Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-10-24
A WILD RIDE
1t Was Made by Veteran En-
gineer and a Fireman.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,

only measured fOrty-elgnt lncneS III ul-
ameter. Matt Irwin was the engineer.
Sixty-seven had just been housed aft
er run l was filling the oil cans and
Matt was hauling off his overalls when
Mr.. Fox. the superintendent. climbed
into the cab.
After a few commonplace remarks
he said abruptly:
"Matt, there's been a big mistake
made in the higher offices-but that is
not for us to crticise-and there is but
one way to rectify it"
Here the superintendent's voice drop
ped to a whisper lone hundred and
fifty thousand dollars in gold has got
to be in b before midnight, to con-
meet with the eastern express, and you
are the man selected to take it through"
Old Matt showed his astonishment
with his eyes, but never opened his
mouth.
The superintendent merely glanced at
me and, turning to Matt, continued:
"a lone engine might create suspi-
cion, so we'll make up wild freight.
They'll all be empties. Back down to
the offices before you couple on, and
We'll put the safe under the coal in
the tender"
That was all. He jumped off and dis
appeared.
For some time Matt and / sat staring
al each other. Then he slid off his seat
and said:
"This won't do! Supper, Harry; sup
perl We haven't much time to lose. 1t
only lacks few minutes of 6. Be back
before the quarter"
The wind was whistling among the
cars, whisking the dust and papers
about, while in the south big black
cloud was coming up, resplendent with
chain lightning. Altogether the night
promised to be unusually bad.
1 was back on time, but Matt was
there before me. He had lighted the
shaded steam gauge lamp and stood
scanning a small piece of pasteboard.
"What do you make of this, Harry?"
he asked as climbed up beside him.
II found it pinned to my cushion"
On it was scrawled with a lead pen
Gil the words:
Dangerl Don't pull the wild freight tonight il
yon value your lives. TRUE FRIEND.
81 make Tr tnat some one beside the
superintendent and us knows Of il"
replied, the cold shivers beginning to
chase each other up my spinal column.
"There's danger ahead!'
"Aye, there is danger ahead, my
boy" And old Matt spoke softer than
I had ever heard him before. ''If you
want to-
"I'll go where you lead" l replied
quickly, knowing what he was going
to say.
"Then we'll go through if it takes
the wheels out from under! Ring up
the wipersl'
And, without waiting for the hostler
to run the engine out, old Matt backed
her on to the turntable, where the
wipers swung her around, and then we
backed down to the offices. where four
trusty men soon had the square safe
under the coal.
A few minutes later we were coupled
on 10 a half dozen empty freight cars
and caboose.
There's your ordersv' cried Jimmy
O'Connor, the conductor, showing up
the yellow sheet Of tissue paper
Old Matt looked them over, and we
began to move out of town.
"We've got clear track" he said,
looking across at me, and then he drew
up the corners Of his mouth, and look
for quick run.
Before we reached the outskirts Of
the town the rain began to come down
in perfect deluge.
Great drops fell, mixed with hail,
and in such quantity that the dry
drains were soon transformed into rag
ing creeks.
The wind howled and shrieked above
the rumble of the train and threatened
to lift CT off the rails. When the tele-
graph poles began to snap off, Matt's
face began to lengthen.
"Good night for wash overs" he said,
"and wash overs are as bad as wash
outsv'
1t was all down grade, and all the
steam used was to run the air pump. ]
had only to keep the fire alive.
Eight miles down we ran past o
small station where freight train was
side tracked. 1t had perhaps a dozen
cars.
Just before we reached it / saw q
man dart in between two of the cars
to escape the headlight.
1 thought him either trainman or
a tramp, but have since changed my
mind
We were half way down the Haver-
sack grade, with a straight stretch
of track and a long curve before us,
when Matt looked across and said:
I'm afraid the little pasteboard was
only scare. If
There was a flash of light behind,
the rattle of coal and Bob Duncan, the
forward brakeman, stood in the cab.
His face was as white as a sheet.
"Shut her down-shut her down, for
heavens sake!n he shouted. "a
freight's broke loose and is coming
down the grade two miles minutew
Before you could snap your fingers
my face was as pale as Bob's.
Matt Irwin neve! lost his head and
with ascoolness that comes to few men
in time of danger he asked, How do
you know
"Seen her by a flash of lightning.
O'Co9nor and Billy have iumpedW =
And then he swCug OUT on the step
and disappeared
Jump If you want to, Harry" called
old Matt. I'm go.ug to stick to her."
gave one look al the i,-yptian dark
ness and caacluded that | would stay
with old Matt
Keep yom eye peeled for her." he
cried. and cor. l.enccd to let 61 out.
"There she i..'' | s.&1ted.
And there it was sure enough. 1t
had just come out of cut. One of
he boxes was on fire. the flame stream
ing back half a car lcngth and ciitting
through the air Ike a meteor. =
'She's fcur niles behind" said old
Matt ssaud eor,,if.s foi4i. rasf tn ON. ono