The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-02-13

ONA6 NC0
turned the horse around, but to his
olsmay the horse became fractions and
began to back. Man and horse tugged,
ana the horse won. Despite the young
mans shouts, threats, and blows the
morse backed right to the edge of the
preclpice, and, with an awfnl crash in
b black night, over went the buggy
with a silent young woman in it and
a struggling frightened horse above
her.
Inc cut was very steep and the last
ten feet Of it vas walled vertically with
masonry about four feet from the
track. A stii'n' SIS that had terror in
1t followed the crash As he plunged
down the dirt and ever the wall, not
knowing how he got there, the young
man could hear no sound. He knew
that his sweetheart was down there in
h wreck of a buggy with a horse on
top, and that if she was living after
such a frightful fall it was a miracle.
OF course they went on the track
and a train might come along at any
time. When he reached the bottom he
was surprised to hear his sweeeheart's
voice calling to him, saying:
I'm all right; don't worry. I'm not
hurt much"
The rumble of a train was heard in
the distance. It was the Pacific ex-
press, heavily loaded and just getting
into its full speed after a long struggle
with a grade of many miles The
buggy had been so broken in the fall
that it had formed a shield for the girl
and supported the weight of the horse,
which had now begun to struggle
~fiercely.
The headlight of the train began to
glisten on the rails. The cut was in a
curve and there was no possibility of
stopping the train. Tug as he could
the frantic young man could not free
the horse Or reach his sweetheart. He
scarcely dared speak to her. Finally
in his despair he cried out:
'Oh, it's dreadful. It's no use. Must
I give up! Is your head or are you on
the rails?"
Clear and strong came the answer:
Il don't know. but I'm not afraid"
I'll die with you," was the answer.
Don't DON'T" she screamed back.
For my sake, save yourself. Perhaps
I'm all right. I'm not afraid. Jump,
jump aside. Good bye, good bye,
good"
The noise of the train drowned her
voice. The despairing young man
leaped up against the wall. There was
an awful shrek of the locomotive, and
then came a second crash. The horse
was swept off the buggy wreck in a
jtfy. Not a bit of the buggy remained
where it was, and when the trainmen
came back with lights and a feeling of
horror in their bones they found that
plucky girl with her head resting on
the young mans shoulder, and actually
smiling. She hadn't even tainted.
Fortunately she hadn't fallen across
the track. She thought she had, and
she had faced death shouting encour-
agement to her lover. Her head had
been fastened as in a wise within about
four inches of the rail, and as the loco
motive cleared the obstruction from
her she felt the %scorching heat of the
fire box. 1t seemed to blister her as it
went by. So much pluck did she have
that she clambered up the bank alone
and went to bed reluctantly, when g
doctor insisted that she should do sc
at once in his house which was near be,
l saw this remarkable girl the next
evening swinging nonchalantly IN 6
hammock on the front porch as clipper
as if she had come in from a tennis
game. Of course, her head and face
were bandaged and plastered. Atfrst
glance one would have taken her fol
a silly school girl with no thought Of
serious things in her head, and with &c
Indication of uncommon pluck. ]
never hear ''silly school girls" spoken
of in these days that I do not think Of
that girl, and 1 wonder if it is not o.
such stuff as this that the Grace Oar
lings and scores of other heroines that
the world secretly beauties a e made
of. And yet, as I said before, I have
actually forgotten her name. Iremem
Der only her bravery.
CARE IN DIPHTHE RIA.