The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-10-19

green light at its end, unlocked and thrown
over the lever, 90 that now "nying
switch" was made: and. while the tram
ran in on the siding, the locomotive, prev
iously cut loose from il, still stood on the
main track. Again the lever was thrown
over. the green light. denoting that the
main track was open. swung into piace.
aud the engine seemed to give . great
bound a. il plunged swiftly down tne
grade, in pursuit Of the runaway caboose.
In the meantime Arthur had been sud-
denly awakened from his nap by peculiar
Earring Jerk that accompanied the starting
Of the train, and By loud barking from
Rusty. For an instant the caboose stood
still, though he could hear the other
cars in motion. Then it began
to move backward; ct first very
slowly. but increasing it, speed with
each moment Although he did net reai-
Ire in the least what had happened. the
boy felt uneasy, and stepping to the door,
he looked ont. Even to his inexperienced
eye the situation Was clear at glance.
A couplin-pin had broken, ana the ca
boose was running away down the steep
grade the train had just climbed.
"Qnick, Uncle Phinl" he shouted. Come
here, quick !" and the old man. hobbling 20
the door. found the boy exerting al OF dis
strength upon the iron brake wheel.
Together they tugged and strained az It.
until ct length they got the brake set after
fashion. OF course not IS Brakeman
Joe's powerful arms could have done 1t,
but so that its iron shoes ground with con-
siderable force against the wheels.
At first it did not seem to have the slight
est effect, and the car still rushed ct fear
full speed down the mountain side. whirl-
ing around the sharp curves With sickening
lurches that nearly threw its passengers on
their feet.
Suddenly new terror was added to the
situation. From down in the valley came
the shrlll whistle Of an approaching train.
and they knew it was climbing the grade
toward them, on the same track Now
their runaway oar struck short place OF
comparative level, and its speed seemed to
slacken.
II they could only set that brake up one
more notchl 1t seemed impossible, but
they did it. and red sparks began to fly
from the grinding wheels.
They we're certainly going slower, and at
last, on the beginning Of an sbrupt curve,
they stopped. Another hundred feet
would have sent them flying down the
steepest grade of the mountain.
Arthur babe Uncle Phin take one of the
two red lanterns left in the car and swing
it from the front platform, then. with the
other in his hand, he jumped to the track
and ran at the top of his speed around the
curve ahead of them. He was not . Sec
ond too soon; for within hundred yards
of the caboose he was nearly blinded by
the sudden glare Of an approaching head
light. Standing steadily in the middle of
the track, he swung his danger signal to
and fro until he could feel the hot breath
of the approaching monster, and then he
sprang aside.
Its powerful air-brakes were already at
work, and the Atlantic express" filled
with sleeping passengers. came to stand
still within few feet of the runaway
caboose, Just Is the freight engine bumped
softly against it from the other direction.
As Conductor Tobin picked Arthur up in
his arms and carried him back to the
caboose tears we're binding his eyes, and
he said: "God bless you, ladi You've
done thing this night the oldest train
man on the road might be:.proud of doing. -
The runaway caboose was hauled up to
where the rest Of its train Was waiting on
the siding, and the Atlantic express fol-
lowed slowly. Here it stopped for z few
minutes, while the engineer and fireman
and conductor. and the conductors of the
sleeping cars all crowded into the caboose
to see and shake hands with the boy who
had saved their lives They wanted him