The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-04-19

men, in gray uniform, were hastily pill
ing up some old ties, logs, etc, while
at the point where the curve was sharp.
est--bcfore reaching the gorge-were
several more, Juggling furiously at a
rail, one end of which seemed to battle
them, as they pulled it outward. We
were within mile OF them when we
discovered them, and, as each noticed
| them, the shout came simultaneously
from both of us, "The wrong side OF
| the curvep' The ignorant fools were
pulling out the inside rail, instead of
the outside. In the latter case, nothing
could have saved us from running off
the track, and probably into the gorge.
Our single brakeman, seeing the dan
ger-I suppose from habit-was COM
mencing to tighten the brake, but at
look from Joe l signaled "off brakes"
Joe, meanwhile, opening the throttle to
its widest extent, as we dashed down
the grade at positively frightful We
locity.
As we neared them, party of them
huddled together near the track. l
seized large stick of wood, intending,
if possible, to "burt somebody" We
were going altog ether too swift to fear
their taking aim at US; and, for that
matter, suppose they considered our
destruction such certainty that firing
at us would be needless. / was pois-
ing the big stick of wood, guessing at
the rate of speed-I've had some prac.
tice throwing parcels from trains in
motion-when Joe suddenly pulled the
whistle rope. The hoarse shrek seemed
to startle them for an instant; they hud-
died closer together, and tossed the
stick outward and downward. l had
barely time to see it crash through the
group with the force of thunderbolt,
when, with a jarring plunge, the wheels
on one side struck the naked ties That
part of the trouble we had feared but
almost sure to make it mount the track
again. On the track again, but few
rods ahead of US, was the formidable
barricade, and beyond that the yawn-
ing chasm. Joe was standing up now,
with eyes blazing, still holding the
throttle wide open, as he braced him
self for the shock. l had grasped the
brake rod of the tender the instant l
threw the piece of wood. Crash!-my
hold didn't avail me, as was pitched
head over heels against the fire-box,
and lain flat on my back on the foot
board or floor of the engine.
Joe was as suddenly jerked half
around, his back striking the little door
in front of which he had stood, break
ing the door and shivering the glass to
atoms. But we were through; how, we
couldn't tell, except that we were still
on the track, and laundering over the
gorge. Joe's spirits rose with the &C.
casion. Extricating himself almost as
suddenly as he had been deposited in
the little glass door, he sprang on top
of the tender, and from thence to the
roof of the. cab. Steadying himself for
a moment, with his face toward the
rebels, he shouted "good by" and
made them a low bow, perfectly re-
CARELESS of the white puffs of smoke, as
one after another discharged their
pieces at him. AS he afterward ex-
planned, "the engine made too much
noise for him to hear the bullets, and
they didn't seem to be hitting anybody"
After having, in spite of sore bones,
performed a jig which he had extern
porlzed for the occasion for the express
edifcation of the rebels, Joe descended
from his perch and, deliberately shut
ting off steam, stopped.
We were still in sight of them,
though at tolerably safe distance, and
now saw a group of them standing
near several men who had been
wounded, perhaps some killed, by that
irrepressible stick of wood.
Our damages were few bruises each :,
but no serious hurts. Our engine suf-
fered the loss Of the pilot, or cOw-catcher,
and headlight; the front of the smoke
box was stove in, besides suDdry dents
and bruises on the brass castings of the
cylinders; but for running purposes
was absolutely uninjured. The rebels
having piled the logs squarely across
the top of the track, the point of the
COW. catcher had gone under them and
though broken by the shock, had raised
them sufficiently to keep them from
under the wheels, while the engine
dashed them right and left into the
gorge.
The rebels, seeing us stop, started in
pursuit; but, as we found nothing
serious to impede our further progress,
and, as in their case, distance lends
enchantment to the view," we were
off again in high spirits, and, without
further adventure worth recounting, ar.
rived safely at our destination.
Poor Joe, after being shot at so often
as to have acquired sovereign con
tempt for rebel bullets, was shot deac
while running a government engine
near Chattanooga EG Engineer