DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-03-06

iere was pretty mess, for it WoulC
certainly take me until midnight to re
Che machine in proper trim for the mex
day run; and hot, greasy lob it was il
any weather, but on such night as tina
was 1t was frightful to think of. How
ever, there was no help for it, and
started in. l had barely made begin
ming when | heard some one coming in
the door. Looking up, l saw it was
billy Ihedford. In very excited voice
ne asked where Hunter was.
"Home," / said ''and so sick he cant
hold his head up"
my God" said he; 81 shall be
ruined."
Then he went on to say that if he
wasn't in Chicago next day, some deal,
think he called it, would fall through,
and it would cost him a quarter of a
million.
There's train goes through juno
tlon City at Ills that'll get you to Chi
cago in time" says I.
What good'll that do me?" SAYS he.
i've 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 well go home, and let
the money 60"
'Mr. Thedford," says I, ''Bob is sick,
but l 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 sudden that here was
fine chance to get even with Billy,
and let him see whether it took any
knowhow to fire an engine for hun
dred and ten miles, 1t so happened
that we had wooded up on the home trip
at a little station three miles from
Georgetown, so we had plenty of fuel
aboard to make the run with.
"Can 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 a half to make the run that
generally takes double that time"
81 can do it," says I, ''if you will just
jump aboard, pull off your coat, and do
just as | tell you"
No sooner said than done, and in ten
minutes we had the old engine on the
turn-tabIe, turned her around, anu 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 machln-
erv rocked and swayed so that used as |
was to it, l could hardly keep on my
seat by the lever.
If it was hard on me what must 1t
have been to old Billy?
/ could hardly keep from laughing in
his face, as | 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
Turkish bath The water ran down his
face, his stiff white collar hung down on
his shoulders like a wet rag, and his
L cl nj IN InnlEpG &
if some one had thrown pail Of dirty
water over hhn. His hands were torn
and cut, from handling the wood and
take it altogether, he was the most un-
likely 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 los
ing steam, and if he wanted to catch
that train, he mustn't let up on the work.
If | 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,
lurcbing first to one side and then to the
other, until l expected every minute TO
land wrongside up in the ditch How
ever luck was with us that night, and
we pulled up at Junction City at just
eleven. Poor old Billy could hardly
climb down from the cab, but he man
aged to gasp out:
Come up to my office at two o'clock
next Saturday"
learned afterward that, finding the
Chicago train was behind time, he hunt
ed up clothing store and rlgged MIN
self out SO as to looS like civilized
man, which he didn't when he left me-
managed to find a fireman who was
willing to rnakc the run back with me-
and finally got home at three O'CLOCK,
and finding the cleaners little sobered
up, got to bed as soon as possible Ior l
was clean played out, told Bob about
nv trip next day, and thought he would
die laughing to think Of old Billy play
ing fireman But all he said was:
"Im afraid that'll settle your hash,
lin, for he'll find out that you worked
him more than was needed"
The next Saturday, at two O'CLOCK
reported at the presidents office, won
dering whether l was going to be re-
warded for my extra work or kicked out
for my impudence.
When | entered the ONCE, there saC
4le old man snicL and span as ever, and |