Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-02-20
A WONDERFUL CAT,


road Train from Destruction.
AS the train was about to pull out of
the Broad street station, says writer
In the Philadelphia Inquirer, I recog-
nlzcd an old friend in the engineer. He
nodded to me and I jumped into the cab.
DICK and L shook hands and he intro
duced mo to his fireman, young fell
low with Large, truthful, honest eyes
and the most innocent-looking faco l
over saw. Perched on the seat was
huge black cat, ugly, scraggy, and will,
ground plan of fur that looked like a
railroad map it was so plowed. and
cut up.
Naturally noticed the cat and asked
what it was doing thero.
That's wonderful cat" said the
youthful fireman, "and thereby hangs q
tale. Do you want it2''
"Of course"
well, about O week ago we--Dick
and me-were making the run between
Philadelphia and Trenton. 1t was a
dirty, black night-oold and driy-
ing rain, and we were-that is.
Dick was-behind time, and we
were-that is, Dick was-making
her hum for all she was worth.
Wc-thatis, Dick-had clear track and
the right of way. A few feet ahead OF
tho pilot 1t was as black as nothing.
we were driving into chaos at the rats
OF sixty miles an hour. I could not helm
thinking that If we ran into any thing
wed know more about the other world
than was ever written in books, and ]
said q little prayer that 1 had learned
in Sunday-school. The prayer didn't
seem to do me much good, and asked
Dick If it was necessary to run 30 fast
Dick gave me look of mild contempt.
and then got on my dignity and felt as
II I'd rather like to strike sometime
just to change that look of Dicks to ON
OF surprise. This was wicked, 1 knew,
but couldn't help it. ....... ..
"Suddenly there was an awful crash
directly in front of me, O splintering OF
glass in the cab window, and this cal
came tumbling in. My heart got right
up In my throat and I thought I'd
choke. saw Dick turn pale, and, ter
rified as l was, remembered being GLAD
at IT. He didn't lose his head though
Dick never does-but reversed the ma
chine, and when the train stopped We
! that is, Dick-got out to investigate.
And what do you thinkp. There was q
rail misplaced within dozen feet of the
place where we had stopped. Tho flag
man ut the switch had seen it and had
stationed himself up the track to signal
us. He had pet cat which followed
him wherever he went. The cat was
with him as usual. When he heard us
laundering down upon him his lantern
went out. He laid it down to relight it
| A gust Of wind caught it md it rolled
| down the embanloment. Hore was a
state of things. The 1agman was quick
to act, however, and grabbing his faith
full cat by the tail he hurled it at the
cab as we ratified by. Hero is the cat
that saved our train. Didn't you, Dan
ger?"
The cat bumped its back in recopni-
ton, and looked at the frank, inno-
cent face Of the boy. He returned the
look with wide-open, truthful eyes.
"Shades OF Mount vernon! What a.
liar that fellow is," said Dick to mo in n
whisper. "He has the reputation of be-
ing tho biggest liar on tho road. He'd
finish first in a race with Tom Ochiltree
That cat story is the latest 'saved-the-
train business. saw him fish that cat
out OF the ditch few days ago.
|
Railroad Ties of Fire-Clay.