The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-30
A TALE OF THE RAIL.
TuRTLrIXG RACE OF An ENGINE, 4
DEER AND A HOUND.

/
for Life and Its RcnuIt.
From our Animal Friends.
! A belated freight train was numbering
! down the grand valley of the Colorado
| early one evening trying to make up Tor
| lost time. James Hutchinson, the veteran
| engineer. was leaning far out of the cab
watching the tail end of his trailing nat
cars as they whipped around a sharp
| curve. Then, as he glanced down the
track in the blazing path Of the headlight.
he uttered a little exclamation Of wonder.
What animal is that on the track?'' he
asked, quickly.
1T looks like a dog" responded the fire
man from the other side of the cab.
"And ahead Of it? What's that?" shout
ed the engineer, a moment later.
"a deer, sure's you're alive"
Hutchinson leaned farther out of the
narrow window, and exclaimed:
Yes, by George! It's a deer with a
hound after it!'
As the train gained on the two animals
one racing for its life down The track and
the other hot on it's trail, the men watch
ed the race with true sporting interest
But the proximity of the laundering train
seemed to disconcert the hound and, aft
er one or two shakes of its head il sud-
denly leaped off the track. 1t did not give
up the chase, however, but continued in
hot pursuit of the deer on the parallel
track.
Hes game" shouted the fireman.
SOS the deer" responded Hutchinson.
looking intently at the frightened crea-
ture, which was making desperate efforts
to escape from its enemy.
Then, as the engine pulled up abreast Of
the hound, they could see the powerful
strides il was making. With body stretch
ed out almost in a straight line, and with
head close to the ground, il bounded along
at a startling pace. The engineer slow
ed down the train little to keep the two
animals near. 1t was too fine a race TO
be spoiled But the deer was now getting
| uncomfortable on the main track The
snorting, changing monster that was
charging down upon it made it prick up
its ears with new fear Suddenly it
bounded lightly from the track TO the other
| and then continued It's feverish exertions.
"a pretty leapp' shouted Hutchinson
whose interest had become bound up in
the deer
Eyes but the hound is overtaklng IT,"
replied the fireman, who had espoused the
cause of the dog.
From their vantage point in the cab the
| two men now watched the race with re-
newed interest. Any moment the deer
might bound off into the woods, and so far
as they were concerned the race would
end. But for some reason the deer stayed
on the track and raced alongside of the
| engine.
isn't it a beauty?" the engineer. re-
marked again as they drew up alongside
| of the wild creature.
Eyes, it Is" the fireman had to admit
AS the engine slowly pulled ahead of the
deer they could catch a glimpse of the
| Wild hunted, appealing expression in the
animals eye. The look went straight to
the old engineers heart.
"By George, I wish I could help itr' he
said. IT'S a shame to let the hound kill
IT,"
The fireman made no answer. The flee
| ing deer seemed to look with envy and
| longing at the train which could so easily
pass It, No effort OF its limbs could in
crease its own speed to that of the rumb-
ling train.
What passed through the wild creatures
brain, nobody can guess, but it may well
be imagined that il longed to have the
speed of this great laundering monster
(which had overtaken and passed It, Here
was safety and sure protection from the
enemy on its track. The consciousness
! that il was losing in the race must have
added fuel to this desire. It's strength
was almost spent, and the hound was
drawing Slowly but surely upon it,
The creature was just abreast of one of
| the low, empty fiat cars. Its branching
antlers were on level with the top, but
as the train rolled along the car passed
| 1t and another took it's place alongside.
! This one, too, gained foot by foot upon
| the creature, and 1t would soon pass
ahead. The heavy breathing of the pur-
suing hound indicated that 1t was almost
| keeping up with the train, and that in n
| few minutes it would overtake its prey.
! The climax of the race would soon be
| reached. The two watchful men stared
| hard at the pursued and pursuer.
| Il wish began Hutchinson again.
| but he never finished his sentence.
| The deer suddenly gathered itself for
one last desperate effort. It bounded into
the air like a ball. but toward and not
away from the moving train. The two
men stood paralyzed for a moment. The
/ frightened creature had disappeared
did it leap clean across the carp" asked
the fireman breathlessly. ''or did it fall
| between the cars, and
MOI shouted the engineer "If-yes-
it's on the fiat car now Look sharp.
| BmW
The two men looked long and carefully.
In the dim moonlight they could see a
| dark object huddled together in the mid
die of the third fiat car.
Yes, it's there" the fireman said mo-
ment later But
| Its dead" the engineer added. 1.-The