The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-05-19

fELE"n
to you like that, Just WHOM you are
least expecting il. You feel choked
like-as though you must do some
thing, and don'tknow What IL is. Hugh
turned off team and whistle6, while |
screwed down The brake until L heard
The wheels grinding on the rails, but
wo both knew that wecouid never stop
In time, or, If we could, the goods train
would be smashing into us before we
could reverse.
/. Suddenly Hugh sLrang on the tender,
yelling out like mad: Bill, she's in,
she's in ~
81 didn't know what he meant, but
L saw him fling himself over the back
OF the tender, In front Of the carriages,
and O few seconds after / heard the
clank OF iron and knew he had uu-
linked the couplings. How he did it.
sir, [ don't know. He must have laid
himself over the buffers somehow and
leaned over, lifting the heavy links.
"In ten seconds he was back, shout
ing madly Ion with the brake,
man., off with the brake l began to
understand what he wanted to do, and
u full head of steam, the engine left the
carriages behind. BILL he shouted,
Jump off, jump off" or course, l
wouldn't, and said so. He didn't stop
to argue, but turned to attend t O the
lever, pushing IL as far open as it
would GO. still shouting, Jump off !
81 thought OF my little ones at hcne,
sir, and all in a twinkling like a flash
OF lightning, l saw them fatherless
and my wife weeping bitterly for me
and, for an instant, / thought Of jump
ing off. But it was only for an instant,
~, auon uo tho fhnnnhf oo~n Snppn-
thing told me my duty was TO stop.
And there | stopped, and now In glad
[ did.
BILL he cried, turning to me with
a wild light of triumph in his eyes,
Bill, we shall save the passengers
and-Jennie and Jim. Don't you see,
lad, how it will be? We shall stop the
goods train by throwing it off the line
and the carriages are nearly stopped
now-look y 1 glanced behind. The
train Of carriages was a hundred yards
away and slowing down rapidly the
passengers were saved.
SIN silence, save for the painting OF
the engine, we gripped each others
hand and waited. Oh, that waiting
1 felt-nay heard-my heart thump.
ing like the engine itself. l tried t.
pray, but my brain was in a whirl.
longed for the tension to cease +; for the
end to come. Just then the goods
train reappeared round the curve,
They hadn't seen us, for the steam was
on, but instantly we heard the SHARP
whistle and knew they we're doing
their best to stop. / saw Hugh glance
quickly from the goods train to the
carriages, and his eyes lit up once
more with a great, triumphant joy a,
he gazed up to the sky then, before
could say a word, or lift a finger, he
seized hold of me, and crying, 1T,
your only chance lad = lifted me clear
off the engine and swung me on to the
bank. / remember falling and hear
ing a dull crash, u fearful scream, ant
then all was silent.
THAT is all, sir" he continued
t ,rning from me to the crushed figure
under the engine. "He gave his lif,
for YOU"
Then kneeling down, he took Hugh
cold hand into his own, and tenderl,
caressed it, the tears-no shame t.
him-rolling down his cheeks, AM
said
God bless thee, Hugh, my best an,
only friend. Goodbye :" and walked
slowly away.