Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1896-03-24

light and offered inviting nooks tor the az
commodation Of strolling lovers, past the
great unbending sentinels OF tho lonely
pine wood, which echoed with the scream
of tho warning whistle at every crossroad.
tShoye her in, Jack" said the engineer
to him. Were behind time and have got
to reach Dinsmore before that special from
Clayton"
"Whnt special? / hadn't heard of a spe-
cial,' said Jack.
General Harding chartered a special at
Clayton His wife is dying at place
down the road. and he wants to got to her
tonight. Ny orders are to side track at
Dinsmore and let her pass. They say
she's travelling at the DEVILS own rate
Jack listened in silence, then turned to
shovel in the coal until his strong arms
ached, while he thought of his own wife at
Lewiston waiting patiently for his safe re-
turn.
On they rushed through the darkness,
the pounding Of the wheels and the grind
ing Of the brakes as they swung around
curves drowning all other sounds. Never
did freight train make better time than
old 46 that night. They travelled along
for an hour or so at this rate of speed, the
engine drawing great heavy breaths like
some Titan in battle, the immense drivers
thundering along the tracks like the tramp
of heavy artillery. The engineer eyed the
watch and stem gauge before him uneasi-
ly, and finally he turned to Jack.
"Jack, old man, it's do or die. We've
got lust Is minutes to make it in, and
Dinsmore's nigh on 28 miles away yet.
The special won't wait, for she's got the
right of way and'll think the track S
clear" He turned to his throttle and
pulled it open bit more, watching his
gauge carefully. Old 46 was true as steel,
but he did not want to force her too far if
he could help it,
Jack Bunting turned away, his face
white as death and his lips set like steel
trap. He took up the shovel and threw
on the fuel until the furnace blazed with a
lurid heat. They were making q speed
now that was never before made by freight,
and the engine trembled with the terrible
strain put upon her. On they went in the
mad race against time Only a few more
the heavily loaded box cars bumped and
thundered and the hoarse Cry of a brake
man, barely distinguishable above the din,
came to the two in the cab.
Then the engineer sounded the danger
signal long and loud. He hoped that even
if he could not reach the siding in time
the station master would hear his warn
ing signal and flag the special down.
Then camean awful moment when over
the bend that separated them from the
haven of safety came long, clear blast.
The men looked at one another in absolute
despair
"My God, ,Jack" burst from the on
gineer's lips. "We must reach that siding
Pile her Oh, all she will hold. It's only u
few rods now.
He pulled wide the throttle, and the en-
gine leaped forward like a living thing.
She seemed to know that human lives de-
pended upon her feat of strength and an
swered to the call like thing of reason.
Nothing but the Titan she was could
have pulled that terrible load at the fright
full rate of speed she was making. She
swayed and rocked from side to side and
hardly seemed to touch the rails in her
great leaps forward. In few seconds she
rolled over the switch and into the siding,
putting and snorting like n goaded ami
NAL AS the last car entered the switch
the special dashed by like flash of light
ming.
A moment later, like an awful clap Of
thunder, came a long, deep roar that shook
the surrounding country like the stroke
Of doom.
Old 46 had run her race bravely and
we'll. She had saved the special and part
of her own train, but had sacrificed her.
self in the doing.
When the wreck Of the explosion was
cleared away, the brave engineer and the
stoker, blackened and horribly mangled,
were found beneath the debris.
''Greater love hath no man than this,
that man lay down his life for his
friendsp'
Far away in Lewiston little woman,
helpless and crippled, waits for the hus-
band who was side tracked by fate, while
the angel of death passed by. Daisy How
ard Paxon in Atlanta Constitution.