The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-07-17

4 X
, of the trainmen.
} As these thoughts rushed with light
ning-like rapidity through the section
mems minds, and they realized that il
they remained where they were, they,
J too, would be crushed beneath the mass.
J it is little wonder that Mike shouted:
drop it, boys, and run for your
liyes!"
But not SO with Teddy; for, swift as
the train was coming, his mind was
swifter, and when he saw the men were
going to drop the rail, he cried out, in
as firm tone as he could command:
Throw it on the ties, mer-throw IL
on the ties!"
And almost unconsciously they
obeyed him, dropping the rail within
few inches of where it belonged when
in position.
The construction of a rail is such that
it is heaviest on the bottom; and as it
fell right side. up, it did not turn over.
but lay there ready to be placed in
position.
AS the men ran down the embank-
ment, on the inside of the curve, Teddy
picked up a pinch bar and pried one
end of the rail into place, then ran
quickly to the other end and pried IL
over. Running now to the middle of
the rail, he drove one end of the bar
down in between the ties, and then.
grasping the other end in both hands.
he threw all his weight against the rail.
thus holding it in position.
And now his object was made eeear.
He was taking the one chance in a
thousand-the only one that could be-
taken, in fact, and he was risking his
| life to do it.
AS was noticed when the men too5
up the old rail, they did not pull the out
side spikes, and as a train always
crowds over against the outside rail
on curve, he figured that II he could
only hold the rail in place until the
weight OF the train was upon it, the in.
side aange on the wheels would then
keep the rail in position until the train
passed overit. The rail was 30 feet long.
and he knew that If the train once gots
on it there would be little possibility
o. 1T slipping, because it is only about
IA feet between the trucks on a car.
and before one truck would be off at
one end, another would be on at the
other, thus keeping continuous pres
sure on the rail until the train passed
over it.
AS he stood there holding the bar.
with the train laundering along with
In few feet of him, thousand differ.
ent thoughts seemed to pass through
his mind. but never once did he seem
to think of the danger he was in.
he thought of the consequences of a
wreck, of Jim, who had gone back to
flag; but chief among his thoughts was
the one that his father was responsible
for this piece of track, and he would |
be held to account for anything that |
occurred. He must do as he knew his
father would have done had he been in
his place.
The train by this time had almost
reached him. He could see the look of
terror on the face of the engineer as he
leaned from the cab; for he, too, had
seen and realized what was about to
happen, and was taking the only chance
open to him.
Instead of attempting to stop or to
slow down at all, he had simply hooked
her up" notch and pulled the throttle
open to its farthest limit, and was in
rrcasing his speed at every revolution of
The wheels.
In another instant they were upon
iim. A rush, roar, a mighty Kissing
u escaping steam. He felt the ground
'ock aud tremble beneath his feet. a
'udden shock as the bar was torn yio-
emily from his grasp and he was hurled
With terrific force to the ground.
When he regained Consciousness, ho
vas lying on the grass, pillowcd by the
oats of the men he had last seen run.
ing away from him, with Mike bend
ng over him, bathing his face with
vater from the pail, and there was a
amt suspicion of sob in his voice as
e exclaimed, fervently:
Thank God, my lad, you are not
ead!"
But Teddy was far from being dead.
nd, although bruised and scratched
p to quite an extent, he was soon able {
D sit up and watch the men, as they I
nished spiking down the rail that had
cen the cause of all the trouble, and
y the time they were through he was ,
a his feet, insisting that he be al ,
wed to help load the tools on the =
and car. {
But he was not permitted to do any
ling of the kind, and, after the men
ad hurriedly loaded the hand car flor !,
was almost due and they wanted =
} get to town ahead of it), they COM n
slled him to take seat, not allowing :,
m even to stand and hold on to the :
indies.
When they were about halfway to ),
wn, they met Hogan coming down ;,
e track on the run, for the crew on the :.