The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-10-04

oh for just ten minutes Of precious
time! Could lie hope for them? Eager.
ly he sprang to the coils Of rope, slash
ing off their fastenings with his knife,
till every separate coil was loose.
Then he ran breathlessly down the
track, dragging the end Of the top
most coil, as n fireman drags his hose.
When the two-hundred-foot rope lay
free behind him, he whipped the end
in his hand about monster pine, tied
it firmly with halter-hitch. and then
began weaving the rope from pine to
pine across the track, encircing each
tree with double loop, so that the
strands of his web would not draw.
Back and forth he toiled with feverish
haste, hope springing higher in lis
heart with every new mesh added to
his net.
The first coil of rope was stretched
and tied about the pines; and Arthur
tottered with weariness and heat, was
dragging the second coil from the plat
form, when he heard the distant
thunder of the approaching wild en-
gine. Must his plan fail, after all?
Would he be too late in weaving his
web of ropes? II he could only stretch
few more strands across the track |
Even il the first should snap like
strings, they might check the locomo-
tive's momentum, so that the last
strands would hold it, Fiercely and
determinedly the painting boy worked
on. The mad clangor Of the wild en-
gine drew nearer and nearer, till the
wood about him rang with the sound.
But not one glance did he spare from
his task to see how close the monster
might be.
Just rs he had looped and knotted
the last foot OF rope, with n kissing,
roaring rush the wild engine plunged
into the hempen net
Snap snap snap like rapid pis-
tol-shots, went the first strands of
rope, as they burst asunder before the
mighty shoulders of the iron horse.
Then the stubborn net work began to
tell on the strength of its captive, huge
and powerful though the latter was.
The sixth tough cable strained and
creaked ere it broke. the seventh
snapped, but not until it had almost
thrown the irop horse back upon his
launches, and at the eighth the shin
ing monster stopped, its driving wheels
spinning madly round upon the rails,
and the steam Kissing shrilly from its
valves, as If in conscious spite.
Even before the wild engine had
come to a standstill, Arthnr Severson
sprang for the step and clambered up
into the cab Then he threw over the
great lever and soothed the throbbing
monster, till it lay quietly painting in
the midst of its tangled net of ropes.
At that moment the passenger train
came in sight far up the track. In a
few moments it drew in upon the sid
ing; and train-men and passengers
came crowding around the engine,
where the pale and exhausted young
telegraph operator sat, with his hand
still on the lever. The story of the
wonderful rescue of No. 40 was not
long in reaching official ears; and in
less than two weeks Arthur Severson
found himself established in the train
despatcher's office, filling an import
ant position and drawing a liberal
salary He was not at all inclined to
pose as hero, however, but would
modestly reply, when complimented
upon his remarkable feat at Pine
Vile
"Why, it was as easy as stringing
mothers clothes-line |" - Christian
Register.