The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-12-02
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! Harry slept peacefully. GAIL right,
old boy, take it easy for awhile" said
| Dick, as he threw on a few shovelfuls
OF coal. He opened the blower and in
a few minutes heard his safety threat
| ening. Forward went the reversing
lever; then, as he gradually opened the
throttle he felt the drivers grip the
rails and the engine swing ahead In
a train-length he was hitting 20
mile clip.
The swirling snow dashed against
the cab windows, and at times he could
not see the track. Suddenly red
reflection fickered by the cab. woo
oop,' said Dick, as he slammed in the
throttle and opened the air brakes.
only a tail-light, likely" said he.
but I'd better go back and make
sure" Slowly he backed up, and at
last passed red signal lantern. "On
the left-hand side, and in such night
as this" he muttered. 20, we'll, some
signal-men were born fools.'
Twenty, 80, 40 minutes and not
soul had been seen or heard. Half
dozen times Dick felt himself falling
asleep, and as often walked up with
start All the others of the crew were
sound asleep, and as the minutes
dragged on Dick began to wonder if
the signal had not been a mistake. A
sWitchman might have carelessly set
down his lantern. His orders read
open track" and he was about to
start out again, when his trained
nerves detected a slight vibration.
Nearer and nearer it seemed to come
until the earth fairly shook. Sudden
ly the headlight of the belated "limit-
ed doomed up through the mist of
snow; 20 yards in front it took
the switch and with roar rushed by,
it's Pickering tail-lights dying out of
sight in minute. simultaneously a
man emerged from the darkness, picked
up the signal lantern and silently dis
appeared.
They'll never know how close their
shave was" said Dick, as he opened
the throttle.
Two hours later, and Dick sat still
at his post, his hand on the throttle,
his face mass of stole inexpensive
ness, his eyes peering out into the
darkness that ever kept falling away
before the advancing headlight. For
an hour he had not moved so much as
finger. Harry had fired for men that
q 91 RI
night run, but he knew Dick. "All
| have to do" said Harry, "is to keep
on hundred and forty and my flues
wet, and Dick will do the rest"
1t was an hour before daybreak.
The heavy clouds that had obscured
the moon for most of the night were
beginning to scatter, and at intervals
flood Of hazy light fell over a desert
of sparkling snow. At places there
were drifts across the track, but the
snow was loose, and the high speed
of the train, with the momentum of her
120 tons Of coal. carried her safely
through.
Suddenly, in an interval of moon
light, Dick fancied he caught the CLINT
OF something red up the track. The
throttle went in with chuck; the
brakes gripped and sputtered on 80
pairs of wheels, and the train came
TO a stop.
Directly in front was danger signal
a signal that has many time spelt
danger and death to the foes of Britain,
but which never before, perhaps, was
used to- flag railway train. Dick,
thinking his eyes deceived him, threw
open his glass front; then sank back
on his cushion with slight cry. He
was no weakling; a locomotive cab is
not the place for coward, but the
blood seemed to halt in his veins, and
he seized lever to steady himself "Go
back for Baker," he whispered, hoarse-
ly.
There, between the metals, and a
rail-length ahead, planted up to the
waist In snow, stood the body Of
mounted policeman-dead, stone dead,
the frozen face twisted in it's death con-
tortions, and the whitened eyeballs
cleaning horribly in the glare of the
headlight.
Before Harry was back with the con-
ductor and brakeman, Dicks nerve had
returned. and he was down beside the
dead body. The frame was perfectly
solid; it might have been frozen for
days On their arrival on the spot
Baker and his brakeman stood aghast,
but scarcely word was spoken. Ex-
pla1 ations We're impossible; the situa-
ton even defled speculation.
Reyerently the four men raised the
lifeless body in their arms. AS they
did so Dick felt solid mass on the
chest, and, on examining it, found it
to be frozen blood. my Cod" he
exclaimed, as he staggered back, "the
mans been murdered!"
The statement could not be disputed,
and with blanched faces the train
crew, so tragically converted into pail
bearers, stared at each other. But
there was but one course, to place the
body in the caboose and report the