Middletown transcript., 1892-10-20


Woodburn responded crustily. re-
peated the message, then stood just
long enough to receive the O. z. In
the meantime ] had decided upon
my course
Ileaped-I did not rundown the
short fight of stairs in front Of my
station, sprang upon Bob Somers'
horse spurred him with my heels
viciously and galloped along the rail
way as fast as the horse would carry
me. I did not pause to explain; l
did not speak; all my energies cen
tered on one object. A human life
a precious human life-was at stake,
and that life was the light of a
household.
/ had unwittingly sent little Tim
Ferris to his death.
To explain. The Woodburn con-
nection was new. Months must
elapse before travcl and traffic of con-
siderable volume would be directed
over the new branch. In the mean
time one passenger and one freight
train moved east and west past Stan
ley every morning and evening.
The road between Rockford and
Woodburn was so silent the greater
part of the time that the birds made
nests near the ties, and squirrels
frisked along the rails in the sun
shine undisturbed.
l imagined, as l galloped madly
along the railway, now on one track,
now between the tracks, now on the
other, could hear the roar of the
construction train laundering around
the curves near the river. Once
twice / checked the horse, and
listened with throbbing heart. The
deep cut echoed the sound of the
horses hoofs. lfancied heard the
chug chugi chug! Of the locomotive,
but was not sure. All the while ]
was in the agony of apprehension.
The deep cut was dangerous place
for an adult. There were places
where the crumbhng bank of soft
earth and sand sloped down to the
track. Unless man or woman had
the presence of mind to lie down on
the bank, train passing would grind
them to pieces There were other
places where the jutting rocks were
SO close to the track that not one
man in thousand could have man
tanned his place while train thun-
dered past him, and last-worst of
all-there was the tunnel. Short as
it is, more than one poor life had
been lost in it.
And I sent little Tim through the
deep cut to certain death. I felt like
a murderer Ny thoughtlessness
would cost human life. l, and ]
alone, was responsible.
These thoughts occupied my mind
to the exclusion of everything else
as I rode through the cut. Mol I re-
allied my own danger; the risk ]
subjected Bob Somers' horse to. If I
failed to emerge from the cut In
time, horse and rider would be
ground down by the construction
train. Even If the engineer should
see me before I entered the tunnel,
the curves were SO short he would
be unable to lessen the speed of the
train, and once I entered the tunnel,
with the locomotive following me,
no power on earth could save me.
And now, as I realized how much
depended on my GOODNESS and pres
ence of mind, the confused feeling
gave place to coolness and self pos
session that surprised me. There
was no doubt about it, I could hear
the construction train rounding the
curves near the rivers edge. The
scream Of the locomotive sounded in
my ears like o warning of death.
At the same instant I beheld little
Tins golden curls waving from side
to side as he trotted, all unconscious
of peril, homeward. Back Of me
thundered the locomotive. Ilikened
it to the angel of death; the sub
dued roar of the train was like the
sound Of the angels wings. My life
little Tins life-an depended on
the distance the train was from us.
Two plans presented themselves
clearly to me. I might spring from
the horse, leave it to take its chances
galloping through the tunnel and,
grasping Tim, hold him against the
yielding, sandy bank he was toddling
past happily. Or I might lift him
up and urge the horse to his utmost
through the tunnel.
AS thought of Bob Somers' horse,
of the horrors that might ensue in
the tunnel in case the horse threw
the train off tho track, my course
was decided on the instant.
! galloped down to Tins side; he
had turned on hearing the horses
hoofs Gathering over the ties and
roadbed, and stood looking up at me
with a smiling face. Leaning to-
ward him, calling to him to give me
both hands. I lifted him up suddenly.
grasping him in fierce sweep and |
held him close before me as urged |
tho horse onward.
Tins face as he looked into mine,
displayed terror. He clung to me in !
stinctively, closing his lips firmly. |
No sound escaped him. The iron
steed followed fast along at my back |
with dull roar. It was race be |
tween Bob Somers' steed and the iron |
horse. Bob Somers' steed fairly |
bounded when the roar of the iron
horse swelled into a warning volume. |
On, on he sped, until suddenly the
light of day was excluded The sui
len roar was silenced for time.
breathed freer. The danger was not
SO imminent after all.
Suddenly an awful sound struck
terror to my heart. Bob Somers
horse snorted, trembled, snorted
again, then shot forward SO suddenly
as almost to unseat me. The loco
motive had entered the tunnell
Have you ever realized the SINH
larity the tread that heavy iron
u I 4