The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-03-07

| black smoke. II was about two miles
away, as the track ran.
| That decided IN. At the next curve
| Cleve thrust his lever under the bal
anced plank and hesitated-and IL is
difficult TO blame him. But In that mo-
mentary delay the car had doubled the
elbow, and II was only at curve that
derailment could be effected with alb
solute certainty. The wreck OF the
car might dlsplace the rails, but the
chance Of that would have 10 be taken.
Then came another strip Of straight
| track: on one side wooded siOI> OF
sixty degrees going down 500 feet. on
the other the corresponding ascent As
the car approached the curve at the
end Of this stretch the boy caught sight
Of a feather of smoke above the trees.
and the whistle sounded appallingly
near. He had not thought that the
train could be so near.
Half a dozen lumbermen were cut
ting oak timber on the mountain just
above, and they saw the end Of the
ride. The car rushed into their view
with shrilly screaming wheels and a
trail Of dust and sparks. and as N
struck the curve Cleve rose 10 his feet
and prled off the plank. AS 1t fell, o.
turned TO jump.
He was a second too late. He had
not counted on the lightning speed.
There was splintering crash, the car
seemed TO trip like a runner, and the
air was full Of flying planks. Cleve
was shot into space like a bullet; he
went over the edge and landed with
q smash in the top Of a hickory tree
several rods below.
lie clutched desperately At the twigs
that broke In his fingers; he could not
hold on, and he dropped through the
branches like a shot squirrel. He did
not even hear the laundering sound
with which the car leaped twenty feet
from the track into a. poplar thicket.
and plowed down the slope with an up
heaval of rocks, earth and trees.
The astonIshed witnesses signaled
the train to stop when ii came up. n
couple OF minutes later. The well
spiked rails were not displaced, but n
heap Of fine walnut splinters lay ON
the track, planks strewed all the scene,
and broad path Of ruin showed where
the car had gone. Then the men found
Cleve under the tree, completely
stunned and with q dislocated shoulder
Joint.
While they were picking him up the
abandoned handcar came charging
wildly down the grade and smashed
against the pilot of the locomotive. 1t
did considerable damage. and the engl-
neer began TO grow nervous at thus
being bombarded with cars Of various
sizes, and he was glad when the con-
ductOr signaled him TO go ahead.
After "A few miles he began to meet
sweating ana excited men hurrying
down the track to the scene OF the
expected catastrophe; but the affair
was not fully comprehended until the
sawmill was reached
Clevc. who lived close by, was known
to all the train crew ana they stopped
10 put him off at his home. Then the
conductor managed to get at the truth
by collating the stories of everybody
concerned.
When events like this happen in
books, the passengers whose lives have
been saved invariably make up purse
for the hero and send him To college,
but In real life the knowledge that
they have been in danger AT all is care
fully concealed from them. In this
case It is probable that no one On
board except the crew, had any clear
idea why they had stopped twice that
morning where there was no station,
and the crew were careful not to COM
municate any information on the sub
ject
But when Cleve recovered from his
bruises the company took him on as
n freight brakeman, rs a beginning of
the career which he had long ago
chosen for himself He has been pro-
NOTED to he n passenger brakeman
since, and he expects 10 be a conductor
in no great time. If courage and pres
cnce of mind count for anything i'm
ralroading. il is probable that he will
not be disappointed.-Youth's Com
.panion.