Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-06-07

to get in the way of that mountain slide
again, I felt like man who had been
invited to catch q cannon ball in his
teeth. | wanted to jump if | only
dared, but there was no water below
now; only hard ground. Moreover [
was wasting time in thinking out
chances that might be my last moments
for prayer and repentance, and that
train was coming down on us again.
This time [ shut my eyes and pulled
myself into heap. AS nearly as | can
remember / huddled up, with the idea
that | would prefer to be found in one
piece after the crash, rather than in
disintegrated sections Any way, |
didn't open my eyes until [ felt a sharp
jar, and then that heavenly spring and
bound out of danger again. The train
had touched US, but SO quick and ready
was the engineers pull Of the throttle
that he had brought us away again
and a second, the fractional part of a
second too soon. His face was red
with anger when l opened my eyes
again and looked around me.
"'Too quick again y" he shouted
hoarsely. ITS now or never this time.
I'll stop her now or We'll all be in the
ditch
for we could see the curve ahead, and
not tar ahead at the sixty mile clip we
were going. Wind slowed up sharp,
and | shall never forget my feelings as
the cars bore down on us. This time l
couldn't shut my eyes. The fascination
Of imminent death held them on the
laundering mass behind.
"'Brace yourself and hang on,
shouted Wind, as he felt for brace
with his feet and gripped the throttle
so tight that the muscles stood out like
cords on his arms.
"'Shall | Jump | called to him, but
the words choked me as they came.
He didn't hear them. The next instant
he sprang to his feet, threw the throttle
wide open, and suddenly went up in the
air and turned over toward the boiler as
the bump came. That was all [ saw.
heard terrific crash, and felt myself
whirled out of the cab and through the
air. The whole universe whirled
about me and then closed in, and [
struck. Ny teeth gritted out sharp,
bright flames that flashed back and
blackness.
"For five days l lay and watched
ponderous trains, millions of miles in
length, laundering down illimitable
slopes, at incomprehensible speed, in
pursuit of a pigmy man myself, in an
insignificant locomotive. Then [ re-
covered consciousness, and shook the
lett hand Of Engineer Wind, his right
arm beingin sling. He had hung to his
throttle, and had been hurled heels over
head against the boiler, and pretty bad
ly battered up, but had slowed up the
train so that it made the viaduct curve
successfully. AS for me, had brought
up against a timber, head foremost, but
got off easy, with no other injuries than
my scalp wound and a slight conclusion
Of the brain. But it had left me one
heritage. When have nightmare now
it's always the same nightmare, and ali
overdose Of Welsh rarebit is certain to
bring down that avalanche of cars on
my devoted head"
The speaker raised his glass, newly
filled, took a thoughtful sip, and set it
down to answer a question asked by
one of the others.
"The fireman? Did he get out alive %
ooh, yes. He struck the water all
right. Wasn't even bruised; just red
dened up a bit on the skin. Found out
it was good fishing there, went back the
next week and caught some pickerel,
and has been going there ever since.
Cool hand, that Jim-after he got out Of
the enUine'