Smyrna times., 1902-11-26

enough to grip the wheels. And thoro
ne was alone ON a runaway gathering
speed every minute in it's progress
toward a six coach special loaded to
tue doors with people. 1t was not tba
most enjoyable of situations
IL is impossible to describe his ONO
lions, because he himself said whom
asked hlm that he had none. The bal.
loon slmile quite exhausted his supplv
of imagination.
saw, said he simply, 'that there
was going to be the deuce to nav If
something wasn't done confoundad
quick, and l saw, too, that whatever
was done I'd have to do myself; that
was all there was to it. The speciaI
was nearly due at Morton, and | fig
urea that I'd be there pretty PROMPTLY
100. L estimated that at the sneed 7
was making and was likely to mako
Ia collide with the special on the bio
dump about mile and a onarter no,
yond the station, a regularly nasty
place. owing to the long slide over the
rocks And l said to myself: Con
ductor, it's your life against the life of
oOO. Can you spare itY No said nv
SELF to me, i can't, and even if I could
what of it? Only this said l TO N.Y.
seir' there's just one thing to do, and
that's to throw your crazy caboose and
your idiot fiat cars into tGe ditch. Yes
SAID myself to me, but if l do that I'll
nave to go with 'em, and don't want
to- might be injured Well said
to myself kind of disgustedly. if that's
the broadest view you can take of #
all right; but l should think you'd be
ashamed of yourself There's mighty
little comfort ahead for you in this life
II you let these fool cars smash info
that special. Besides, are you going to
stay ON and smash with 'em, or are
you going to drop off and break your
blooming neckY
That was a clincher | saw then
that l was in for trouble anyway. The
question was decided, and | went
straight to work doing the thing that
promised to leave me the clearest CON
science in case l didn't have to be gath
cred up in a basket and shipped home
to Molly and the kids in pine box la
beled 'Perishable! Rushv | climbed
on to the first car of ties and rolled
one down to see how it would 90. 1t
went like leaf in a gale. Then be-
gan Systematically to drop 'em in be-
tween the car and the caboose. l did
this for long time, and nothing came
OF 1t. The car was bouncing I'D and
down like cork ON the rolling sea.
and l was pretty near discouraged. l
was tired, toO5heavens, | was tired TO
the marrow of my bones! Ties are
heavy, maybe you know. Section men
never try to handle 'em single handed.
They go at 'em by twos and threes and
grunt and sweat. But l kept at it,
hoping that I'd be able to get one foul
OF the trucks before I'd unloaded the
car, and did. 1t happened right in
the yard at Morton. There was a tre-
mendous bump and crash. l think
flew up to height of several miles.
Perhaps l didn't, but I'll swear that
the air up there was too rare to breathe |
Anyway l didn't breathe. l struck a
sand pile when 1 came down. 1 never
knew before how hard sand is. l |
thought it was soft"
As matter of fact, Tom was not in
Jured in the least. He was somewhat |
dazed when they dug him out of the |
sand. but not bone was broken. He |
lay there, blinking in a comfortable. |
satisfied sort of way at the wrecked |
eabOose and fiat cars. He waved his |
hand Imply at the special when it
went by, the passengers and trainmen
casting curious glances at the wreck. |
After that he looked up into the face
Of the station agent, who was lowering
over him like a mother hen, and spoke.
where's the front end of my train?'
be asked.
"At Wilson, waiting for the special
to pass. They're coming back as soon
as they get the right of way"
"Hm-m-m! All right. Where's my
pipe? l sort of missed it, and-and 1
fhOnobf TIA oDuao hooIr onI rrok 4