The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-01-29

ing the weeds out of the potatoes and
cabbages.
| "'There Is throuble below!' ex-
claimed Jimmy-'throuble enough be-
low! An the track-bad luck to It'll
have gone down out of sight into the
river. An the river itself, as it most al
ways does whin it gifts in such tan
thrum, is roarin' an foamin', wild its
big chunks of ice a-pilin' up! An all
the tonne IL coomes creepin'
on an creepin' on, till ] be-
lave in my heart 1t will COON in an
warm itself by the fire wild the ovid
woman an me! An the telegraph
poles-bad cess to 'em!-hiv laid thin
selves down straight to rest beside the
roadbed; an it amt so much to be won
dered at, for they hiv' been standin'
there summer an winther, rain an
shoine, liver since my ovid woman an
me COON to this counthry.'
"The telegraph wires were down
somewhere, we knew. The operator had
found it out an hour before. The eX-
press passenger going north would wait
at Nosuch for the outgoing south, until
|
unless telegraphed to remain where II
was until further orders. It was seven
o'clock now, and as black an evening as
ever hung over roadbed thick with
danger. The men had to decide for
themselves what to do, and they had
to be quick about it. The two conduc-
tors, the two engineers, and the station
agent held bit of a council.
"'We had better leave our trains here
and run our engines down to the rise
and see how it looks, said Jacob Wilcox,
the engineer of the passenger train.
"Therc were no contrary minds, and
soon Wilcox's engine-the Arcturus-
and our engine-Little Giant-were
coupled together and run cautiously
down the two miles to the submerged
bit of track
'Mither Hughes-hiven bless her!--
hears us comm screamin' along said
Jimmy. AN there she be, swingin'
her lanthern that looks no bigger from
here thin a star, as faithful as your very
own mithers to look afther you, b'ys;
an she loves livery wan of yez, for the
smoiles yez hiv' gin to friendless ovid
couple, far away from country an
kim -
"Sure enough, there was the little old
woman. with a blanket over her shout
ders, and the broad. white-cap border
hanging limp and dripping about her
wrinkled face. Wilcox jumped off his
engine, thanked her and Jimmy for
their watchfulness and thoughtfulness
and told them to go up the hill to the
shanty and get themselves dry and
warm, and to keep a bright fire and
light, for there was no telling what
call might be made upon them be-
fore morning. The headlights of tho
two locomotives CLEANED across the
black rising water, and showed the
white sand of the roadbed beyond.
drumming through there will be
risky business said Engineer Wilcox
but am going to try it. There is nc
other way. Better one man killed thar
n score or more, and in 30 minutes that
express will be along here, full drive!
Jump off, Johnny! We need not both
Of us risk our lives
"'Let me go, Wilcox spoke up John
Swift, quickly. You have family, and
| know of no one who would shed tear
if l should go under. You know l can
run the Arcturus the three miles from
here to Nosuch well enough. But
shall come out all straight. 1t is the
25th of the third month. Come, now, get
right Off
Jacob Wilcox thought of his wife
and little ones at home, and as the
stout, plucky young fireman took him
by the shoulders he said, gravely:
"Tm not in the least afraid to trust
you, Johnny and swung himself down
off the footboard.
"'Run back there, Luther!' shouted
the intrepid young fireman to my engi.
neer. I've got full head Of steam On
and want good start
Backing up the road few rods, lie
stopped the Arcturus, waved his car
back at us, and, pulling open the throt.
tie, the engine-which was the fastest
on the road-dashed down the track
plunged into the black water, and
while every man of us held his breath
it emerged on the other side and then
rushed on into the night around the
Rock curve and out Of our sight
"'It was risky piece of business,
repeated Wilcox, as he came on board OF
our engine. The track has settled in
the middle, and if the old machine had
not been going fast l believe it would
have tipped over
"We steamed back to the station, ran
our locomotive into the roundhouse and
went into the waiting-room in the pas.
senger depot to dry our wet clothing
to refresh ourselves with hot coffee a,
the restaurant and to await further de.
velopments.
'In about an hour Jimmy came wheel.
ing in again, weather-beaten and drip.
ping.
Sure he said, AN ii be bad luck
now, an nothin' ilse! Yez had been
gone not very long at all, at all, an me
ovid woman an me we heard an engine
scream, an we looked out, an what dc
we think? We seen the Arcturus COON.
in back ag'in, wild her headlight CLEAN.
In, IiLa great rod owe ba ,y;pt vorv