The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-04-18

message.
You see they were heavily loaded
and could make but slow progress
against the terrific wind thai was blow
ing straight in the face of the engine,
and being so much behind time they
did not want to lose time by stopping
at w. and then back upward and fool
around an hour or so before they could
get out-as they often did.
Well, | read until I got so sleepy I
could not see the words, then I walked
back and forth the full length of the
office, thinking of any eastern home
my father and mother, dear, loving
mother who worried over her boy away
out West, it seemed to her almost out
of the world, and all my old associates
and schOolmates, now scattered and
divided, many of them going West as
l had done, others still in the little
home town, and some sleeping in the
quiet graveyard under the elms and
willows.
At last, becoming tired Of my useless
pacing, I dropped into my chair again
and tried to read, but it was of no use,
and [ think I must have laid my head
on the desk and fallen into a doze, for
I suddenly sprang to my feet as one
awakened from sleep, and listened with
every sense alert and strained, for
what? heard nothing but the roaring
of the storm, but still I waited, almost
holding my breath, feeling that I was
to hear something, 1 knew not what.
I stood in that silent, rigid position,
never stirring and scarcely breathing
well, it seemed to me an hour, so
great was the spell that seemed to hold
me, but was probably not over a min
ute, if that long, when my instrument
began clicking, and with no formal be-
ginning of a message, ticking off these
words very slowly and distinctly:
Turn the signal; don't let the train
go by w.. The bridge two miles
west over the Elm river has gone out"
Ny first thought was, who can be
sending me such a message, and with
no date or form, or signature" I was
very much mystified and puzzled, and
called up the night operator at the main
office, but he had sent no message, and
said 1 must have been dreaming or
suddenly gone crazy, for he had heard
nothing. I was very sure | had not
been dreaming-and what was | to do?
Who would pay any attention to a
message from no nowhere-no or
ders, no %signature9 AS pondered and
worried myself almost into a fever, the
instrument began slowly, distinctly, a
pause between each letter: Turn the
signal; don't let the train go by W
The bridge two miles west, over the
Elm river has gone out.
Now I was positive I did not dream,
nor was 1 crazy. called to the night
operator again. Had he heard any
thing2
mo he hadn't, and he would advise
me to take a lay off before it was too
late and my mind irretrievably gone,
if it was not already, then called up
all the boys along the line that I could
get, but no one knew of or had heard
the strange message but myself.
Just as I began to think perhaps I
was "getting a little off," as the boys
say, those strange words clicked from
the instrument again, the third time,
and then I knew it was time for action,
and that l was neither dreaming or
crazy. I rushed out into the storm and
turned the signal SO that its red danger
eye shown out into the black night far
down the track.
But how was I to get the engineer
and train men to believe as I did; and
it would be utterly impossible to get
any one to go down to the bridge in
such a storm. In fact, they could never
have reached tin the intense darkness,
and the rain and wind would have
swept them off their feet, and besides
there was no time for it lacked only
half an hour to the time the train
should arrive. 4
ALI I could do was TO signal the train
tell them what I had heard, and they
would do as they thought best. I had
no orders, for although [ had begged
the night nan to telegraph up to the
superintendent home, and get orders
to hold the train at W he only
laughed at me and told me that the
superintendent would think we we're
both crazy, and as for himself he was
sure I was. Well, the train arrived at
1915, and the engineer and conductor
came putting in to find out what I had
held them up for, after they had re-
ceived orders to u straight through.