Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-04-20
A JUMP FOR LIFE.

tering lamps, and watched engine No. SO.
The engineer was oiling her, and the fire
man, as he opened the furnace door and
shoveled in the coal stood out like red
Rembrandt picture in the cab against the
darkness beyond. John knew every joint
and bolt in that contrary old engine-the
most cantankerous iron brute on the road
and yet, if rightly managed, one of the
swiftest and most powerful engines the
company had notwithstanding the many
improvements that had been put upon To-
comotives since old SO left the foundry
The cry of "All aboardl' rang out, and
John Saggart climbed into the smoking
carriage at the front part of the train. He
found place in one of the forward seats,
and he sank down into it with n vague
feeling of uncasiness at being inside
coach instead of on the engine. He gaZcd
out of the window and saw the glittcring
electric lights slowly slide behind, then
more quickly the red green and vElite
lights of the stsstion lamps, and finally
there flickered swiftly past the brilliant
constellation Of city windows, showing
that the town had not yet gone to bed. At
last the flying train plunged into the dark
country, and Saggart pressed his face
against the cold glass of the window un-
able to shake off his feeling of responsible
ity, although he knew that there was an
other man at the throttle.
He was aroused from his revcrie by
touch on his shoulder and a curt request,
''Tickets, please"
"Hello, John, is this your" cried the
conductor as soon AS he saw the face turn
cd toward him. "Hang it, man, you did
not need pass travelling with me. "
81 know it," said the engineer, "but
= HOY IL q, t,, toI- I
may as we'll use it as not. 1 don't want
to get you into trouble"
''Oh, I'd risk the trouble, " said the con-
ductor, placing his lamp on the floor and
taking his seat beside the engineer. II
heard about your worry today. It's too
cursed bad. If man had got drunk at
his post, as you and have known 'em to do,
it wouldn't have seemed so hard, but at its
worst your case was only an error of judg
ment, and then nothing really happened.
Old SO seems to have the habit of pulling
herself through. l suppose you and she
have been in worse fixes than that with
not word said about it,"
"Oh, yes, " said John. "Weve been in
many tight place together but we won't
be an moro. It's tough, as you say. I've
been Is ycdrs with the company and seven
on old ST. and Mt first it comes mighty
hard. But suppose Ill get used to it. "
"Look here John, said the conductor,
lowering his voice to confidential tone,
1.-THE president of the road is with us to-
night. His private car is the last but one
on the train. How would it do to speak
to him? If you're afraid to tackle him,
I'll put in Il word for you in minute and
tell him your side of the story
John SagTart shook his head
CIT Nx,,11bp't l, AZ coid ttIIo would
not ovcrrulo what one Of his subordinatcs
had done, unless there was serious inius-
ticc in the case. It's the new manager,
you know. There's always trouble with II
new manager. He sweeps clean. And
suppose he thinks by bouncing one of the
oldest engineers on the road he'll scare the
rest"
''Wcll, | don't think much of him, be
tween ourselves" said the conductor
"What do you think he has done to-
night! He's put new man on Sta man
from one of the branch lines who doesn' t
know the road. doubt if he's ever been
over the main line before. Now, it's an
anxious enough time for me with all the
Christmas traffic moving, with the Their
momcter ut zero and the rails like glass,
and like TO have man in front that
can depend on ."
Its bad enough not to know the road, -
said John gloomily, 'but it's worse not to
know old So. She's brute if she takes II
notion
81 don't suppose there's another engine
that could draw this train and keep her
time. "
"No She'll do her work all right if
you'll humor her, admitted Saggart who
could not conceal his love for the engine,
even while he blamed her.
"Well, - said the conductor, rising and
picking up his lantern, 1.-THE man in front
may be all right but I'd feel safer if you
Were further ahead on this train than the
smoker. I'm sorry | can't offer you a
berth tonight, John, but we're full clear
through To the rear lights. There ism t
even vacant upper on the train.
"Oh, it doesn't matter" said Saggart,
II couldn't sleep anyhow. I'd rather sit
here and look ont the window"
'Well, so long" said the conductor,
"I'll drop in and see you as the night
passes on"
Saggart lit his pipe and gazed out into
the darkness. He knew every inch of the
road-all She up grades, and the down
grades, and the levels. He knew it even
better in the darkest night than in the
clearest day, Occasionally the black hulk
of IA barn or clunp of trees showed foI
moment against the less black sky, and
Saggart would say to himself, 'Now he
should shut OH an inch of steam" or
snow he should throw her wide open"
The train made few stops, but he saw
that they were losing time-S6 was sulk-
ing very likely. The thought of the en-
CINE turned his mind TO his own fate. Nc
man was of very much use in the world
after all, for tho moment he steps down
another is ready to stand in his place The
wise men in the city who had listened t.
his defense knew so well that an engine
was merely II combination of iron, steel
and brass, and that a given number OF
pounds of steam would get it over "a given
number of miles in given number OF
hours and had smiled incredulously when
he told them an engine had her tantrums,
and that sometimes she had to be coddled
up like any other female, and that even
when man did his best there were occa.