Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-04-02

stood upright; my soul was with the
Nora, which, guided by a madman, was
seemingly bearing rs to our doom.
worked myself, Influenced by a
strange thrill of excitement, and dashed
In shovelfnl after sbovelful of coal. I
felt-I lived-breathed in the Nora. I
was an agent in the movement; heed
Cd not the danger; l only desired more
speed l wished to go faster!-faster!-
faster!
''Oh, heavent'
VIII the remembrance Of the words
ever leave me?" How they fell upon
my ear-with what intensity of feel
ing!
Ned's face was blanched-whiter than
l ever saw face blanched before-his
features distorted
looked ahead and my trembling lips
repeated the cry.
There, upon the track, not half mile
before us, was the down train, which
had just appeared around slight curve.
was powerless to act-frozen to the
spot
Not so Ned. He was calm in an in.
stant, and his work was accomplished in
titfe of the time it takes me to re-
cord it.
My first impulse was to spring from
the engine. but he stopped me.
stay! he commanded. hoarsely.
''They have one car; we have two. We
have twice as many passengers as they.
1t we collide at this speed all will be
killed. Heaven forgive me! will do
itP
OWNED his intention Immediately.
be would put on such speed as to run
through the other train and by that
means save those on ours Ishuddered.
but had no time then for reflection on
the morality of the procedure. Two
large oil-cans stood in the cab and Ned
dashed them into the fire-box. All this,
OF course, occupied not an instant in the
execution.
The Nora strained and sprang for.
ward, the increase in speed being quite
perceptible.
We neared the approaching train with
frightfu1 rapidity. The incidents of
twenty years crowded into a single Sec
ond. commended my soul to the eter-
nal Father and closed my eyes.
Ned stood grimly at his post; behind
him the fireman with his hands clasped.
The crisis came. A harsh, grinding
crash. the crushing Of heavy iron-work,
the rending of timbers, shrieks, groans,
curses and all was over
Something struck me. / was onlv
stunned, however, and soon nv con-
sciousness returned. But, oh, what a
scene met my gaze! shudder now to
recall it; and yet all was strangely still.
save the cracking of flames and the
hurrying to and fro.
l arose from the snow where I had
been laid for dead.
The Nora stood alone upon the track.
the two cars behind it having been
thrown off, but they were not much
damaged. The down train had been
literally smashed to pieces, and of the
human souls that had been on board but
ten had escaped instant death.
turned from the sickening sight
limbs, bodies, mutilated beyond all rec
ognition, strewing the ground, the snow,
once white, Redeemed with blood!
And Ned-where was he? | hurried
up to the Nora, and found her badly
brokeno up. The fireman was there.
safe, like myself. but he said Ned had
been struck, upon the tearing away Of
the cab, and killed.
"Poor fellow" l uttered God for
give him for what he has done"
OF course, all that skill and kindness
could do was done for the sufferers, while
the bodies of the dead were removed for
interment. Ned's funeral occurred on
the following day, his mother, the fire.
man and myself being the only attend
ants.
The message sent to Rawdon, by
strange perversion of the telegraph, had
been made to read:
up train just arrived. Shall YOU
waltz"
The horrible answer ''Noi" is yet ring
ing In my ears.-Cameron, in N. Y.
Weekly. -