The Topeka state journal., 1903-05-06

swiftly. then, the horrible suspicion
flashed across my brain that all was
not right with Eirk-rhat we were IN
the sower Of a madman. Surely il
must be so or he would never be driv-
ing the way he was.
1 wondered why it was that the fire.
man did not endeavor to stop him. or 10
communicate in some way with me
He was a slight built youth and Il
the engineer were mad he would stand
but a slight chance with him. Perhaps
/ he had endeavored reason with him.
and Kirk had thrown him from the
( cab.
I did not wish to alarm the passen-
/ gers. so / passed quietly back through
the car. but L had no sooner shut the
door behind me, than 1 grasped the
cord overhead for the purpose of Civ
ing the signal to stop. But no re-
s9Onse was given. There was no sig
nal Cor down brakes, and we went
whirling on through the darkness at (
rate such as we had never run before
Surely Kirk was mad. and all our
I lives hung by a thread
From the objects on the roadway l
/ knew that we were close to our first
stopping place. II all was not right
there, a hundred souls We're doomed to
instant destruction
There was but one thing for me to
do and that was to make my way to
the engine as soon as possible. 1 hur-
ried into the baggage car and there
found one of my brakemen talking with
the baggagemaster, with a face as
/ white as a sheet.
Follow me" I said to the latter.
( There's same trouble on the engine.
Hurry. stand by the brakes ready to
put them on the moment you get the
/ signal to do SC"
/ threw open the door at the foremost
end of the baggage car, and clambered
up on the wood which was heaped high
upon the tender. Once there I saw
sight such as I never hope to see again.
The furnace door was open, and the
Id
everything to me as plainly as though
it were broad daylight
The fireman lay on the floor of the
cab apparently devoid of life The en-
gineer, with a face like that Of a demon.
was hurting the wood into the glowing
furnace. The throttle was out to its
utmost extent, and the engine rocked
and sprang onward as though 1t was as
mad as the insane man who had it in
charge. All our lives were in peril.
For moment the sight paralyzed US
! both The baggagemaster had climbed
: on to the wood with me, and his face
1 knew was but a reelection of my own.
Come onl' cried. breaking the spell
at last. we must secure him, or we are
all dead men"
We sprang forward toward the mad
man. He saw US coming, and seemed
to divine in an instant what our er-
rand was Grasping a huge billet OF
wood he sent it whirling at my head.
BY good fortune it went past me, leaV-
ing me untouched The next moment,
and before he could grasp another mis-
sile, I threw myself upon him, and we
; went down together
By good fortune L came uppermost
and then came a terrible struggle. The
madman seemed possessed of the
strength of a Samson. Had been IN
derneath he would have choked my life
out of me in less than minutes time.
The baggage master sprang over us,
and the next instant came the signal
for down brakes. Then he reversed the
engine, and our terrible speed was less
ened
The madman vas doing his best to
throw US both from the cab, and in
spite of all my strength it seemed that
he would do it. The baggage master
saw that there was only one way to
save my life. Grasping a heavy piece
of wood he watched his chance, and,
when it came. he dealt him a blow on
the head, which ended his struggles at
once
Three minutes later we glided into
the station, and not one of the passen-
gers on the train knew of the terrible
. danger which they had escaped. The
madman was lifted from the cab and
i placed in the hands of the proper au-
thorities: and today he is an inmate of
a madhouse. with little hope that reason
A viii ever dawn again--New York
Weekly.