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


|
| Il want to speak to you a moment,
| Jim. Come to the other end of the van
| better for those not TO hear us" said
| my mate. indicating by the direction
| of his glance our two fellow travellers.
| His words were almost drowned in the
/ noise of the train. but ii was easy to
! see from his manner that something
was amiss. We were together in charge
of train of "a wagons, running from
Elmfield colliery down to the main line.
l was the underground and consequent
~ subordinate to Frank Applegarth.
| His daughter. a lass of about is, and a
| companion of her own age, were trav-
cling with us. They had missed the
usual passenger train, and. notwith-
standing regulations to the contrary.
we had both thought there would be
! little harm in giving them a lift
home, as Frank phrased it. And lucky
for US it proved that we did so. Proba-
bly, il saved both our lives, and certain
| ly it was the means of procuring me
the best wife in the world.
The wind whistled past the deep sides
| of the cutting through which we were
| rushing, and flakes of snow were find
! ing their way into the van by ventila-
| tor and window and crevices, not a few
in number My companion wore a trou-
| bled look as / rose to follow him.
do you notice that?" he asked. when
we were out of hearing distance of the
others. 1t had struck me before that
the van was swaying more than usual
and 1t was rickety enough-but l only
set IL down to our driver making up a
little lost time.
I'VE are travelling at a great pace"
/ answered.
"A dangerous pace" was the reply,
as the van gave a lurch that almost
threw us off our feet. That's the first
curve on the level he added; "just try
If you can make out the engine lights"
I tried my best, but IL was useless.
The night was intensely dark, and. to
add to the difficulty, binding blasts of
snow and sleet drove full i'm my face
as / leaned with half my body outside,
seeking to catch a glimmer OF light
ahead.
II can make nothing out" said, as
/ unbuttoned my jacket and shook it
clear of snow.
Neither could /, and I fear we have
broken away. / only wish l knew how
many wagons are left with us in
front"
Here my countenance must have be-
trayed the horror j felt. for he hastily
added:
Don't look like that. man; the girls
are watching us and I'm mistaken If
Mary does not already suspect that
something is wrong. It will be time
enough to alarm them when it comes
TO the worst, and we are past help"
What is TO be done?" / asked, not
so much expecting an answer as be-
cause 1 felt l must say something.
I'VE can do very little II Harry
that was our driver-'knows what has
happened he may come back upon us
and stop us before we come to High
bank, though, at the rate we are going
that will be risky enough. Otherwise
he can do nothing but go to the next
station to warn them there. Ten to
one we don't keep on the rails as we
run down the bank. We must try TO
make out If we have many wagons left.
If he has but few, Harry is sure to
notice that something has gone wrong"
We returned to where the two girls
were sitting. ] had seen Mary Apple
garth every day almost that l had
worked with her father, now a matter
or four or five years, and without no.
ticing her much. She was a slip of a
girl when first / knew her, and / sup
pose with seeing her so frequently she
had grown TO the verge of womanhood
without my being aware of IL. Ii might
be, too, that the danger in which we
were placed. added in a moment years
to her life, as great dangers are some
times said to do. Anyway. it was with
added interest that l now regarded her
as she sat seeking to calm the fears
of the girl beside her, who was giving
way to terror she did not seek to con-
Ceal
You and you friend" said Apple
garth to his daughter, who amid other
preoccupauons, was watching our
every movement. will keep quite still
here while Jim and l put things
straight I'm front of the train"
rs there going to be an accident? l
am sure something has gone amiss."
No; hope not, at least; nothing but
what we can put to rights"
The road on which we were travelling
was a fairly level one. with easy grad
tents, one part alone excepted. That
part began some ten miles from the
colliery whence we had started our
journey, and could we but arrest our
speed before reaching II. all might be
well yet. IL consisted of the two de-
chvities, known respectively as the
High bank and the Low bank. both
very steep. with a gradient OF one i'm
20. and separated by some two miles of
level line. A little way from the bot
tom of the last was a meeting station.
where trains coming In opposite direc-
tons used TO pass each other by means
or siding. All being wen. IL was into
this siding our train had to run. and
there remain until the last ''up' pas
senger train had passed il on its way To
Elmsield
With a few moro hopeful words To
his daughter, Applegarth took his lamp
in his hand and signing To me To take
mine and follow him. clambered with
great difficulty on the first truck. our
speed had continued 20 increase. and IL
seemed as II we were To be thrown off
on the line. We managed To reach the
brake handle and put il hard down
as hard as we both together were able
60 do. We did the same with the other
ten trucks. when the oscillation was
too much for Us. and slowly and labori-
ously we made our way back TO the
comparative safety OF the guards van.