Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-31

livesp' cried, driven desperate by this re-
| voting callousness. "Just think what NAV
happen! If the mare should take fright and
upset us down that embankment!-if the
train should overtakeus! Great heavens it
may be due nowp' 1 stopped to drag out
my watch.
mot yet" answered Tom calmly. "Of
course it will be touch and go, but think
we shall just do it. The great thing is to
keep COOL"
! Cooli with nv brain on fire. and my senses
reeling under the strain. I could not make
out the time by nv watch, and held il to
my car to see if it was going. Ithad stopped.
L ask Tom TO let ME see his aud remember
how hoarse and unnatural NV voice sounded.
at is not much use consulting my watch
when it is question of minutes like this"
remarked Tom philosophically. 81 never
know exactly whether it will be 10 minutes
slow, or 10 minutes fast. 1t has ALWAYS been
slightly uncertain in its time since it once
fell into the river. 1 am constantly oiling
the works, and doctoring it in different
ways, but nothing seems to have q good
effect"
groaned aloud. What position to be
ini The train might come up at any mo-
ment; and even if we had time to escape
that peril, there seemed little likelihood that
the demon Perdita would ever reach the
station without shying at some obstacle and
upsetting us on the way. Every telegraph
post we passed was danger, and 1 shud-
dered as L looked down the prccipitous
earthen banks, which now sloped more and
more sleeper from both sides of the line, and
trembled as / saw black, Shiny water
cleaning through tine flags and rushes at
the bottom. One more effort made to dis
suade Tom from his mad attempt. begged
and implored, ! entreated with all the elo-
Quence in nv power. I almost commanded
him to turn back and give it up. 1 might
as we'll have addressed myself to Perdita
herself. At last in my earnestness caught
hold of his arm and laid my hand on the
reins. Anything to put an end to this awful
risk. Then Tom turned upon me with an
expression which struck terror. to my heart.
His face WAS grave and set, and the line of
his mouth was like iron.
Look here, old man., =" he said grimly, $50
long as there was no occasion for it, YOU
kept on exhorting me to attend to the reins;
but now that everything depends upon care
iul driving, YOU seem determined to do your
best to distract me. 1 tell you it would be
no use turning back now, Tor we should
only meet the train. You had much better
keep quiet, for if you persist in bothering
like this, l won't answer for the con-
sequences"
This speech increased my alarm tenfold
For if Tom, who was the most reckless fell
low under the sun, thought so seriously of
it, the danger must indeed be close and
pressing.
] saw that it was as much as he could do
to keep the tagging mare in the middle OF
the track so as to prevent the wheels of the
dogcart catching against the sleepers on
either side, and I dared not speak to him
again. watched him an1louslv, however,
and sat still by his side, consumed with
anxiety, which grew more and more intense
every moment. Our pace had slackened con-
sderably, but we were still keeping up fast
trot, and were getting over the ground very
quickly. A mile sped by-a mile and a
half-there vas only half a mile further
to the station. Surely we should reach the
goal in safety. Never had my nerves been
strung to such q pitch or excitement. l
hardly dared to take my eyes off the mare,
and vet the scene we passed through was
forever burned in upon my memory.
Meadow and cornfield lay stepped in the
food of light below the embankment, and
beyond little brook the dusky woods slept
in the moonlight. The silence of the night
was only broken by the low ripple oi the
stream, and the faint moan of the breeze
against the telegraph wires. On either side
beauty; before us stretched the desolate rail-
way track, a single line, with the ugly
precipice on either side; behind-ahl what
was behind US? Hushl what was that
sound In the far distance? Good Godl was
it the rush of the approaching train?
1 turned to listen. l could see nothing.
No, nor was there any sound to he heard
nothing but the mad beat OF nv own heart,
and the convulsive throbbing in my temples.
But as L began to breathe again, Tom turned
sharply round. His lips were pressed firmly
together. and his eyes had strange, fixed
stare under his frowning brows.
"Listenl' he said hoarsely.
And then heard it again, and more dis
tinctly than before-that horrible low rumble
and roar in the distance.
The train was coming, and would be upon
us in 4 few minutes. Tom settled himself
firmly in his seat and looked steadily for
ward.
"We shall do it yetl'' he said between his
teeth; and with whip and rein and voice he
urged the jaded mare onward.
She galloped on a few minutes till she,
too, heard the ominous sound. She reared
up her head as she heard it, and 1 saw her
prick forward her ears, as she snutfed the
air with dilated nostrils. Then with her
ears laid back, she stopped short She stood
as if at bay, with her fore feet planted we'll
in front of her, and nothing we could do
would make her stir from the spot. In vain
Tom persuaded and coaxed, lashed and
fogged.
''It's all up if she has taken to jibbing,"
he cried, in a voice of despair
Nearer and nearer came the rushing train;
louder ana louder sounded the roar of doom
in our ears. And that sbe-devil Perdita
still stood immovable. 1t WAS horrible!
horrlblei l hope l am not a coward, and L
| don't think / should mind being killed in
battle; but TO die like thatl butchered by
the caprice of a vicious beast, it was too hor-
rible! There was no way OF escape for the
horse and trap, and Tom was just the kind
OF obstinate fellow to stick to q favorite
horse, even though it cost him his lie. But
was [ to sit still and be murdered on that
account? No! that was too unreaso nable.
l c.aIlbered down from the Gogcart, and
rushed 10 the side OF the line, calling to my
friend to follow. Here, holding on to a tele-
| graph post, 1 felt tolerably safe
But Tom would not leave Perdta to the
fate she so richly deserved. Sitting up there
! on the high seat, with certain destruction
| Numbering down upon him from behind, he
! tried every effort OF force and persuasion.
| The train was within &C yards OF the spot
| The white puffs of smoke hoated into the
| night air as the engine drew her deep
sobbing breaths; 1 could see the glow OF her
| fires and the kissing jets ef steam-she was
! quite close before Tom at last jumped down.
| Even at this last moment he could not fud
| it in his heart to desert Perdita. She was
standing in the attitude OF backing, with
her forefeet stretched before her, us il glued
to the spot, and her eyes were full of glaring