The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-22

Our speed had slackened a little with
the brakes put down, but again IL be-
gan gradually to accelerate, and IL was
with a sickening feeling ar the heart
that i resigned myself to all the help
lessness and hopelessness of our sitlla-
ton. Should we begin to descend the
bank at our present rate of speed, no.
thing, humanity speaking, could avail
to save us from a fearful death. An
plegarth was sitting with his head bur-
led in his hands. In n corner of the
van crouched the two girls, one of them
trying to encourage the other, who was
crying bitterly.
Suddenly the last dread alternative
presented itself to my mind, as IL has
often done to men in a like position.
too frequently with the result of only
Fastening their fate, but now 1t seemed
the only chance left TO us.
Shall we jump. Frank?" I asked.
You forget the girls" was all he
said
1 had not forgotten them. but now
i reflected that even IL they had the
courage to attempt ii the risks were
too great, and besides one of the two
was no longer capable of deciding for
herself And we could only sit still and
wait, with what equanimity we could
command, the fate upon which we were
rushing.
Meanwhile Harry Armstrong. our dri-
yer. had reached the top of High bank,
and from the too quick action of his
brake had learned that something I'M
looked for had happened to his train.
The next turning showed him that he
had broken away and that his engine
had only few trucks behind it, He
took what was probably the only safe
course-that of putting on steam and
going ahead as fast as he could.
There is n breakaway," he shouted.
as he steamed into the siding, and
twenty wagons of coal are tearing
down the banks"
Signal against the up train" called
out the station master; II hear her
coming"
But the goods will run into her fur
Their down the line I'm any case"
we must throw the goods off the
rails. Heaven help the poor guards.
We can do nothing for Them
There are other, too, besides the
guards" urged one of the men on the
engine.
And a hundred in the up train.
with hammer; we must spike the
back road points. 1t may send them in
to the river, but IL must be risked."
The spike was driven home.
Bring the iron chains" was next
called out.
A pile of these lying beside the line
was seized upon and hurriedly a num-
Der 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 the black
darkness, like a streak still blacker
rushed the long line of doomed wagons,
and then came the dreaded crash.
heard for miles around, drowning the |
noise OF the gale, now at it's height
The wrecked train lay in one indis- |
tinguishable mass of iron and coal and |
splintered wood. The first wagon had |
driven over the chains and fallen into |
the ballast. where they lay overturned, |
serving by way of buffer TO those be- |
hind them. Anxiously and with many |
forebodings of evil was the scene of |
destruction searched for the wreck of |
the guards van. No trace of it was to |
be found.
| must now take up the story of the |
runaway at the point where left off. |
was sitting as If in a dream. when |
a light hand was placed on my arm and |
Mary Applegarth's voice sounded loud |
and shrill in my ear.
Wake up!' she cried. Think if |
there's no plan to let go the van from
the first wagon. Can't you get at the |
couplings-the woodwork is very old"
/ found she had already reused up
her father, who, like me, had abandon
ed hope.
In another moment / had the ham
mer out of the locker. Frank picking
up shackle-hook drove it through the
end of the van just above the coupling,
and soon had a large opening made
Then, easing off the van brake. we
knocked out with the hammer the bolt
which attached the first trucke to us
The loaded wagons seemed to race
away from us as we gradually put on
the brake again, and we felt that the
danger was past.
We Travelled slowly down the bank.
until we saw a red light ahead. 1t was
one of the men sent from the station
after the train had been wrecked. He
had come on as ordered, with no hope
Of finding any of us alive.
l made up my mind that very night
to make a match of II with Mary APP
plegarth If she would have me- We |
were married a few months after. and
all my mates call it "a runaway
match. Boston Traveller.
A - IL