Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-08-20

| the StatlOn master, as was MS custom,
but began reading the notices and
studying time tables.
"What's the matter?" the station
agent said. you seem out of sorts"
"Oh, nothing" Charles replied, and he
began to whistle, but it sounded forced.
and he soon stopped.
The agent took up the tune where
Charles had left it, but he, too, suddenly
| paused.
Goodness gracious!" he exclaimed.
81 forgot that key. must go to the
house for it. You'll keep your eyes on
things, won't you? will only be gone
! q minute!"
The agents house was almost in sight
Of the depot, and he started on run to
get the key.
Charles looked at the depot-at its
tiny Office, its few seats for passengers,
its view OF the tracks stretching away
in the distance, with new feeling of
pride, for were they not left in his
charge?
Suddenly this feeling was followed
by a sense Of responsibility. Then, with
out being able to account for it, this
gave place to one Of dread. AS the last
feeling stole over him there came to
his ears the heavy, dull rumble of IN
approaching train.
Nearer and nearer it came, but there
was nothing in this Of itself to cause
alarm, for he knew No. 1S well. 1t al
ways went through without stopping.
So he stepped toward the door TO see
it pass once again. AS he did SO, the
telegraph instrument began clicking
loudly. He paid no attention to this,
as he did not understand telegraphy
and had often heard it make as much
noise when the sound had no import.
Standing on the platform, he watched
the freight train rumble majestically
by. A brakeman whom he knew waved
his hand to him, and he waved back in
response. Car after car passed, until at
last came the caboose with its fiutter-
ing flags.
The long train had hardly crossed the
last switch, and the click of the rails,
as the trucks of the cars passed over
them, still sounded in his ears, when
he heard his name called in an agonized
voice from the station. He rushed into
face a CHASTITY white, with one hand
upon the keyboard of the telegraph
as if frozen to it.
Orders to hold No. 18.-Got back too
late to stop her.-No. to pass her here.
No. has left v station.-Noth-
ing between the two trains"
The agent fairly gasped the words,
but Charles understood him at once
No. IS, the through freight, and No.
5, the express, between stations on a
single track road, were rushing to-
gether with nothing to stop them
Charles turned as white as the agent,
while a look of despair crept over his
face. Suddenly his eye rested upon
his wheel, and hope came to him.
He remembered the long curve Of the
track and the short cut of the road,
and how they came together again
further on almost at right angles, and
then continued in parallel lines. He
thought Of the slow progress of the
freight. 1t was one chance in hun
dred but perhaps he could head off the
freight train and stop her, particularly
as he had so much less distance to go
and could get great speed on the down
grade.
He was on his wheel in a moment,
riding as he had never ridden before.
At first there was a smooth stretch Of
road leading to the steep hill, which
threw the road at right angles to the
track, and over this his wheel fairly
flew. With his head bent low over the
handlebars, he glanced neither 10 the
right nor left, but fastened his eyes
| upon the road, which seemed like some
| white, silent river flowing by him with
great rapidity. It took but moment
or two to get over this road, at the
speed he was riding, but it seemed to
him to be years.
He was now on the down grade, and,
although he could not see the freight,
he knew it was near from the presence
of the cloud of thick, black smoke,
which hung above it's course.
He soon reached the crest of the hill
In moment, he thought, he could see
the freight and know whether he could
stop her or not. At length the train
came into view, and he saw at once he
could not hope to head it off, but that
by using all his speed he would be able
to reach it before all the cars had passed
the place where the road curved in
by the side of the track.
AS he started down the hill he put
all his weight on the pedals until the
bicycle shot down the grade at great
pace, gathering speed with each revo-
luton of the wheels. He was going so
fast that when he came to the level
it seemed to him that his speed in
creased instead of diminished.
Now, he is approaching the track
with lightning swiftness. The road and
railroad begin to converge Moments
pass which seem like years He raises
his eyes, the train is directly ahead of
him; he will just reach it before it
passes entirely. The engine has already
passed and some of the cars.
Once more he looks down and puts
all his remaining strength upon the