The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-06-27
" And if I ever get promoted to good
an lan1 oho uhnll W

great engine, with an almost huma
sigh of relief, stopped painting, o
a side track at the Summit Static
of the "divide." A train OF iiat-cars
loaded with stone and drawn by tw
locomotives, was slowly putting up tn
western grade. The express had t.
wait on the siding until this freigh
train should pass and leave the mail
track clear. While they we're waiting
Kent Ballard left the engine, and tool
his soat on the rear platform of the
last car, where he could look back al
the grand sn0w-capped mountains they
had unsurpassed.
The heavy freight train struggled W
the grade, until it had passed the
| lower end of the siding, and then
track. A few minutes later the OK.
press pulled out, and the switchman
again set the main track open. Kent
remained on the rear platform of the
train, looking back at the mountains.
Presently he saw the freight train
endeavor to start up again. The
engines backed Il tritle, and then, Us
the car brakes were released, went
forward with a jerk.
Kent Ballard suddenly jumped to
his feet. What could it mean ?-the
freight train seemed to be backing
down the heavy grade after the ex-
press, instead of going straight ahead.
But no tho engines and the main part
of the train were going the other way.
Then the startling truth flashed upon
the young man. The jerking start of
the heavy engines had broken the
train in two, and the rear part of it,
without q brakeman aboard, was run
ming wild down the steep grade after
the express
What was to be done? Fortunately,
Kent Ballard was not one to be easily
confused in an emergency. He was
noted for always "having his wits
about him." Plainly the first thing
to do was to warn the engineer of the
express. But this must be done with
out alarming the passengers and
throwing them into, a panic. Some
persons would have been just foolish
which Kent had, to run back through
the train, crying: Get ready to jump
for your lives There's q runaway
freight train on the track behind us %
But Kent did not even hurry through
the cars, on his way forward to the
engine, lest he should thereby excite
the suspicious of the passengers. Even
the b"akemen did not suspect any
danger from his actions, as he passed
through the train. But as soon as he
reached the baggage car, where the
conductor was sitting, he motioned the
latter to follow him. Rushing to- the
forward platform he climbed on top of
the tender, and shouted
"Faley :"
The engineer did not hear him at
first.
"Faleyw
The man turned quickly.
"Crowd on steam! The freight
train has broken in two, and is chasing
us down the grade !"
"Tcrrible !" exclaimed the conduc-
tor, who had followed Kent out on the
platform of the baggage car. I" Let
out Faley l will go back and signal
you from the rear car"
The conductor Disappeared, and
Kent crawled over the tender into the
engine cab. Faley had already "let
her out AS much as he dared on 80
steep q grade. Presently, however,
came the clear signal of the c0nduc-
tors bell" More steam :" Faley's
hand was on the throttle; but he
hesitated. "lt's worse to jump the
ntio oii"h W BCU oFCl otl Ullc
track" he muttered. but here
goes! Pm in this cab to obey orders. "
He threw the throttle wider open,
and the great engine cooked and
plunged at more terrible speed down
the sharp incline. "Those stone cars
must be terribly heavy" exclaimed
Kent.
"Yee 5; how many of them broke
In0Sa-1n lyn NAL
"Not exactly" replied Kent :" but
| should say four or i've"
Enough to smash the whole cx.
pross to bits" muttered the engineer.
" It's curious how much faster a
loaded freight car can travel. on a
down grade, than O locomotive, even
Seems to be greater momentum
Good heavens he wants more steam y
The conductors bell clamored its
signal twice. Faley threw the throttle
wide open. "There." hu exclaimed
"if that don't save us, it will. smusb
usm
Kent Ballard had been thinking
very hard for few minutes. 4 pro
ject was forming itself in his mind
Suddenly he grasped the engineer by
the sleeve, and asked, eagerly:
How far ahead is the next station?'
"About five miles"
Sliding there ?"
eyes"
"Telegraph operator ?"
"Yes."
Good I have u plan. Let me
work the whistle I'll signal them
What 10 the name Of the station -
"Mineville."
Kent Ballard grasped the whistle
cord. In sounds corresponding t,
those of the Morse code when licked
out by the instrument, he signalled-
Mineville attention :"
After few seconds pause. he repat
cd the call. How far are we from
the station now ?" he asked.
Between three and four miles.
answered the onginoor. "You cal
calculate little more than mile
| minute"
Kont repeated the call once moro, ant
allowed " pause Of ton seconds. Their
he telegraphed, by sounds
| "Open the siding, quick ~
Then pause Of ten seconds, ant
again
"Open the siding :"
The station was nov in sight. Mei
were running to anu fro in front of it
i've telegraphed them to open tn
i q RI IttSxs.