The silver star., 1900-12-21

Il q great, wide expanse Of mid
Sntain country whose parched
bm has exposed mahy an uncanny
4 Of death from thirst and Indian
ltry. Wearied with the monoto-
view OF treeless. waterless plains,
passengers gladly welcomed the
.osch Of twilight. The sun went
b in an angry glare. outlining the
peaks Of = far-away range In
astic forms. and gradually ~ night
on. there were more hopeful
Of vegetation. It was the Gath
december. and most OF the passen-
we're building on spending . mer-
Christmas In the favored spots Of
land Of sunshine and fiowers-
iornia.
uddenly we heard the warning
sk Of the engine. and saw q scat
band Of cattle flying away in
or from either side OF the trtack.
lin the engine shrieked. the train
Id nervously and seemed to sway
srtainly on its course.
be next moment we were bounding
g the ties in an uncomfortable and
biying manner. The cries Of star
women were drowned in the roar
scaping steam. and panic-stricken
looked vainly for means Of es-
A group of Mexicans. awakened
sleep by the Jar. plunged head
through an open window az
bgh the devil were after them. The
finally spent Its speed. and the
|oughly frightened passengers
rged to learn the number Of the
and wounded, and to tender what
they could. The engine was COM
ply hidden in great cloud of
n, which marked its position about
the length OF the train. When
steam finally exhausted itself. .
wreck was exposed. The tender
he engine was upturned. and The
neer sat upon q piece of wreckage
dly nursing IN injured hand. The
nan was some distance away. his
and whiskers singed by the hot
oar from the engine. Neither was
pusly injured. and not q passenger
scratched. Beside the track, shiv-
In the throes Of death. lay =
sone steer-the cause Of all the
lle. His neck had been twisted by
a rush st the cowcatcher. Al the
Aser's eyes fell upon the form Of
animal . smile Of satisfaction
y over his wan face. ~ he said:
AAt critter must have been in the
lights At some time In his career.
shsn he spied that red nag yonder
Ae cowcatcher. he shook his head
Dly and refused to leave the track
the rest Of them. I slowed up
vhistled several times to give him
hnes. but he only snorted dsnantly,
\ his heels In the air and kept On
subborn course. Finally he turn
I'D l opened the throttle wide.
King that the best method of
siag him clear Of the track. With
nsFy roar he came full st the en-
his head bsnt low 70 the track.
" know the rest"
steer at once became IN object
NJ interest to the relic fisnd. One
secured . horn and another cut
tooth. and the nszt day various
~ Views were taken Of the vail
lninal thaf had wrecked . train-
were twenty miles from the next
=. and the eastbound passenger
~ within an hour. Luckily .
sph operator was on the train
NE wires were hastily tapped 20
The dispatchers could be informed
as accident and hold the trains
ways.
passed q cherries night on the
and Christmas morning found
aisconsolate party. There was NO
= car attached to the train. and
travellers that were not provided
lunch baskets rallied It the ILL.,
0at had placed them In - mis-
- plight. Finally. some Of tAsm
On = foraging expedition. and
NE track . few miles they looat-
eeceion house controlled by Nsx-
Here they appsased their hum
frijolss. chile con carns and
yer warm dishes Of the nativsA
ssing train It length arrived q
eae. but the work Of repair was
and TEDIOUS. Several yards Of
mad bean torn up. and Il was
NY to construct . "shoo-hy"
= the wreck. This took he
part os the day. Meanwhile
eosnsers looked on In . helpless
- sll vowed that they had never
Christmas amid such dssolats
141oinn -N - Otapk