The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-05-18
view the engine sent its shrieks Of warm

ing; it grew louder-still louder.
| We dashed over the switches. ND to
the station, where group Of PASSENGERS
waited, and passed it without the halt
of an instant, catching a glimpse of the
appalled, faces and the waiting crowd.
Then we were in the fields again. The
speed now became literally GREATNESS.
the furnace glared red hot. The heat.
the velocity, the terrible nervous strain
of the man beside me seemed to weight
the air. I found myself drawing long,
stertorous breaths. like one drowning.
| I heaped in the coal at intervals as
he bade me. I did it because T was op-
pressed by an odd sense Of duty which
I never had in my ordinary brain-work.
Since then I have understood how it is
! that dull, ignorant men, without a spark
OF enthusiasm. show such heorism as
| soldiers, f1remen. and captains Of wreck
ed vessels.
1t is this overpowering sense of
routine duty. It's a finer thing than
sheer bravery in my idea. However,
| l began to think that Markley was mad
-laboring under some frenzy from
drink. though 1 had never seen him
touch liquor.
He did not move hand or foot. ex-
cept In the mechanical control Of his
engine, his eyes going from the gauge
TO the t1me-piece with a steadiness that
was more threatening than any CLEAN
| OF insanity would have been. Once he
glared back at the long train sweeping
after the engine with a headlong speed
that rocked it from side to side.
One could imagine he saw a hundred
men and women in the cars, talking,
reading, smoking, unconscious that
their lives were all in the hold Of one
man, whom I now suspected to be mad
1 knew by his look that he remembered
that their lives were in his hand He
glanced at the clock.
| Twenty miles," he muttered "Throw
on more coal, Jack; the fire is going
| out"
L did 1t. Yes, I did it. There was
something in the face of that man I
could not resist. Then I climbed forward
ana shook him roughly by the shoulder
| 'Markley," I shouted, "you are rum
nlng this train into the jaws of DEATH"
l know it," he replied, quietly.
~ our mother is on board"
| "Heavensr'
He staggered to his feet. But even
then he did not remove his eyes from
the gauge.
| u,
and pushed in the throttle valve.
II will not"
Make up the fire, Jack" very
quietly.
L Will not. You may kill yourself and
your mother, but you shall not murder
mel"
He looked at me. His kindly gray eyes
| glared like those of a wild beast, but
ne controlled himself in moment.
could throw you off this engine,
and make short work of you," he said.
But, look here, do you see the station
yonder?"
I saw faint streak in the sky about
five miles ahead.
Il was told to reach that station by
6 O'clock he continued 1.-THE express
| train meeting us is due now. ought
| to have laid by for it at Dufreme.
was told to come on. The track is a
single one. Unless I can make the sid
ing at the station in three minutes, we
shall meet in yonder hollow
| "Somebody's blunder?' I said.
| Yes, I think so.''
| I said nothing I threw on coal IF I
| had petroleum, T should have thrown
| 1t on; but I never was calmer in my
life. When death actually stares a man
in the face, it often frightens him into
the most perfect composure. Markley
pushed the valve still farther. The en-
CINE began to give strange painting
sound. Far off to the south I could see
the dense black smoke of a train. I
looked at Markley inquiringly. He
nodded. 1t was the express. I stopped
to the fire.
mo more.' he said.
ri Sl-
at the gray smoke Of the peaceful little
village, and beyond that at black line
coming closer, closer, across the sky.
Then I turned to the watch. In one
minute more-well, I confess I sat down
and buried my face in my hands. dom
think I tried to pray. I had a confused
thought of mangled, dying men and
| women-mothers and their babies.
There was a terrible shrek from the
| engine, against which I leaned, another
in my face. A hot, Kissing tempest
swept past me- looked up. We were
on the siding, and the express had gone
| by. 1t grazed our end car in passing,
In sort of delirious joy, I sprang up
and shouted to Markley. He did not
speak. He sat there immovab1e and cold
as a stone. I went to the train and
brought his mother to him, and, when
| he opened his eyes and took the old
| ladys hand in his, I turned hastily
| away.
Yes, gentlemen, I have been in many
a railway accident, but I have always
considered that the closest shave ever
had.
what was the blunder?"
II don't know. Markley made light
Of it ever afterward, and kept it a Sc
cret; but no man on the line stood 50
high in the confidence of the company
after that as he. BY his GOODNESS and
nerve he had saved a hundred lives