The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-06-27

called Bastable's attention to the cir
cumstance that the engine was mo
mentarily deserted.
by George!-that'l do it" he al
most shouted, and without lookir g
round he jumped on the engine, opened
the regulator to the full, and as she
bounded forward leaped off at the
other side.
Arthur Munro had quilted the car
riage to look after the luggage, and the
only soul in the runaway train was
poor Milly. Munro had not left the
train a minute when loud shouts of
alarm arrested him.
What is it9 What's the matter9'
he asked, facing round, with a horrible
suspicion that Bastable had attacked
Milly.
CIV London express has u away! I"
cried a porter.
"Good Heavens! She'll be into the
Bingham train at Lifford! /" cried an
other.
And Milly was alone in the train!
Yet Monro did not lose his presence of
mind. Flying to the end of the plat
form, he jumped upon the engine of
the local, and without a word to driver
or stoker seized the regulator. Before
he could open it, the driver stopped
him.
Hold on, sir-hold on! Bill, unlock
train"
In a minute Bill had leaped down,
unlocked the engine from the train,
and was back again on the engine plate
just as she began to glide out of the
station.
Express !" shouted the driver, point
ing to the runaway. Couldn't catch
her up WI a load like that on" chuck
ing his thumb behind toward the train
they had been detached from.
But they lost nearly as much time
by the stoppage as they gained by the
Tightening of the load, for the runa-
way had got almost a miles start by
the delay.
How far to LiffordG 2" shouted Munro
frenziedly.
six miles"
MY wife-my wifem he moaned, in
blank despair.
Wrenching the shovel from the
stoker, he proceeded to feed the fur
mace with all an experts skill; but
though the engine was going now at a
rate which made it rock and pitch
violently, they had not sighted the
runaway yet. Suddenly she slowed
down, and Munro looking up saw the
steam shut off.
"What2 What?" he shouted.
"Lifford distance, replied the driver,
pointing to the signal. "All up by
this! We should only pile up the
smash now"
Then Munro lost all heart and hope
and sank in a heap on the engine-plate,
hiding his face with his hands. Mean
while the driver had nearly got her
under control as he came in sight of
the station.
All clear! A wire from Worston
had got the Bingham train into siding
only just in time. AS they glided past
the platform the stationmaster shouted
They have wired to Bentham Box to
switch her into stop-blocks at that sid
ing" That was, of course, to wreck
the train against the blocks.
Munro heard, and starting up like a
mailman he wrenched open the regula,
tor to the full, shouting only my
wife! my wife!"-all he could articu-
late for the moment. Presently, when
they had got again into swing he cried
"My wife is in the carriage next the
engine!"
There's Bentham Bank" shouted
back the driver, encouragingly.
Bentham Bank is a steep gradient
where the seven:foot driving wheels Of
the express would need a drivers skill
full coaxing and sanding to keep them
from slipping at every other revolu
ton.
"By Heavens! we'll do it if she keeps
the rails!" shouted the driver, as they
shot through Thornley, Tunnel like {
bullet through it's rifed barrel.
- All three men were now on the look
out. In less than a minute they would
sight Bentham Bank, and if the runa
way had topped it she would b.
matched in a second. The incline a
the other side was nearly as steep a.
the ascent at this, and to go down
under a full head of steam meant
pace of ninety miles an hour into tn
siding and against the stop blocks a
the bottom.