The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-01-29

iuLiieu cap, as she STOOD by MIN, smiling
and knitting, while he hoed away, keep
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,
have gone down out of sight into the
river. An the river itself. as it most al
ways does whin it gifts in such a tam
thrum, is roarin' an foamin', wild its
big chunks of ice a-pilin' up! An all
the tonne il coomes c~reepin'
on an creepin' on, till ! be
lave in my heart it will COON in an
warm itself by the fire wild the ovid
woman an me! An the telegraph
poles-bad cess to 'em!-hiy' laid thin
selves down straight to rest beside the
%roadbed: an il amt so much TO be won
dered at, for they hiv' been standin'
there summer an whittier, rain an
shoine, liver since my ovid woman am
me COON to this c%ounthry.'
THE telegraph wires were down
somewhere. we knew. The operator had
found it ont an hour before. The eN-
press passenger going north would wait
at Nosuch for the outgoing south, until
half-past seven. when it would come on
unless telegraphed to remain where it
was until further orders. 1t was seven
o'clock row. and as black an evening as
ever hung ever Il 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 a bit of a council.
1--WE had better leave our trains here
and run u engines down to the rise
and see how it looks said Jacob Wilcox,
the engineer of the passenger train.
There were no contrary minds, and
SCOT 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 herr
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 a 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
wrinklcd face. Wilcox jumped off his
engine, thanked her and Jimmy for
their watchfulness and thoughtfuIness.
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 the
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 l am going to try it. There is no
other way. Better one man killed than
a score or more, and in 20 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 a family, and
l know of no one who would shed a tear
if 1 should GO under. You know l can
run the Arcturus the three miles from
here to Nosuch well enough. But 1
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:
"'I'm 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 a full head If steam On,
and l want a good start
Backing up the road a few rods, lie
stopped the Arcturus, waved his cap
back at us, and. pulling open the tlrot-
tie, the engine-which was the fastest
on the road-dashed down the track,
plunged into the black water, and,
while every man of rs held his breath,
it emerged on tine other side and then
rushed on into the night around the
Rock curve and out of our sight.
ct was a 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
1--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.
10 refresh ourselves with hot coffee at
the restaurant and to await further de-
velopments.
SIN about an hour Jimmy came wheel.
ing in again, weather-beaten and drip
ping.
Sure he said, an it be bad luck
now, an nothin' Use! Yez had been
gone not very long at all. at all, an me
ovid woman an me we heard an engine
- ,-o 1ool-ad ont aD,ubat do