a can OF water that was close 70 ny
hand Suatching 1t up and wronchilg OF
tho lii. | threw the whole canful straight
into Jcm's face. Tie sprang up, shaking bis
head Ike an auCry bear, and as he did 50 he
CAUGHT sight Oh the train. / saw his aco
rrow white with horror. and i another
moment the loud SHREK OF tho whistle rang
90 my cars, and Il grating sound and larring
vibration under me assured me that Jcm was
holding o the brake with ali bis might. ii
80 Lad only blcn q few seconds s)oncri
From tae position ! was lying in could
1ce tie terribly short distance between our
en~ino and tho doomed train-I could see the
white face OF tue guard as De irintically sig.
ualeI to the driver. and hell NY breath In
agony rs / waited Ter the crash / knew musi
como. But the brascs werc toilInc-wc were
siackeniug spee- the driver Was putting on
the utmost ,ncssarc. Oh, for tvo short mm-
utc3 moro!
/ could bear it no ioaScr. was completely
unnervc1 by those fearful minute, which
seemed like q lifetime Of misery. / iancict
tho buffers were actually touching, and max
Inc an effort to turn from the sight, | faintcl
dead away.
When / came round again / was lying Of
the ground; Jcn, with q face os white as
sheet, was kno1ling beside me, and a gentle
nan was bathing my head an1 face viii
sold water. ! remembered all about i
directly, and looked a@nxiously " Jcm. dread
iGg - ash any quesuons Jena knew what
wanted
'Itsal right, he said holraaly. she so'
Gway-we didn't touch"
Thank God f0r thatl ! said aud then i
all came over me once moro, and l nearly
went of, again.
Some ono lifted nay head and gave m'
something % drink, and presently opcno'
my ewes aud saw | was az a station where W.
we're timed TO stop while the express went By
Have you shunted her, Jsmf ! askeS
eagerly.
"Ycs, its all right, said Jom again. "fh'
fast isn't due yetn
lay still O minute or two, and tnon trie
10 raise mvs.lf on my elbow, but a hOrrlbl
pain shot through me. and lcouid not bel.
giving d bit OF Il croan a. l SACK Town again
You must 10. Try TO move said the gen
tleInan kindly, putting his hand lightly OF
as shoulder 20 prevent M getting up
Keep quite still, ing poor yellow"
Something IL bis grave face struck zoe, an
began 70 suspect what h. meant but some
hop in the relief al finding nothing Lad hap
1snl 7 did not seem 10 care much.
,Its all up with me, Is IL, srf SAID
.ygen. I'm thankful it, no worse.
ION. Dick. DicklH Jem burst forth
Don't. DON'T I've killed you, Dick -
Never mind, Jom, ! managed 70 "a
You didn't mean 10 dol ihcn lthousn
If something. Look here, iem, i DON
know how IL came about. didn't see an
uruals. / AIN certain they were uot up %
,1crc no Use your getting into a mess Le
them think it was uc. 81
- won't, | wou't,' Jcm burst out l
was all my iault-l don't care "Na' 'N'} ~
TO me, only get wel, Dies
1t wasn't altogether your doing wen
ON. irwin. TO comfort INN. Il Slapped some
how 1t doesn't maiter-aud they ma d
well think it was tie reason-~e ulah seoi
sooner. Promise me yoah say nolhlns
about yourself, Jcm-if You can heiplt. ~
mise me that l was getting very am ar'
feeling horribly bad
You must promise what be asks, ho"'
the doctor say, and, almost ash he was =
dream, Jcm repeated;
It promise, Dick"