Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-08-05
her down In care Of Adams the first
thing in the mornin'."

llUtlc Meg WIS DunQleO ABOARD In tears
and placed in the conductors charge
along with written report Of the
breaking open of the caboose locker
with orders to deliver both to the SUI
perintendent of the division at War
ner's Mills.
Meg, with the fear of some terrible,
unknown punishment for her crime be-
fore her fearful eyes, pressed her wet
face to the window of the rear coach OF
the accommodation for what might be
her last glimpse of the junction. She
saw the weather-stained cabin that had
been all the home she could remem-
Der, with trembling, white-haired
Daniel standing by the switch before
the door. The switch was open, for
the freight engine was steaming slowly
down off the side track, preparatory to
backing up to the waiting flats on the
branch. She saw Bill Thomas at the
boose.
Suddenly something happened. The
long line of fat cars Jared and be-
gan to move. She saw Bill clutch the
wheel and throw his whole weight
upon it in an endeavor to wind it up;
but the brake rod must have snapped,
for the next instant he was dashed
from his foothold by the recoil of the
wheel, and she saw him fall from the
moving train. In a moment the ca
boose was over the switch and it's
wheels struck the main track. Meg
sprang up with scream and rushed
to the rear door. The conductor fol-
lowed her, fearing that the girl would
try to throw herself from the steps.
But when he saw the caboose be-
hind them he understood her excite
ment. Not man appeared on the run
away train, which, having cleared the
switch, was gaining speed with every
revolution of the wheels. A rear-end
collision seemed inevitable.
The conductor reached for the bell
rope and signaled the engineer full
speed.
"Run for the forward cars! there's a
wild train behind us!" he shouted, and
drove the passengers like frightened
sheep before him.
The accommodation sprang ahead,
and for few moments the distance be-
tween the two trains was rapidly in
creased. But the runaway was now
tearing down the incline with a veloc-
ity frightful to behold.
Little Meg was painting right behind
the conductor as he reached the plat
form between the two rear cars.
"Stop, mister! set that brake!" she
| ii % hot fha connnH
car.
what do you want, child?" he asked.
"You set that brake" she said. "I'll
set this ERE, an then you kin uncouple.
This car'llthrow the wild train off the
rails. Quick!"
"God bless you! believe it will" he
gasped, and seized the wheel.
The pressure retarded the train for
an instant and the rear car bumped"
Instantly he pulled up the pin, and
Meg, her thin, childish arms like steel
cords, wound up the brake on the rear
coach. 1t fell behind at once, and to the
horror of the conductor he found him.
self swept away from that hardy little
figure on the platform of the doomed
car. He saw her dart through the
coach and set the brake at the further
end. The runaway train seemed almost
upon it now.
With straining eyes he saw Meg re-
turn to the front platform, and screw
the brake up a point or two. The car
slowed down; if there had been time il
would have stopped altogether.
On one side of the rail was steep de-
clivity, on the other high bank. The
the side next to the bank, and prepared
to jump. The conductor closed his eyes
to shut out the sight, and uttered fer
vent, if brief, prayer.
God Almighty help her!" he
groaned.
Perhaps in answer to that prayer
strength was given her. She glanced
back at the plunging cars behind. The
smoking wheels of the caboose seemed
scarcely to touch the rail. She leaned
as far out from the steps as possible,
closed her eyes and jumped. She struck
the bank and dug her fingers into the
clay desperately. Her face was buried
in the earth as the passenger coach
rumbled by. Close on it's trail shot the
runaway, and, moment later, the aw-
full crash reached her dulled ears like
a roar of muffled thunder. After few
minutes she staggered to her feet and
climbed down to the track. Below her
the roadbed was strewn with wreck
age, and down in the cut were the shat
tered remains of the passenger coach
and the caboose. The accommodation
had stopped far down the track, and she
saw the figure of the conductor running
toward her. Then she dropped between
the rails.
Conductor Adams delivered his
charge to the superintendent at the
mills as he had agreed, but the recep-
ton she received at that dignitary's
hands was not exactly what poor Meg
had feared when she started from the
junction. And the reception the super
intendent gave the crew of the fiat train
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