The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-18
The aaeha Daily gaoe Thursday lorimo gune L. 1891.

ror the men might come back again for
aught he knew, but he could net bear to
leave the express 70 its fate, and tried to
| think of some way by which he could give
| warning.
If he only had lantern to swing back
and forth across the track But of course
that was impossible, and he tried to think
of some other signal As in has perplexity
he thrust his hands deep down into his
pockets, at the bottom of one of them he
| felt some matches which were LETT from
| bonfire, and ia minute he decided to build
| a fire in the middle of the track up by the
curve, where the engineer would see it and
stop the train in time. But he soon found
| this was not easy to do. There was great
difficulty in finding any materials, but
after cropping about for a wilhelm the dark
ness hsmanaged to get few little sticks
| together and lighting piece of paper
which he found in his pocket he tried to
start his fire. But to his dismay the sticks
were so damp they would not burn, and
| after using al his matches bat two in vain
attempts he gave it up.
| He put his ear down to the rails and list
| ened intentlY. Yes, the train was coming,
| but it was some distance off yet. Oh, if he
could only find something dry enough to
burn! Now on the damp night air comes
the low rumble of the approaching cars
In another moment they will be in sight,
and on the impulse of the moment he
snatched off his jacket, and hastily strik-
ing match applied it to the lining.
1t burned feebly second aud went out,
and then more carefully he lighted the last
one and the coat began to blaze; and not
moment too soon, either, for be could see
the headlight as theexpress came thunder
ing along.
Springing upon the track he waved his
blazing signal frantically back and forth
to attract the engineers attention. There
he stood, right in the path OF the huge
monster as it rushed iercely toward him
with its great fiery eye glowing ieraely
through the darkness, and his little arms
kept on steadily swinging his jacket. in has
excitement never feeling the flames as they
crept over his little hands.
But he has been seen, and brakes were
applied, and the wheels reversed, and the
engine brought to standstill just as it
was almost upon him, and then the little
fellow sank down, overcome by excite
ment, and there, a moment later, they
found him curled up in a heap on the
ground. Carefully the fireman lifted him
one or two others ran forward and dis
covered the obstruction. The passengers,
aroused by the connection, began to make |
their appearance, and soon he was sur
rounded by crowd, and found he had be- |
come hero.
The big fireman still held him in his |
arms as Joe answered the questions which |
were showered upon him, while a physi |
clan who was among the passengers bound |
up the poor little burnt hands.
Joe's hearers shuddered az they thought |
of their narrow escape, and when they I
found it was his jacket that furnished the
signal some man pulled off his hat and
dropping bill in it said, ITO pay for Joe's
coat" and passed it around to the others.
Pocketbooks were taken out, and bins and |
silver rained into the hat until 1t almost
took Joe's breath as he realized that it was
all for him.
Soon the train is ready 10 go on and they
all got aboard, and Joe is taken OR to the
next station. where they stopped to let him
off. The doctors house was close by, and
as they saw Joe run up the stoop and ring
the bell the train moves off amid cheers
and the waving of hats.
Joe was happy boy when, an hour later,
he rushed into the house, and stumbling
into his fathers room, threw small but
heavy package upon the bed.
Father! fatheri wake upr' he cried ex-
citedly. "Pve earned the money for Me
Morrison and now we can keep the house.
Do wake upI"
1t did not take long to get light, and
when the money was counted there was as
Joe had said enough for the interest and
more too.
Joe was a proud boy when ne saw his
father the next morning start out TO Mr.
Morrison's with the sl0o in his pocket. Joe
often goes out into the yard to play with
his pet, Topknot, and then he thinks how
glad he is that Widow Jenkins wanted him |
to go for the doctor that night.-Lewston |
Journal.