Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-12-26

i
is anything the matterf Shall gel
OFF,"
No, sir; stay where you are, said L
we may want you yet.
Madden started the train quiet enough.
Ii was stormy autumn evening, cloudy
N places, with bright bits between the
clouds; warm, too, and luckily clear;
but there was a sing in the trees and
wires which promised our passengers a
lively crossing. We cleared the points,
and saw our signals winking at US from
the posts as they came toward us.
as they always seem to do. gliding stead
lily: then up goes the arm with a snap.
and the green eye turns bloodshot, like 4
ruby, in flash.
Mr.. Firth, he kept near me, watching
Madden, who was carrying on pretty
smart. even for the mail. He was blow
ing the fire out of the chimney, and when
| thosght he wasn't minding notched
oaek the lever bit He swore at me,
aud let it go again, when it slipped from
MS hand and near lifted the engine off
the metals with the force of the beat
lie pulled it back with some difficulty in
sulky way, and our passenger whispered
10 me:
is he tipsy?"
= wish he was, replied, but couldn't
say any more, because we dashed
through the Cross, over the points, lift.
ing at every turn.
Houses got fewer, garden walls slid
past like spokes of wheel, and hedges
seemed to rise and fall in the glare of our
furnace fire. The young gentleman liked
the pace. | didn't Madden never
stirred; he kept muttering to himself
nnd staring ahead like statue. The
jumping was considerable as we came
toward the tunnel, which we could not
see
There was something terrible in this
mad speed. tried to check her pace
unseen, but Madden kept his hand on the
regulator, and when we reached the tun-
uel | confess was in blue funk. The
line went on falling grade as far as
Bundridge, through two tunnels. There
was the junction beyond and the long
level stretch to Bashford; but we had
ought to shut off there and let the train
run the Bundridge Points. The roaring,
rasping, grinding tunnel made us almost
giddy; the light from the open furnace
door cleaned overhead; the tiers of
bricks few by in the strong light on the
olack and smoky roof.
Hi, mate, said l, saint We going to
shut off to-night?"
Madden laughed out aloud, but never
Eaid a word, nor did he slacken off.
"Confound it !" whispered to young
Firth; she'll wreck the train I"
opened the whistle as we quit the
tunnel, and shouted TO the young gentle
man:
~Shut the regulator for your life! He's
mad as March hare"
Mr.. Firth did it. He shut off the
steam, sure enough, and whistled for
the brakes, short and sharp, and then
deep as boom. We were rushing over
thF bank at about 10 miles an hour, and
when we got to the dip we must, il we
kept the metals, run at an awful "bat. {"
If we only gained the level road in safety
l thought we should pull through. But
as we went singing through the juno
ton, hang me il Madden didn'. fly at me,
like the lunatic he was.
mind the engine, shouted to Mr..
Firth, just as Madden collared me-
can tell you it was no play then. He
clutched me by the throat so sudden that
thought must die. The rattle Of the
engine was in my ears magnified, and
then dulled, as we struggled like two
devils in the freight on the footplate. /
remember the scud overhead, the flying
hedges, and one flashing station. The
young gentleman tried to help, but Mad.
den and me bumped about SO all over the
place that it was as much as he could do
to keep himself safe. The speed was re-
duced, and Mr.. Firth was clinging to
Madden now
Then came turn. Madden broke
away and fell heavily on me; slipped
and fell down, and then he held my
throat until l felt as il my eyes were
falling out. l couldn't scream; / was
choking, dying, and the last was Mr..
Firth, with the coal hammer in his hand,
behind Mad Madden.
When l recovered myself / was lying
on the footplate, the train going easy
Istaggered up, and, catching hold, looked
ahead. There was red light looked
around. Mr. Firth was watching the
light, his hand on the eregulator-and Mad
den? Where was hel Gone? Yes!
He had been pulled off me half stunned
by the blow which Mr.. Firth hit him,
and then, as he darted at him, he had
slipped and pitched headlong like sack
on to the up rails, where the Early
Goods" cut him in two. We reported
The matter at Bashford, and ran into the
pier five minutes behind time. But, till
The inquest, there wasn't five people in
all the hundred and fifty as knew how
near death they had been that night
when we fought Mad Madden on the
footplate of No. IS. 1t was good job
for me as Mr. Firth was on the engine.
Thank We, sir-your health. Best re-
spects.