The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-06

lover, just then. The mail schedule was
recklessly fast and it was point OF
honor among the men to make its time
to make up the time when 1t was late
Hence Harry was pretty well occupied
in getting the last possible wheel-turn
of speed out of the 1919; and when the
chattering exhaust deepened to a steady
rSer, and the endless line Of telegraph
poles Lccame a Keeling procession past the
cab winavw he was still coaxing the big
flyer with added nItte Jerks of the throt-
tie.
1t was on the great fill on Dump Noun
tain that the end came. At this point the
c. g. CIR rounds the western slope on
a level grade, turno the northern shoulder
on long curve with a slight descent,
and then pitches sharply down to cross a
thousand foot-deep ravine on the huge
I'LL. What Harry saw on turning the
shoulder of the mountain aged him ten
years in half as many seconds. Just be-
yond the center of the fill was the pas
senger train which he had been gradually
overtaking-and il was standing stu.
Three car-lengths in its rear a displaced
rail broke the double line of shining steel.
And a hundred yards nearer a fagman
was racing up the grade, making frantic
signals to the onrushing mail.
What there was to be done was done
instantly and TO little purpose. In the
turning of a leaf Harry had the 1919 in
the reverse motion and had given her
the air. Then he realized that the 1913 :
demon was once. more in possession
Something was wrong with the air brake
and it failed to respond. With a quick
yell of warning to his fireman he gave
the whistle signal which calls for the
application of the brake by the train
crew, and the result of this was imme-
date and logical, With the sudden check.
ing of the train. brought about when
every mail clerk in the five cars jumped
for the cords OF the automatic" the
coupling between tine engine and tnN
nearest car snapped with a report like a
pistol shot. Then. freed of the train dras
the demoniac 1919 shot away joyously
for the plunge at the broken rail, re-
gardless alike of reversed steam and
Harry's frenzed efforts to make the driv
er brakes take hold. He desisted when
he saw it was no use and looked up into
Priscilla's face with a smile that for all
her icy terror she saw and remembereo.
She's going to kill US" he said coolly.
but if YOU love me much as | do
you We'll fool her and go together"
She was too terrified to speak but her
answer was in her eyes. and in a quick
out-reaching of her arms to him. He saw
and understood; and at the catching OF
breath snatched her from the box, back
ed out of the cramped can 10 the run
ming board and leaped with her out Into
SPACE what time the broken rail was no
more than a short car length away
1t was the rear brakeman of NO. VINO
witnessed the subsequent events.
SAY. it looked to me like she was hit
tin ii a mile minute when she struck
| the break, but guess l was some rat
| tied She h'isted up on one side when
| she found the rail gone, give a grunt,
and went rolin' down them there thous-
ond feet o. dump with her drivers a.
| spinnin in the back gear like Fourth
| o July fireworks.
mo: there wasn't much ieft o her
worth pickin' up when she landed
nongst the rocks at the bottom o that
gulch, you bet And when we'd all sWal-
Tered once r twice we looked, to see what
mad come o Harry and his girl. Say,
they wasn't hurt no more'n l was-n'r
half so bad scairt. The dirt train d been
workin' on their side O. the dump, and II
was all soft and siideylike where they
hit it.
Harry helped the schoolma am up, and
they stood and looked down at what was
left O the 10. The girl sort o shivered,
but Harry he Jest laughed and said, 1
told 'em I'd smash her If she ever tried
to kill me, and l guess I've done it right.
And she didn't get the mail, mr. she didn't
get us. Old man Bence Il give me 30
days for it. on gen'ral principles, I s'pose
but 1 don't care, Prissie, if you don't
I'll put in the time goin' back home with
you and gettin' acquainted with your
folks
And that is precisely what he did