Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-06

I new up against the water gauges like q
| couplin pin. The monster engine reared
| right I'D on her head. Scrambling to my
feet, 1 saw the new man clutchlng the air
| lever with both hands. and every wheel on
| the train was screeching. / jumped to his
| side and looked over his shoulder. On the
| crossing Just ahead a big white horse, drag
! ging buggy, plunged and reared franti-
| cally. Stand on the buggy seat baby boy
| chung bewildered to the lazyback: not an
| other soul in sight. All at once the Morse
| swerved sharply back; the buggy lurched
| half over; the lines seemed to be caught
| around one wheel The little fellow chung
| on: but the crazy horse. instead OF running,
! began hornpipe right between the deadly
| rails.
| | looked at Foley in despair. From the
| monstrous quiyering leaps of the great en-
| CINE knew the drivers were in the clutch
| of the mighty air-brake; but the resistless
! momentum of the train was none the less
| sweeping us down at deadly speed on the
| baby. Between the two tremendous forces
| the locomotive shiyered like a gigantic
| beast. l shrank back in horror; but the
| little man at the throttle. throwing the
| last ounce Of air on the burning wheels.
| ieaped from his box with a face trans
| figured.
TAKE herr he cried. and, never shifting
his eyes from the cut, he shot through his
| open window and darted like a cat along
the runnfng-board to the front
Not hundred feet separated us from the
crossing. | could see the babys curls blow
ing in the wind. The horse suddenly leaped
| left the buggy quartering with the rail,
| but not twelve inches clear. The way the
wheels were cramped a single step ahead
| would throw the hind wheels into the train;
| a step backward would shove the front
wheels into it. II was appalling.
Foley, clinging with one hand 10 a head
| light bracket, dropped down on to the
steamchest and swung far out. As the cow
| catcher shot past Foley's long arm dipped
| into the buggy like the sweep of con-
| nectingrod. and caught the boy by the
the child high in the air. but Foley's grip
was on the little overalls. and as the
| youngster bounded back he caught 1t close.
saw the horse give leap. 1t sent the
| hind wheels into the corner of the baggage
car There was a crash like the report or
| hundred rifles and the buggy flew in the
air. The big horse was thrown fifty feet;
| but Foley with great light in his eyes
and the baby boy in his arm, crawled
| laughing into the cab.
Thinking he would take the engine again,
tried to take the baby. Take it? Well, [
| think not,
Hi! there, BUSTER shouted the little en-
gineer, wildly; that's a corking pair of
| breeches on you, son. L caught the kid
right by the seat of the pants" he called
| over to me, laughing Historically. "Heav
| ems. little man, L wouldn'tve struck you
| for all the gold in Alaska. I've got
chunk of boy in Reading as much like
him a twin brother. What were you
doing all alone in that buggy Whose kid
do you suppose it is? What's your name,
son.
| At his question I looked at the child again
and L started. 1 had certainly seen him
| before; and. had / not his fathers fea-
lures were too we'll stamped on the childish
| face for me to be mistaken.
| Foley / cried, all amaze, "thats Cam
erons boy-little Andy"
! He tossed the baby the higher: he looked
| the happier; he shouted the louder.
| THE deuce 1t is! Well. son, I'm mighty
glad of it." And I certainly was glad.
| In fact, mighty glad as Foley expressed
| 1t. when We pulled up at the depot, and 1
saw Andy Cameron with a wicked look
pushing to the front through the threaten
ing crowd. With an ugly growl he made
| for Foley.
1--WE got business with you-you-'
| I've got little with you, son." retorted
| Foley. stepping leisurely down from the
| cab. II struck a buggy back here at the
first cut, and hear 1t was yours" Cam
| outfits damaged some-ali but the boy.
| Here, kid" he added, turning for to
hand him the child, there's your dad"
| The instant the youngster caught sight
| laughing, passed him into his astonished
! fathers arms before the latter could say a
word. Just then a boy, running and
| squeezing through the crowd. cried to
| the house with the baby in the buggy, and
that Mrs. Cameron was having fit.
Cameron stood like one daft-and the boy.
| catching sight of the baby that instant,
| painted and stared in an idiotc state.
| ANDY said l, getting down and laying
hand on his shoulder, ''if these fellows
you'd better keep out. Only this minute
| he has saved your boys life"
! The sweat stood out on the big engineers
forehead like dew. I told the story. Cam
eron tried to speak; but he tried again and
| again before he could find his voice.
Mate" he stammered. you've been
! through strike yourself-you know what
| it means. don't you? But IL you've got a
| baby" he gripped the boy tighter to his
shoulder.
Il have. partner . three Of EN-"
| Then you know what this means" said
Andy. huskiiy, putting out his hand to
! Foley. He gripped the little mans fist
| hard and. turning, walked away through
the crowd
Somehow it put damper on the boys
| Bat Nicholson was about the only man left
| who looked IL he wanted to cat some
body: and Foley. singing his blouse over
his shoulder. walked up to Bat and tapped
him on the shoulder.
Stranger" said he, gently. could you
1 oblige me with a chew of tobacco
| Bat glared at him an instant; but Foley's
nerve won.
Flushing a bit. Bat stuck his hand into
| his pocket; took it out; felt hurredly I'm
| the other pocket, and with some con-
| fusion, acknowledged he was short Felix
| Kennedy interviewed with a slab. and the
! three men fell at once to talking about the
accident.
A long time afterward some of the strik-
| of those who had been guilty of actual
violence. This barred Andy Cameron, who.
| though not worse than many othsrs. had
| been less prudent; and while we all felt
| sorry for him after the other boys had gone
| to work. Lancaster repeatedly and posi-
lively refused to reinstate him.
Several times, though. 1 saw Foley and
Cameron in confab, and one day up came
| Foley to the superintendent's office, lead
| ing little Andy, In his overaIs, by the
| hand. They went into Lancaster's office
| together, and the door shut a long
/ time.
When they came out little Andy had a
| piece of paper in his hand.
Hang on TO 1t, son." cautioned Foley:
'but you show it to Mr. Reed If you
want to-"
The youngster handed me the paper II
was an order directing Andrew Cameron
| 20 report to the master mechanic for SER
vice in the morning.
1 happened over at the round house one
| day nearly a year later, when Foley was
showing Cameron new engine, just I'm
| from the east. The two men were become
great cronies: that day they fell to talking
over the strike.