Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-10-27

of night were creeping down the
slopes and out from every gulch and
gully.
The headlights of the freight were
fitting from side to side of the high.
walled pass like will O. the wisp.
and finally to Lyle's excited mind they
seemed to take on sinister and pur-
suing glare.
He could stand it no longer, so he
made bold TO address the brakeman.
who snapped:
My very precocious kid, I know
how to protect the rear of this train
without any instructions from you"
Lyle sank back in his seat and the
blood fed to his face to think he had
been SO misunderstood.
He don't understand" Lyle whis-
pered to himself, Chow different it is
tagging train after you're stalled in
Summit tunnel"
IF don't protect this train," said
the brakeman moment later, with
sneer, you'll be on hand to do it,"
Lyle walked back to the rear coach
and stood outside on the platform to
hide his shame. They were almost
at the tunnels mouth, and the grade
was very steep. "-lost twenty min
utes-" rang in his cars. Why, this
train lost half of that in the tunnel the
freight would crash into them. Then,
as the engines struck the tunnel. LYLE
saw from the quickly Stacking speed
that they would lose more time in its
passage, if they did not come to full
stop, with that badly steaming engine.
eff | stop that freight, and there is
no need, the boys will never let me
hear the last of it," he thought. Then:
81 am sure that Zen Parr will not
blame me for being too careful" he
whispered to himself as he grasped
red light sitting just inside the coach
and swung off Of the now slowly nov
ing train just as it was swallowed up
in the black darkness of the tunnel
Even then he was in doubt, but
stumbled back few rail lengths in
the thickening gloom.
"Well," he said aloud to himself,
half covering the red danger signal
with his hand, 'if the freight is far
enough back I will not flag them, and
then he shuddered to think of letting
the train by him and that black tun-
mel between him and homel
Then n great roar filled the rocky
cut and a flare of light lit up the
blackness. The freight was upon
him, both massive engines working in
powerful unison and running much
faster than the passenger had been. A
few frantic swings OF the lantern
brought nh answer from Ben Parr that
was music to Lyle's ears, and with
shower of sparks flying from the re-
versed engines wheels they soon came
to painting stop.
''Whats the matter, little one?"
asked CHEEKY Ben, as he saw who the
aagman was,
''No. will hardly get through the
tunnel without stalling, so I tagged
you down, Ben"
"I don't see anything of her rear
lights" said Ben, peerinG out into
the black darkness, and his tone held
a touch of irritation.
"Didn't they have a crew on that
train TO DO the fagging?" asked the
| fireman.
But just then little speck of light,
such as a firedy would make, was seen
wavering in the tunnels black mouth,
and soon the brakeman staggered out
into the fresh air, choked almost to
fainting with the smoke made by the
two putting engines in the narrow
space. Coughing up black SCOT and
smoke the brakeman said:
''If you hadn't stopped you would
have been into us, sure" and then he
swore at being sent over such a
division with "iame" engine.
And old Ben Parr took out his
watch. and patting Ben on the head,
said:
"You have probably made present
of their lives to several people this
day, my boy. God bless you"
And the brakeman peered up at him
from his watery eyes, caused by the
smoke undoubtedly, and said:
"You here! I know an old lady
back East WHO will thank you for keep.
ing her son from being murderer
through carelessness.
Strange how things will leak out.
A few days later Lyle received