The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-05-14


eye, and instantly the eyes of the
whole party were upon the drivers
dusky face. The engineer was speech
less. Not that tho circumstances had
escaped his mind, for as matter of
fact he had thought of little else, but
he knew not how to answer.
"Did you think that engine was on
the main line?" asked the general
manager, noticing the embarrassment
of the engine crew.
"What engine?" asked the engi-
neer, trying to look and speak natu-
rally.
"There was only one engine there
besides your own," was the colonePs
response. "Wlll you be good enough
to answer my question:"
"Well," thought the driver, "if
I've got 'em the G. M. IS got EN-, and
he answered: 81 did think she was
on the main STEM"
"What did you think, Harry?"
asked the superintendent of the fire.
man. who was staring at the engineer.
The fireman only closed his eyes and
shook his head slowly, as though he
considered them all crazy, and his
long lashes, dark with coal dust, lay
upon his newly washed face like the
lashes of chorus girl.
"Did you see anything on your
side ?" asked the colonel, who was de-
termined to unlock the lips of the
fireman.
mot thing" said Harry. 81
don't believe in ghosts.
'It will not be necessary for you to
take out SO ian accident report,) but
wish you would tell me what you
saw and how it affected you," said
the general manager. addressing the
engineer.
"May ask you first if you saw
anything, colonel ?" said the driver.
81 saw locomotive standing on a
spur or siding just east of Coyote" P"
"When I saw her first, said Sam,
taking courage from the colonePs
confession, "she was bang in front of
us coming out of cut like ball ont
of cannon. saw it was all up with
us, but naturally shut off-mechan-
ically, so to speak. 1 think 1 hooked
her over, but didn't whistle, open
the sand valve nor set the air-they
want no use-no time-but just then
1 thought of little Sammie as [ saw
him last, hangin' ON the fence by the
seat NV his pants, an it seemed to me
that | never see anything SO funny,
and 1 laughed that hard that the tears
came in my eyes and blinded me.
Then the thought came to me that we
were long time coming together, SO l
looks ahead an there want thing in
sight. asked Harry if he see any
thing an he lied an asked me if 1
see anything an lied toe, an opened
up the throttle again. That's all /
know about it. ="
Now the agent came in with num-
Der of messages for the superintend-
ent, and as the official began reading
the first of the lot he began to smile
'sRea6 it out" said the colonel,
"Perhaps it will tell us something
about the ghost" The superintend-
ent read:
V"Engine 81 is off the track and
hearty off the right of way, 1000
yards east of Coyote spur, but still on
her feet"
That explained the ghost engine.
At the instant when the engineer shut
of, ''the sewing machine" just then
rounding sharp curve, jumped the
track, lit square on her wheels and
went ploughing out over the hard
adobe of the desert. She rolled and
rocked for few seconds and then
came to stop with the engine men
still standing in the cab. The engine
had been working hard and if the
throttle had remained open she might
have made the curve all right, but the
sudden relaxation of all her tension
caused jar that threw her off her
feet, but it was a lucky jar for the
crew.
Since that time, however, old Sam
has been in harl luck. He has al
ready lost three legs. Tue last one
being caught under an engine, was
chopped off by the conductor with an
ordinary ak to prevent the en-
gineer being roasted alive. Those