The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1896-02-12

then jumped down to hurl in more fuel.
Every fresh throb of that iron heart sent
us faster and increased the alarm behind
us. There was another tug at the bell
cord and the gong rang again. There
was no let up this time or attention to
the signals. 1 thought my friend would
heed the signals but he didn't. He sat
there with the same grin on his face and
winked at me.
Suddenly he reached up, and before
realized what he was doing, he had un
fastened the cord from the bell and was
tying it firmly around the throttle. with
the little ratchet pinched open so there
would be no check TO the lever
"'Now, damn you,' he shouted, pull
till you drop and see how much good it
does you I'm running this caravan to-
night, and we will ride as fast as Won
want to co.
"Then he leaned back and folded his
arms, and sat there bumped up and
shivering like monkey on a circus DO
ny. Each tug at the rope now opened
the throttle little wider and sent
another pound of steam into the cylin-
ders.
"Did I say my prayers9 should say
not. Why, it would have taken corps
of recording angels scattered over sixty
miles of heaven to have caught Now
lay me- in shorthand. took drink in
stead, and looked out into the few rods OF
future that the headlight revealed. The
rails were futtering up and down in the
night like black satin ribbons, and the
telegraph poles were staggering past in
wild and drunken dance Every time
we passed an empty freight car or tool
house lot of demons inside were let
loose, and how they did Shrek and curse
at us.
81 shut my eyes every time We went
around curve, and braced myself tC
land somewhere in purgatory, with the
baggage car ION top of my neck. My
soul! but how the old girl CHATS what
the engineer called his engine) did
plunge The exhaust no longer came in
short, seperate throbs, but in iumbled
up roar that had nothing but madness in
it. l guess that the odd girl must have
known about the bell rope and shared
thefspirit of her master.
so course the poor idiots in the cars
did not know that every time they pulled
that cord they were sending themselves
little nearer to perdition, and they
kept Juggling away all the time. Just to
show them that we swere still living |
caught hold of the whistle rope and
pulled it. Every ounce of steel was
racing through those steel arteries be-,
low US, and the answer came in a long
trembling shrek that seemed to voice
the despair of the passengers
at frightened me, and L looked over
to see how it affected my friend.
''He was still sitting there with his
arms folded, but his head had fallen on
hislbreast and his eyes. were closed. sThe
liquor had overpowered him, and even
in that wild ride he had gone to sleep.
at must have been the same Provi.
dence that watches over the innocent
babe and the volunteer fireman that
made that man 60 to sleep.
knew enough about an engine by
that time to shut eff the steam, and it
didn't take but precious short time to
crawl over to the other side, unite that
rope and close the throttle.
"After mile or so we slowed up sui.
ficiently for brakeman to climb over
the tender and put on the air brakes.
That's the only ride ever took on
an engine, and it was the best gold cure
that's ever been discovered"