Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-04-02
HER NARROW ESCAPE

They were sitting before the big fire.
place in Uncle John Watson's Kitchen, IN
Interesting and interested group. There
were several neighbors who had just stray
ed in-men who had faced the priyations
of early pioneer lifo in the mountains and
men who had rushed to the Mecca Of for
tune or failure in the Pennsylvania oil re-
gions. Uncle Johns commonplace but
kindly disposed wife sat smoking her pipe
in coy corner. There were, besides
Georgiana, Uncle Johns niece, a girl with
a medallion face and swapping black eyes,
the little schooma am who was boarding
round, and who secretly rejoiced to find
her lines fallen in such pleasant place.
They were listening to Uncle Johns sto-
ries Of the early days. AS he sat before
the fire his strong features and angular
form were outlined sharply against the
glowing logs. He was a true type Of that
class SO rapidly disappearing grim,
undaunted, resistless pioneer, whose yir-
tues have been told In song and story, and
whose memory is as refreshing as draft
Of spring water on a hot day. From sto-
ries of early hardships the conversation
naturally drifted into recital Of hair
breadth escapes, the turning point being
O bear story in which Uncle John figured
az hero.
II was walkin down the road one even
in, when I met bar strollin along as If
1t, too, enj 'yed an evenin walk" his story
began. ~ had played with the Injun boys
long enough to larn somethin O. bar ma
tur', SO I jos tuck off my hat, held IL
afore my face and yelled for all was
worth. The bar turned an walked back
into the woods 8 digniGed IS a judge, on
I cut fer home Knight hev made square
meal fer thet bar, but the Lord he'd 9th
erwise ordained"
Ben Billings told how he had been left
under bench-somewha disturbed men
tally, but otherwise unhurt-by boiler
which made hasty exit from the engine
house and landed 300 feet away Jake
Brown told of his wind up In the bull
wheel. lone more turn, an I'd hev been
dashed agin the crosspiece The driller
saved me. He allus was the coolest Teller
I ever saw, was Bill Kaney."
II don't s'pose you've lived long enough
to hev any close calls" said Uncle John,
when the little schoolma ANS turn came
"Oh, yes, have" said she. "It happened
when was teaching over at Sprink Creek
and boarding at Squire Duncans.. had
a good three miles to walk every morning
and evening and was always glad of lift
One morning a good looking young fellow,
with spanking black team and light
spring wagon, came along. He stopped
and asked me il l cared to ride. OF course
I preferred to ride under such favorable
circumstances. 1t was June morning,
the air full Of sweet scents and sweeter
music, and we were soon talking as agree
ably as If we had been old aoquaintances
OF course he knew. people that l knew,
and that broke the ice We felt quite well
acquainted by tho time we came to the
d. A. V. railroad crossing On the ties q
big milk snake lay summing ITSELF The
horse SHE'D and oramped the wagon in
such manner as to catch the hind wheel
between two rails. The young man turn
cd white as ashes
!" Get down and run for your lifeP he
said. The morning express is due, and
this is a load Of nitroglycerin. I must
unload these cans. You may be able to
get away before anything happens. Run
RUM he almost shrieked.
t'But I had no intention of running
away. 1 helped him carry the cans, two
at time, to a safe distance from the
track. 1t was terrible work. A false step,
or the jarring Of one can against another,
and all would be over with us. / gritted
my teeth and worked like machine. Ey-
cry step was taken in the agony of fear.
After the first moment he was as cool as a
cucumber and handled tho cans with Won
derful dexterity. You see he was used to
1t, and / wasn't, and l was dreadfully
afraid of dropping can from sheer fright.
In a short time we had them out but one,
and that was under the seat. A dull rum
BILE, and an engine, rounding a curve,
blanched our faces and made our hearts
stand still.
You get that can while try to flag
the train, he cried hoarsely.
II climbed into the wagon. 1t seemed
an age before could reach the can, and
an eternity before landed with it and had
placed it with the others in tho field. And
them
"You tainted of course" said Uncle
John, with a twinkle in his ego.
ono, didn't" said the little school
ma am. II turned and saw that tho en-
gine had stopped not two feet away from
the wagon, and tho people were crowding
out of the train to see what was the mat
ter. They looked scared enough when
they found out how narrow an escape they
had had. The train soon rumblod on
again, and helped him to load the cans.
He said a good many complimentary
things, but he didn't ask me to ride on to
school, and preferred walking"
che ort to how fell in love with you In
genuine story book style, said Uncle John.
There ort to DO quite romantic end to
that episode. He should be rich young
Teller who axed yon to marry him an took
you off to Europe on a weddin tower. !"
s'He was rich enough" said tho little
schoolma'aln, blushing prettily, "but one
can't have more than ono romance at o
time, Uncle John. His father owned the
factory and made mint of money out of
1t. The young man did call several times,
but JEFF Duncan didn't quite like his CALL
Ing on me, and JEFF thinks he has the best
reason In the world for objecting."
And the little schoolma'a am glanced shy
~ down at the turquoise ring on her plump
third finger. - Chicago Times Herald.
Japs Are Fond OF . Joke.
The skill Of Japanese jugglers is illus