The Van Buren press., 1897-08-21


Its tougher Oh Us Il wa're feuLa
out. Don't be fool, man. Remem1ec
TO look out for yourself first. I'll seEd
her down in care of Adams the irst
thing in the mornin'.s
The first accommodation train down
was tagged Monday morning, and poor
little Meg was bundled aboard in tears,
and placed in the conductors charge
along with written report of the
breaking open of the eaboose 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.
ber, 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
the brake wheel on the rear of the ca
boose.
Suddenly something happened. The
long line of fiat cars Jared and be
gan to move. She saw Bill clutch the
wheel aud throw his whole weight
upon Il in an endeavor to wind it mp;
but the brake rod must have snapped
for the next instant he was dashed
from his foothold by the reeoil Of tbs
wheel. and she saw him fall from the
moving train. In moment the ca
boose was over the switch and lie
wheels struck the main track. Meg
sprang up with a scream and rushed
to the rear door The conductor fol
lowed her, fearing that the girl woui9
fry 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 ths
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 carsl there's a
wild tfain behind us!" he shouted, aud
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 veloc-
ity frightful to behold.
Little Meg was painting right behind
the conductor as he reached the plat
form between the two rear ears.
"Stop, mister! set that bralie!s she
cried pointing to that on the second
car.
"What do you want, child?o he asked
"You set that brake" she said. I'll
set this ere. an then you kin uncouple
This car'll throw the wild train off the
rails. Quick"
God bless you'll | believe it will" hi
gasped, and seized the wheel.
The pressure retarded the train fol
an instant and the rear ear bumped
Instantly he pulled up the pin, anc
Meg, her thin, childish arms like stee
cords, wound up the brake on the real
coach. 1t fell behind at once, and to tn,
horror of the conductor he found him
self swept away from that hardy littl'
figure on the platform of the doomed
car. He saw her dart through th'
coach and set the brake at the furthc
end. The runaway train seemed almos
upon it now.
With straining eyes he saw Meg re
turn to the front platform, and screN
the brake up point or two. The ca
slowed down; if there had been time i
would have stopped altogether.
On one side of the rail was steep de
clivity, on the other high bank. Tn
girl climbed down upon the steps o.
the side next to the bank, and prepare
to jump. The conductor closed his eye
to shut out the sight, and uttered fei
vent, if brief, prayer.
God Almighty help her!" h
groaned.
Perhaps in answer to that praye
strength was given her. She glance
back at the plunging cars behind. Th
smoking wheels of the caboose seeme
scarcely to touch the rail- She leane
as far out from the steps as possible
closed her eyes and jumped. She struc'
the bank and dug her fingers into tn
clay desperately. Her face was burie
in the earth as the passenger coac
rumbled by. Close on its trail shot tn
runaway, and, a moment later, the aw
full crash reached her dulled ears lik
roar of muffied thunder. After a fey
minutes she staggered to her feet an
climbed down to the track Below he
the roadbed was strewn with wreck
age, and down in the cut were the shat
tered remains of the passenger coac
and the caboosc. The Accommodate
had stopped far down the track, and sh
saw the figure of the conductorrunnin
toward her. Then she dropped betwee
the rails.
Conductor Adams delivered hi
charge to the superintendent at tn
mills as he had agreed, but the receI
tion she received at that digntary
hands was not exactly what poor Me-
had feared when she started from tn
junction. And the reception the super
intendent gave the crew Of the fiat trail
when they came in to report was no
exactly what they had expected either
Besides the material appreciation