The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-04-04

anu ~ seemed As III We were oot1 70
Z thrown on on to the line. We msnag'
e 10 reach the brake handle and put
e dovn-as hard as We both togeth'
II were able 10 do. We did the same wit
n the other ten trucks when the oscilii
;. ton was too much for US and slowl
e and laboriouslv We nafs onr wsv oac
5 to the comparative safety OF ~
: guards van.
5 Ou- speed had slsckened a little wit
I the brakes put down hr' again II be
I gan gradually % srcclsrate. and II wa
: with sickenirg fneiir- ~ nv hear
that I resigned myself 20 all TIE help
lessness and hone'essresz of our sit
uation. Should We begin TO descen'
the bank AZ our rresart $50 ~ sneei
nothing. humanity speaking. eoult
avail 20 save us from, fearful death
ADnlesarth was sitting with his hea'
buried ia bis hands n = corner OF th'
van erouched the two girls. e-e Of Their
trying TO encourage the other. who wa
CRYING bitterly.
Suddenly the last dread alternative
presented itself 70 nv mind. as II has
often done 20 men IN liis position
too frequently With 'he result OF only
Fastening their fate. ~. now Il seemed
| tho only CHARGE left 10 us.
Shall we jump. Frank" asked.
You forget the girls" was all he
said.
| had not forgotten them. but now
! reflected that even II they had the
courage 10 attempt it the risks were
too great. and besides one OF the two
was no longer capable OF deciding for
herself And we could only sit there
and wait. with what equanimity We
could command. the fate upon which
ne were rushing.
Meanwhile Harry Armstrong our
driver. had reached the TOP OF High
bank. and from the too quick action OF
his brake had learned that something
unlocked for had happened TO his train.
The next turning showed him that he
had broken away and that his engine
had only a few trucks behind Il. He
took what was probably the only safe
course-that OF putting on steam and
going ahead as fast as he could.
There is a break-away." he shout
ed. as he steamed into the sliding. "and
twenty wagons of coal are tearing down
the banks"
Signal against the up train" called
out the station master; Il hear her COM
ing
Blu; the goods will run into her
further down the line in any case"
we must throw the goods off the
rails. Heaven help the poor guards.
We can do nothing for them"
There are others. too. besides the
guards" urged one OF the men on the
engine"
And hundred in the up train.
Sharp with a hammer. we must spike
The back road points. 1t may send
them into the river. but is must bs
-isked."
The spike was driven home.
Bring the iron chains" was mex. |
,aled out
A pile OF these lying beside the line |
vas seized upon and hurriedly a num-
'er OF them thrown across the metals:
Then the men ran back out of the
way OF danger. for the roar of The
down" train was upon them. Out OF
he blackness. like a streak still black
r. rushed the long line of doomed wa
ons, and then came the dreaded crash.
card for miles around, drowning the
oise OF the gale. now at its height.
The wrecked train lay in one indls-
nguishable mass OF iron and coal and
Dllntered wood. The first wagons had
riven over the chains and fallen into
ne ballast, where they lay overturned.
crying by way Of a buffer to those
ehind them. AnXiously and with
lany forebodings of evil was the scene
destruction searched for the wrec.
the guards van. No trace Of it was
} be found.
! must now take up the story OF The
lnaway at the point where left il off.
was sitting as If in dream, when a
ght hand was placed on my arm and
larry Applegarths voice sounded loud
nd shrill in my ear.
Wake up she cried Think if
lere's no plan TO let go the van from
he first wagon. Can't you get at the
woodwork is very oIdo" ,
/ found she had already reused I'm /,
er father, who. like me, had aban- =
,ned hope. ,
In another moment ] had the ham ,
er out Of the locker. Frank, picking ,
} a shackle-hook. drove it through the :
ID OF the van just above the coupling. ,
I'd soon had a large opening made. !
hen. easing off the van brake. we 6
locked out with the hammer the bolt ,
aich attached the first truck to us 6
le loaded wagons seemed to race away n
om ~ as we gradually put on the r
AXE again. and we felt that the dan o
r was past ,
We Travelled slowly down the bank. !.
til we saw red light ahead. 1t was :
e OF the men sent from the station q
.er the train had been wrecked. He
d Gene on. as ordered, with no hope Z,
finding any OF us alive. y
made up my mind that very night h
make a match OF II with Mary Ap- n
garth II she would have me. We 9,
re married few months after. and q
my mates called II "a runaway 9,
Itch" !.
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