The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-06-23

order, and he broke OUT
| "'What does that crazy fool mean?
The engineer must be either crazy
or drunk, said |. If he keeps on in
that way ten minutes longer he will
surely be into us; and signalled the
fireman to put on more steam.
! What business the train has tonight
upon the road at all is what puzzles
me-
II wonder if it isn't an engine the
old man is sending down to Jamaica
to the shops for repairs?" said Jake.
Il saw Ben Franklin standing on the
side track with steam up just as we
started. From the way she overhauls
| us, there can't be much OF a train be.
| hind her.
II did not know but that Jake
might be right for Ihad seen the
Franklin standing in the depot when
we left. That engine was just as fast
as our own, and il it was without a
train attached, as Jake supposed,
might easily gain on US, as it seemed
to be doing. cat any rate we shall
see when we pass jamaica Station
whether Jake's theory is correct, I
thought and SAID so to him.
''By this time the fireman, acting as
engineer, had given our engine all the
|"steam she would take, and we were
slashing along at a lively rate, I tell
you. The good people along the road
who were out OF their beds must have
thought that q railroad Gilpin was
running another race, according to
the new style. was angry enough to
have sent bullet at the crazy engi-
neer following us, and I determined
that my first business the next day
should be to complain to the superin-
tendent of his fool-hardiness. I
thought that possibly, being for the
moment his own master, and no long
err under the immediate orders of a.
conductor, he was INDUCING in a kind
OF a railroad spree, and for lark was
driving us to the top Of our speed, ex-
pecting to end the race and his days
work at the same time at jamaica.
swell, we tore through that Sleep
ing village, without stopping for re-
freshments, I can assure you, and
then Jake and I looked to see our
comical friend in the rear pull up at
the station and take lodging for the
night. But we were mistaken in our
guess. Not a whistle was given by
our pursuer as 81 gnal that he intend
ed to stop; not a. 81 gn of slackening
was shown; but, on the contrary, he
was gaining upon us even when we
were doing our very best. Sometimes
a curve in the road would shut him
for a moment from our view, but he
every new turn brought him more
closely upon us.
"Jamacia had been lett far behind,
and we were out on the wide Hamp-
stead plain. The old Constitution
was on her mettle. Our train was
actually swaying and rocking with
speed like a yacht on the waves. The
telegraph-poles, upon which the light
from our windows would CLINT
in the dense darkness, were fly
ing behind us at every second.
The sound of our wheels as thew
struck the ends Of the rails was con
tinuous hum. But do the best that it
might, our engine with it's heavy train
was no match for the light Weighted
one behind that was gaining upon u.s.,
and was not the eighth Of a mile away.
The glare from it's lantern shone
brightly in our faces; thought jake
face looked g. bit pale, and perhaps
mine did, too. Vow that our pursuer
did not halt at Jamaica, we were en-
tirely off our reckoning, and we could
make no guess as to the cause of our
chase nor when it would end. The
prospect seemed that we might be
driven to the end OF the road, if we
were not overtaken and smashed be-
fore it could be reached,
"That's the Franklin, sure,' broke
out Jake, once more. No other engine
on the road could overhaul us as we
are going now. What can that fool
OF a Simpson mean by driving her at
such rate? He must be drunk. Ii
the boss don't break him tomorrow,
he WON'T get his deserts. He will be
into US in two minutes"
"You are right said l. Go for
ward and see if you cannot get up a
little more Roadway. Empty few
OF those petroleum cans on the wood,
and pitch in and see what can be
DONE
'Whiie Jake was forward on his
errand I thought over our situation.
Here was with a hundred or two
passengers under my care, all ignorant
OF the danger which 1 knew they were
in. Ii we should be overtaken, and
crushed in the rear, the disaster would
be serious one, and would probably
cause the death or injury at least OF
some oftho passengers. Ii we were not
smashed in this way, there was
another and perhaps greater danger
before us. The train Of which l have
spoken, which left Greenport when we
left Brooklyn, was on it's way to meet
us On the same track. 1t should
switch off at Lakeland in the middle
OF the island, and allow us to pass,
an hour after we started, or at eleven
O'Clock. 1t was now half-past ten,
and we were close to Lakeland al.
ready, and would pass there long
before the arrival Of the Greenport
train, which ordinarily got there first.
The result would be that we should
meet that train beyond Lakeland
without warning of our approach,
and collision in front as we'll as the
rear would be the consequence.
=" We reached and flew through the
Lakeland depot nearly half an hour