Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-10-23

Ii Was quicker than we anticipated.
Down the road we went al a fast in
creaSing speed. When We reached
what | considered a three minute gat
l thought il about time to stop the in
C rease.
My fingers closel over the break
lever; It came in nearly TO the handle
bar, but no slackening in the speed
was perceptible.
''One isn't enough" l thought.
"Walt till Mel puts his on.''
The next moment Mel leaned forward
and shouted Sor me to put the brake on.
What could that mean. | looked back
and saw his fingers Were clasped so
tightly around both bar and lever that
they were white.
AS if by instinct, We both looked
down at the axle where the band brake
ran on a small, smooth wheel. 1t was
gonel
The rods were neatly bolted in the
holes made for the band, where all the
power in the universe eNerted on the
levers could never affect the speed.
saw it all in an instant-one of
Davis practical jokes. He had Ie-
moved 1t, no doubt, to cause us an eS-
citing hunt tor the missing article.
easiness in the morning. yet We had
been una bic to determine what il was.
Oh, that we had investigated! What
would be the result?
There was nothing to stop us from
going at that headlong speed clear to
the bottom-hve miles away-unleSs,
of course, we were thrown off at the
hollow or fell of at once.
Sfnpnna anH dar f,aSt
with lightning like rapidity. A straight
stretch of road we covered with the
sieed of a passenger tram.
A long curve, that in spite of the
ample space, caused us to run so nea T
the outer edge and ditch that my
heart rose into my mouth.
Then came a dark shadow in the
road, warning cry from Mel, and We
described an arc over the top bank, 10
land with stunning force in the hollow.
a great sweep, quick rise, and We
flew high UP, to land with similar
force in the road agan.
In that one second in the air
glanced off TO the left, and there-hor.
rors!-was long freight train coming
swiftly toward the crossing. Would il
cross before we did, or would it.
Two long and two short whistles foI
the crossing. | shuddered. To &c
down that last slope. directly into that
line OF flying cars, meant instant death
There was no turning aside. No;
We would either have to beat the train
over the crossing or hold back and let
il pass us-the former one chance In q
hund red, the latter an impossibility.
AS we started down that last slope
we caught sight of the powerful loco,
motive, its connecting rods flying like a
high sped dynamo engine, its solil mas:
trembling with every defect in the rails
aud coming toward us with a speed
| that threatened to cross before We
could.
Oh, how slow the tandem seemed tC
move! Yet, in reality, il was fying
| along at increased, rather than dimin
ished speel.
a short, sharp, ear splitting whistle
calling for brakes" denoted that tn,
engineer wanted to stop.
He reversed, gave il sand and steam
! but, although the pondrous drivers re-
luctantly turned, crushing, grinding
/ the fine sand into semblance of flour
| fOrty-two loaded cars were not to bt
stopped OH such short notice.
We were very close now, our relative
positions in regard TO crossing being
about equal; that is, we would mee
directly in the center of the track
where. as matter of course, tn,
stronger would be the vi tor.
The engine was on the crossing
| there was but few feet of the road L
/ cross-we were in front of herl
l clung desperately TO The handl,
/ bar; my breath seemel to come from
the region of my toes. Oh, how SLOW
we were moviDgl / could count ever
bolt in the smoke box; felt the hea
| from the boiler; her pilot was touch
| ing
There was horrible, grating, iing
| ling crashl
L dimly remember of being thrown
high in the air. OF lighting on the edg,
of my saddle, of clinging despaIriLgly
to the handle bar to keep from fallin.
on, and of hearing the jingle of tn,
three broken spokes in the driver as w
/ flew along the now level road.
The 5. eel was fast Slackening, an,
| soon 1t slowed up enough to enable VI
/ to get our feet on the ped Is; then tn,
! stop was sreedy.
AS l tore the tire loose to pull ou
| the broken spokes, ! heard Mel saI
solemnly:
Eight minutes, Ben. Five miles IL
eight minutes"
Eight minutesl / could only stare al
him.
1t had seemed at least eight hour.
| from the hollow down; yet, according
to reckoning, il must have been made
| in less than half a minute.
Without speaking another word, W,
nd fNrn laa -
silence.
Davis was on the porch with a crowt
| OF others when we rode in.
He was playfully tossing a circular
object in the aIr-our brake-and pre-
! tended not to see us until we stopped
before the porch.
Whether his surprise was real ol
feigned when he saw our pallid face
and haggarl looks, / am unable tC
| say, although l believe it was the for
meT.
You don't mean to say you CONF
down?' he gasped.'
You don't mean 10 say we're VI
| there yet, y retorted Mel, grimly.
Every one was smiling at our ex-
| penSe, for, of course, Davis had taken
care to inform them of the Joke; but
their faces became suddenly grave wher
we related our narrow escape.
OF course they had 10 examine tbs
machine that had made five miles In
such a short space Of time. and it:
riders became heroes in their eyes
from the fact that they had stayed or
the frail looking contrivance and rode
| TO the bottom.
Between you and me, am inclined
to think, had they been in our posi-.
ton, with the same chances to dis
mount, that they would have stood q
fair show for a share OF the praise
We have it yet. 1t stands in one
corner Of the lecture hall, covered with
a tarpaulin whose sombre color serves
| To sfrenpfhPn the lusfre of the enamel