Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-03-15

was lOuuB UIdhcUdu, uOb ONC'
nineteen, bv the name of Jimmy
CIswel|. He hadn't been working
for the road more than two years,
bat be came of a very good family
OF folks down to Falmouth, and
was mighty bright, gentlemanly
sort of youngster-just the kind
that the swells who trayel down to
the bay like to have on the Flying
Dude.
"He'd been put forward a good
deal for fellow of nineteen, and
it was some what the resultOf favor,
1 dare say. that he was on that
train, but they all had great deal
Of confidence IN him. Pll leave it
to you TO say whether the conf
dence was justified.
"WelI, Jimmy set out IN the dark
and rain ana wind with his red
lantern back along the track. He
had to 60 qnite piece, for there's
a second curve along back a little
way on that crooked line there, and
after that long, clear stretch, and
ne wanted to get around the second
carve and warn us there.
He was making pretty well
along toward the second curve,
running his head against the storm,
and was Just where he was out of
sight of both ira ns-the Dude
standing still and We a.comlng-
With woods along the iuuer side of
the curve, so that nothing what.
ever could be seen of him or his
lantern at that point from either
tram. Then suddenly he heard my
train rolling up In the distance.
"He started to run Jimmy did,
to get around the second turn in
season to signal me there. 1t
seems that he knew he had plenty
of time to make the bend, as be
owned up afterward, but he wanted
to be mighty sure.
"Just as he started up. what do
you suppose hAppeneds A strOn'
ger gust OF wind than any of the
rest came whistling through the
scrub, and that aud the motion of
Jlmmy's start to run blew out his
lantern. Then u'y train coming
along rOared louder yet, tor the
wind was coming to him from my
way.
"Jimmy wasn't at all scared. He
knew he had time to strike a
light. He put his fingers IN his
upper vest pocket after matches
No matches there. That made him
feel kind OF queer. Then he put
his fingers in his other upper vest
pocket. None there, either.
"He heard my train roaring
nearer and nearer. 1t was coming
round the second bend. Then, he
owned up, jimmy was a good deal
scared.
"He jumped right down the
middle of the track in the dark
toward my tram, not knowing
what he was going to do, but feel.
ing that somehow or other he was
going to stop the train before it
went on and crashed into the ex-
press. AS he run, my headlight
Ioomed ont on him through the
MIST coming up around the bend.
"He yelled like madman, but
his voice might as we'll have been
the squeak of a mouse. Not a
sound could be heard through the
racket that the storm and the
locomotive made together, as you
all would know very well.
"As for me, never heard nor
saw a thing on the track before
me, though jimmy stood straight
in the middle Of it. all the while,
waving the lantern with no light
10 1t, and bolIering till he was
black 10 the face. My headlight
seemed to be shining about a
dozen feet into a kind of thick
padding of RAIN and mist.
"JImmv told me that he stopped
all at once, when it seemed that
my headlight was not fifty feet
away from him. Probably 1t was
more than that. 1t occurred to
him that he hadh'C lime to be
scared. BE must take time to
think. s. he thought; and the
Ivts of two hundred people depeD.
ded on his thinking to good ad.
vantage.
"He wondered il it would be
best to throw himself down on
the track and let the train go
over him. He was willing to do
it If 1t would do any good. But he
thonght that the chances were ten
to one that bis body would throw
the train off the track, whereas
there was at east a small chance
kkok tc .,,x, tra;,, mana IN ,u,Ol,k