Nevada County picayune., 1889-05-08

the road, they would be compelled to lay at Silver Creek until No. 2l arrived there, unless they could get orders hy telegraph to meet them al some other station. FloOdwood being the only intervening telegraph office between the two trains, the dispatcher gave the above order to that station and as soon as it was properly acknowledged by Lily he sent another order to No. 22 at Silver Creek which read in this manners
 To Conductor and Engineer No. 22 Meet No. 2l at Floodwood. Ap- proach carefully. l., k. (.
 The intelligent reader will readily understand that by means of these orders the two trains would meet each other at Floodwood Tn perfect safety, notwithstanding that one of them knew nothing of the arrange ment.
 To explain: If No. 2l should ar rive first, they would be stopped by the red light, which showed that there were orders for them at this station. The conductor and engi- neer would immediately proceed to the telegraph office, where the oper- ator would deliver them a copy of the order to hold them for No. D This would be sufficient, and they would wait until No. 22 arrived. If No. 22 should arrive first. the eXccu- ton of the order would be yet more simple. No. 22 would take siding, and as soon as they were clear, Lily would be at liberty to take down the red signal lantern, and allow No. 2l to pass without stopping. No. 22 having arrived. the object of the order was already fulfilled. If both trains should happen to arrive at the same time, the red signal would stop No. 2l, and as No. 22 had orders to approach carefully" they would do so expecting to find No. 2l occupying the main track.
 Lily perfectly understood the i'm portance of the order she had just received, and during the long hour which wore slowly away she kept careful watch of the signal light which, however, continued as bright lv as ever. At last she heard a rumbling noise away in the west which gradually became louder and louder and more distinct. By this she knew that No. 22 was coming and would probably get in on the siding before No. 2l should arrive.
 The rumbling became louder and louder each moment the earth began to tremble and the peculiar vibration in the air which gives warning of a rapidly approaching train hummed loudly in her ears.
 She began to feel anxious, as they were evidently coming at high rate of speed and not approaching as carefully as their order had instructed them she also had not yet heard the whistle which Is always sounded by trains when approaching station, and this ommission increased her fears that something was wrong.
 But she was given no time for fur ther reflection, as the train now sud denly dashed around q curve not a hundred yards distant, running at full speed.
 Lily flew out and stood between the rails swinging her hand lamp wildly across the track and shouting at the top of her clear young volce. But no attention was paid to her signal, the train coming madly on, with such a rattle and clash that it drowned tho sound of her voice.
 The roaring, rushing tram was now upon her, and she barely had time to spring from the track and escape with her life. With a rattling crash and an awful rush of air the hissing, throbbing monster sped swiftly past her, while the clank, clank, clank of the car wheels pass ing over a loose splice near by was so rapid that it resembled the rapid hammering on the anvil In black smith shop.
 For moment Lily was unncrved and bewildered, but suddenly arous- inc herself to action she rushed into the office and seizing piece of fire brick that did duty for stove leg, she turned and hurled it through the ,,,;, dow of tho cabooSp that was lust