Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-02-28

Bob was taken sick and had all he could
do to hold out till we got to the home
station, when he got home cas- soon as
possible. After the train was emptied |
ran the engine to the round house, ex
pecting to go straight home and wash
up.
But when I had run the engine in, the
first thing saw was my two cleaners laid
out on a heap of ashes, dead drunk.
Here was pretty mess, for it would GER
tainly take me until midnight to get the
machine in proper trim for the next
days run; and hot, greasy job 1T was
in any weather, but on such a night rs
that was it was frightful to think of it.
However, there was no help for it, and
started in. I had barely made begin
ming when l heard some one coming in
the door. Looking up, [ saw it was
Billy Thedford. In very excited voice
he asked where Hunter was.
"Home, | said; land so sick he can't
hold his head up"
''My God" said he; 81 shall be
rulned."
Then he went on to say that if he
wasn't in Chicago the next day, some
deal, I think he called it, would fall
through, and it would cost him a quarter
of a million.
''There's train goes through Junction
City at 1870 that'll get you to Chicago
in time" says I.
''What good'll that do me?' says he.
GIVE been away for two days, and only
just now got the telegram. If Hunter
was here he might get me down; but as
it is, might as we'll 60 home, and let
the money 60"
''DIr. Thedford, says I, 'Bob is sick,
but I can run this machine to Junction
City in time to connect with the train
you want; but you will have to fire for
me, as my two cleaners are drunk, as you
see, and there isn't another man in this
village knows the engine from the
tender, hardly"
/ hope the Lord has forgiven me that
lie, for there were two or three men that
could have fired all right, but it struck
me all of a sudden that here was fine
chance to get even with Billy, and let
him see whether it took any know-how
to fire an engine for hundred and ten
miles. 1t SO happened that we had
wooded up on the home trip at little
station three miles from Georgetown, so
we had plenty of fuel aboard to make
the run with.
'FCan you do it?" says he. 'Remem-
Der, it is a hundred and ten miles, and it
is $50 now, so you have only two hours
and half to make the run that generally
takes double that time.'
II can do it, says I, eff you will just
jump aboard, pull off your coat, and do
just as I tell YOU"
No sooner said than done, and in ten
minutes we had the old engine On the
turn table, turned her around, and were
off.
If the road was rough when we ran at
our usual speed, that night, making
double time, it was just awful. AS we
flew around the curves it seemed as if we
should leave the track at every turn Of
the drivers, and the poor old machine
rocked and swayed so that, used as was
to it, could hardly keep on my seat by
the lever.
IL IL was IldEu Ou HlC, "ldU uuSI III
have been to old Billy2
could hardly keep from laughing in
his face, as I watched him, and heard him
groan as he handled the heavy sticks we
used for fuel.
The heat of the weather, added to that
of the furnace and the unusual work,
made him look as if he was in a Turkish
bath. The water ran down his face, his
stiff white collar hung down on his
shoulders like a wet rag, and his beauti-
full smooth shirt bosom looked as if some
one had thrown a pail of dirty water over
him. His hands were torn and cut, from
handling the wood, and take it all to-
gether, he was the most unlikely
looking railroad President | ever saw.
Once in awhile | had to shout at him
to lay the wood more even in the furnace,
and would tell him he would get the
knack of it in time. Whenever he tried
to rest [ told him we were losing steam,
and if he wanted to catch that train, he
mustn't let up on the work, If I had
thought to hitch car on when we started,
we could have run much smoother; but
it was too late to think of that now, and
so on we rushed, now through woodland,
now past grain fields, lurching first to
one side and then to the other, until I
expected every minute to land wrongside
up in the ditch. However, luck was
with us that night, and we pulled up at
Junction City at inst eleven. Poor old
Billy could hardly climb down from the
cab, but he managed to gasp out:
'Come to my office at two o'clock next
Saturday."