The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-16

mated, spellbound, the two men watched
the approaching trains. To their practiced
eyes disaster was inevitable within the
next few seconds.
Hadn't we better get out of the way?'
said the fireman. They'll smash each
other up inside Of a minute. and IL we're
running alongside of en-
The driver made no answer for a mo-
ment. He was thinking. He was running
gently on the up track. his intention having
been to let the Junction driver overtake
him, then to quicken speed and run paral-
lei with him while he was explaining mat
tiers.
He was considering il he could still warn
him. He saw he was travelling little over
thirty miles an hour. At what rate was the
express coming? He turned his head again
and made a calculation. Forty or forty
two at least And less than a third of a
mile separated the two trains. The juno
ton train had something like thirty seconds
the advantage in point of time, and at this
instant came on to the main line with a
swerve In a few seconds the coaches
would clear the points. But in few Sec
! onds more the express would be rafting
man close them promptly? Would the ex-
press be dashing over them in pursuit OF
| the slower train, like a hawk on its prey.
Or
| Foot by foot the Junction train crept up
| to him, the driver unconscious of the dan
ger behind him. Inch by inch he drew UP
| level with him. At last Grant saw the
| other drivers face, his hand had been at
| his own lever, and now he sent his engine
| on at an equal speed. Then, leaning over,
| he yelled out with all the force of his strong
lungs: Quicken up, for your lives. Look
| behind you-the EXPRESS
The driver gave one startled glance and
| then his hand flew to the lever. A second
more and the pace became accelerated. In
| five seconds more he was sending the en-
| CINE of the Junction train good five miles
an hour faster. In ten seconds he had in
| neck by neck with him.
Keep on." roared Grant, faster. fast
err, There's no. stopping-you must run
| right through"
what the blazes is it?" cried the juno
| ton driver. us the express man mad-or
what?"
1--WE don't know-there's something
wrong-shes run through-without stop
ping. The wire says she isn't under con-
| troll.
| what the deuce am to do? Run on for
ever until so smash into something's"
Its your only chance"
| "I can't get any more out of the old gal
than I'm getting now. What do you think
the others going?'
Forty"
"well, if she keeps it up long we're gone
| coons"
why? You've got plenty of COAL"
"Yes; but we amt got plenty of water,
and no time to stop and get any"
The trains raced on, the express gaining
few feet steadily every hundred yards
Now she was but two train lengths behind
the Junction coaches.
| Conversation had languished among the
| express passengers. For time they had
| talked excitedly together, and thousand
conjectures were made as TO the reason the
express had not stopped at -. One haz-
arded the suggestion that they had shot
| through the station by mistake, one
thought the driver must be drunk, and a
third threatened the railway company with
an action for taking him beyond his des-
tination. A lady said it was disgraceful to
! alter the traffic arrangements without due
| notice, and a callow youth limited at the
| dreadful consequences which would result
from her absence from home. Her husband
would probably have a ''beano," and the
| girl would let the baby swallow the scis-
] sors.
The train still rushed on One by one the
little wayside stations appeared and disap
| peared, mile after mile was traversed anc
\ still they thus unaccountably rushed on
| Indignation died out, jest was hushed, and
/ wonder and nervousness reigned supreme
| Heads bare and covered, heads male and
female, were in and out the windows, try
| ing TO catch a glimpse of something, they
| hardly knew what.
AT last a cry from a man in one of the
foremost carriages brought all the head:
| in that part of the train out together. The
man had seen the guard in the front var
getting out, and endeavoring to make hi:
way along the footboard to the tender t.
| which his van was joined.
Breathlessly every passenger near enough
\ 10 see watched the DTdNS man eilOTLS u
gain the tender of the engine. Twice h,
| essays to clutch the iron rail and twice tn,
| oscillation of the train causes him to mis-.
his hold and nearly fall. Once more h,
| regains his feet. balances himself on tn,
buffer OF the van, slides a foot forward
on to the buffer of the tender, and at las
| catching hold of the back he manage.
| to raise himself. Cautiously he drags him
self UP, crawls over the piled-up Goals
and stands on the footplate of the engin,
| where Jack Armstrong and his dead mat,
lie. now almost side by side, in grim ant
CHASTITY silence.
Overcome with horror at the sight Bel
nearly swooned. Then pulling himself to
| gether he leaned over the side and looked
ahead. There just in front of them a train
| was laundering on. There, on the othe
| rails, an engine was dashing along in tn
same direction. There in front of the thre
engines, barely mile off, he saw lights o
station, and beyond it the lamps of
small town.
Ben took in the situation. The lightning
| had struck the driver and fireman Will,
they were passing through the terribl,
| storm twenty or thirty miles back. TIL,
train in front was ''the slow" which usual
| ly ran in ten minutes before them. The
light engine running back on the down lin,