The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-06-08

True, he looked little out Of Mace
there with his old clay soiled clothes and
rumpled hair, but so long as Mr. Rent
was his sponsor it was all right.
Shortly after midnight an engine ca
boose and a gondola moved out ~ the
station at Barnstable The gondola was
In front and the caboose behind the en-
CINE. The caboose was filled with men.
In the cab of the locomotive wera the
engineer and fireman, also two others.
On the seat with the engineer was Mr..
Dumond, the general superintendent with
the fireman was Mr.. Bent.
The special flew through the dorlrnass
until that part of the road was reached
where the track was lost in the water.
Here the pace was slackened to q mere
crawl as the heavy monster felt It's way
over the hidden rails.
The gondola had been heavily loaded
with stone and placed ahead SO that it
couid De showed over the track as a sort
OF feeler to see whether the road he'd had
been weakened by the flood or whether it
would stand up under the weight of the
engine.
The water began to splash and swirl
about the wheels. It rose higher and
higher. It touched the bottom Of the
fire box and there was an ominous hiss.
water until it was almost up to the cab
floor.
Bent" said the superintendent, do
you think we can make it?'
II don't know was the engineers re-
ply as he peered out into the darkness,
trying to get the exact location. IT think
we are at about the lowest point now.
we run on a level for short distance
here and then strike a 2 per cent grade
which will lift us up again.
whats that?' exclaimed Mr. Dnmond
gazing ahead.
''Where?" inquired his companions.
'Out there on the gondola."
The engine man looked over his Shout
der. Looks like boy he said.
well, I'll be hanged!' was MI. Bent's
comment after drawing in his head. eff
that isn't that young rascal, Dick. He's
bound to see the thing through sure
enough" -,
And Dick it was, standing in the gon-
dola. He had crouched down among
the stone inside and hidden before the
start, but now the swishing of the waters
had aroused his curiosity, and he was
standing erect, peering into the waters
ahead like a ships lookout.
THAT boy will make a hustler, all right,
II he only has the right sort of training
said Mr.. Bent. Looks like an admiral
taking his fleet into action, doesn't he?"
And Admiral Dick" he was called from
that day.
X,
the time the scene of action was reached
there were scarcely six inches of water
on the rails.
Out Of the caboose turnbled the men
with heavy iron cables, chains and hooks,
They crept cautiously up the bank to the
rival roads trestle. The chains and ca
bles were passed around the ti1nbers of
saw was judiciously applied in certain
we'll selected places. The cables were
made fast to the. drawhead of the engine
and the word given.
Puff! Puff! ,Puff!' It seemed as if
the whole hillside was breathing. The
valley echoed with the sound as the mon
ster gasped for breath. The cables swish
ed up out Of the water and grew taut.
Dick, standing on the upper level at a
safe place, watched breathlessly
There was sputter and roaring stutter
as the driving wheels slipped and went
whirring round. Again the steam was
let into the cylinders cautiously, again
that echoing snort and straining Of wires,
but this time the drivers took good grip
on the track. There was a cracking
sound, then a crash and roar as the
structure gave way and went crashing
into the ravine.
Il guess there won't be many trains run
over that treStle this week." chucllled Mr.
Bent as the train swept back toward B.
1T looks to me as if the water was
falling, and I'm going to have the rails
laid over that culvert and see if we can't
get train through to Pittsburg in the
morning, if it's nothing but switch en-
CINE and a fiat carr
The first faint streak of dawn found
Dick still on the spot, anxious to see the
downfall of his enemies.
Below him a gang of men were laying
the rails over the culvert. The water had
receded rapidly, and the entire B. r. line
was above water. Off to the north he
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