The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-04-20


train and seemingly quarter of o milo
away.
BY this time several men and boys
had gathered on the scene, apparently
wishing to go to Fargo. No ono seemed
to want to walk away back to tho ca
boose, and every ono was very anxious
not to get left At this moment another
freight train, hitherto unnoticed, camo
booming along on the main track.
Things were getting muddlcd. Would
tho second train stop? Would the first
pull up to the station to accommodate
those who wished to enter tho caboose?
Intercepted the engineer of train
No. 1. "Ask the conductor. don't
know, " no yelled Then he rc&nted and
said, '"The other train is tho ono you
want Train No. 2 had rolled along by
the station and was now coming to a
standstill hundred yards away.
found the lady with the littlo girls.
Said l, I'VE must tallo the othor train. -
Some of the men and boys now started
brisl1ly to walk in the direction of the
train, which was away beyond on the
main limo
Lot mo take IL satchcl," said 1 chiv-
alrously as 1 grabbed one of her two
enormous travelling bags and started for
tho train, followed by the lady, the lit
tic girls and the remaining men and
boys The train, as I said, was hun
drcd yards away. We thought of the
nlno long hours we had waited for that
train, and goaded by the fear Of a
longer stay i'll Castleton we struck out
at lively pace toward the cabooso.
Twothirds of the distance Ind been
accomplished, and was striding along
with tho great piece of luggage banging
against my legs ut every STEP when the
train commenced to move away. SLOWLY
now.
Rum" 1 shouted The men ahead of
us wero already on the run
The lady began to scampcr holding
tho 5-ycar-old by one hand, carrying in
tho other her satchel and followed by
tho ll-ycar- old, who brought up the rear.
We gained, but not fast enough,
thought l.
Lot me have the child, cried, and
grabbing up the little one under my arm
began tho chase anew, with the big
satchcl still i'll one hand and making
me go hippity hop by it's joltings
Women were not made to run Yet
the lady was doing we'll Tho train was
getting some Roadway | dashed along
with my awkward burdens and i'll few
moments reached the steps Of the NOV
ing caboosc, swung the child up into the
arms of one of the men who had caught
the train, threw my other charge, the
strange lady's satchcl, upon the plat
form and jumped aboard
GLORY! | was on my way to Fargo at
last. But how about the lady? She was
now 30 feet behind and only holding her
own.
Hurry
But she was puf1ing-out of breath
and began to lag behind. The 5-ycar-old
on the caboose was dazed. The 11-ycar-
old back with her mother on the rail-
road tics took In tho situation and set
up howl to see me, the strange man.
on board an eastern bound train with
her little sister and her mothers lug
gage
The train was moving even faster
There was but one thing to do 1 leaped
to the ground, caught the little girl rs
She was almost thrown to me by q kind
ly passenger, SGT her Oh the ground,
then ran for the train, clutohed the huge
satchcl. planted that on the tics and
finally by good sprinting caught up with
the caboosc and swung myself aboard.
had done all l could for tho poor
lady. 1t was sad to see her left behind
after waiting all day for the train. She
must now take her chances of getting
into Fargo tonight by means of tho way
freight now standing at Castlcton. Thus
l reflected as stood on the rear end OF
the caboosc and looked at the forlorn
trio standing on the track III the midst
OF their luggage, gazing after tho rcccd-
ing train.
Then came jolt, jolt, JOLT 1t was
down brakes! l chung to the guard rail
to prevent myself from being thrown off.
Quickly the train came to Il full stop
and didn't move for five minutes, dur
ing which time the lady and tho little
girls got aboard, toc :hcr with IL little
fat man and two % : who had also
been DISTURBED IL L.: race. Then the
train steamed b:cl: to the station and
waited half houG.
l wiped the perspiration from my
flushed face, inwardly damned the rail
road and rode the 20 miles on the out
side platform of the caboosc We got to
Fargo ut Il quarter past :. -Charles Tay-
Tor Tatman i'll Budget.