Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-10-24


from his brow. there's something
wrong here. That Thing is no nearer
than when 1 threw on the air quarter
of mile back"
whats wrong?" shouted Jones, the
conductor. running up from the rear.
Harper pointed to the figure, which was
exactly as when he had first seen it.
Look, lookl" exclaimed the fireman,
hoarsely.
The three men ciutched each other by
The shoulders. Before their eyes the
black Apparition was slowly rising from
the earth. 1t moved upward slowly. Its
head disappeared in the darkness above
the corridor OF light thrown by the loco
motives reflector. Then it's body van
ished, and lastly its limbs and huge
hands, which seemed to reach as low as
the ankles, passed slowly out of sight in
the impenetrable darkness.
Boys" said Harper, slowly, "weIl
never reach San Luis tonight. We're
bound for the ditch"
He climbed back into his cab. The
conductor and fireman followed. The
engineer started his locomotive slowly.
They crept along for a mile. Nothing
happened. Another mile was passed, and
still all was we'll
my God, there it is again!" cried
Harper, a moment later. do you fell
lows see it, or am crazy?"
'I see it. wish 1 didn't" answered
the fireman in shaking voice.
Once more that horribly grotesque
shape danced in the light before the eyes
Of the three men.
ut was two miles back where we say it
before. No human thing could have
been there and here, too" said Harper,
huskily.
% The Los Angeles Limited was 45min-
utes late when No. 1919 stopped in front
OF the San Luis Obispo station in the
gray of the morning
Ned Harper climbed down from his
cab as the round house men uncoupled
the locomotive and ran her on a siding
to make way for the new crew. Harper
climbed the stairs to the dispatcher's Of
fee and walked to the desk where his
superior sat. Jones, the conductor, fol-
lowed him
WELL" calculated the official, with
emphasis and distinctly profane punctu-
alton. do you fellows think you have
been pulling a freight? You've lost
time all-what's the matter Harper?"
he asked, suddenly noticing the old
mans bloodless face.
Nothing" said the white-haired en-
gineer. But I'll never pull train back
over this division. You have my resig-
nation"
NOIl ont he
next evening. Harper was infiexible in
the face of entreaties and commands. He
refused fatty to take his engine north,
and so, when the north-bound limited
drew out of the picturesque old Spanish
town, Collins, one of the youngest en-
gineers on the road, was at the throttle.
Optical Illusion" he remarked when
he heard the story.
No. 1919 never made a better run than
she did that night. The limited left San
Ardo exactly on time after the 100 mile
run from San Luis Obispo, and headed
down the San Lucas grade, in ascending
which the phantom had appeared.
Harper's fireman was still with the en-
CINE. Half way down the grade he
climbed to the box beside the new en-
gineer.
Directly in front Of them, and so close
that it seemed scarcely 100 yards away,
was the apparition.
Collins gasped as he shut off the steam
and threw on the brakes. The fireman
stood speechless, gazing at the figure.
The train came to quick stop.
The apparition, which, until then, had
~ 4 IL Il
the train, but its long legs were far above
the ground.
'It has rope around its neck" whis-
pered the fireman.
Collins climbed out on the running
board and walked forward. The appari-
ton was motionless. He climbed down
on the pilot and the figure rose dozen
feet in the air and then gently settled
back to earth. He walked toward 1t and
1t vanished, reappeared and vanished
again.
Collins, notwithstanding his con-
tempt for the supernatural, trembled as
he turned away from the spectre and
walked back toward his locomotive. The
fireman and other trainmen were all at
the front OF the engine.
What do you make Of it, George?"
some one asked.
'Tt beats me-" answered the engineer.
"Old Ned Harper was wise to drop out
this trip. That black thing out there
gives me the shivers."
As he spoke he looked up at the head
light.
"Aha! what's this?" he exclaimed,
jumping up on the pilot and climbing to
the big light. He threw open the heavy
glass in front OF the reflector
Look. look!" he cried, pointing to a
gigantic spider hanging in front of the
reflector at the end Of a web 1t was spin
ming.
He caught 1t in piece of the waste he
held in his hand and dragged down the
web.
There goes the phantom fiagman and
the rope that was around his neck" he
said, crushing it beneath his foot
hat he nd ~ hae 90 Ca