Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-11-21
The Dog Nurse
loriglnai.l

I
 take oil his engine when dog appear
 ed carrying in his mouth tin dinner
 pail. The engineer took the pail, put 1t
 in his cab, and the dog trotted away.
 An intelligent dog that" l remark ed.
 You bet" replied the engineer. He
 brings me my dinner every day. But
 he did bigger thing than that once."
 What was it?'
 q haven't-time to tell you now Get
 into the cab and ride with me-there's
 a long straight stretch about ten miles
 out, with no stops-and I'll tell you.
 It's against the rules, l know, for any
 one to ride on the engine, but they let
 me do pretty much as I please. I've
 been on this road long while"
 Glad to accept the invitation, got up
 into the cab, sat on the left seat and
 the engineer told his story:
 T was driving the Lightning express
 over the road one day and was moving
 along at steady gait. Wed come to
 this part of the road, where there are
 few houses and the cattle guards are all in order. It's the only part on the
 line where let up in keeping my eye on the rails every second. At least 1t
 was then, but 1t isn't now and hasn't
 been since that day. I'll talk going over 1t, but I won't take my eye from the front
 "Well, as I said, was running along pretty glib when l wanted some tobac- co out of the box on the side you're oc- cupying and concluded to go over and get It I glanced up the track, and 1t was clear of everything for mile unless 1t might be in the shade of tree about mile ahead in front of farmhouse. I left my post and, going over, opened the box. The tobacco was in vest pocket, and the vest had got mixed up with some of those things, so couldn't find 1t right off. but l couldn't have been hunting more than a minute At any rate soon got back to my place, and 1t seemed to me that something-a dog. I suspected-was on the right rail under the big tree that was casting the shadow.
 ''I went on. The thing didn't move, and 1t kept getting plainer and palmer till l saw it wasn't a dog, but what 1t was couldn't tell. It wasn't as big as a big dog, and 1t was bigger than a lit tie one. If the sun had been shining on it l could have seen what 1t was at once, but the branches of the tree above were thick, and the leaves were thick, and the shadow was thick.
 All of a sudden I saw what 1t was child sitting on the rail. a very small child. not much more than old enough to walk. For few seconds I stopped wondering what it was to shut off and reverse. Then my eyeslght came back to me, and there sat little girl
 Tt all depended on whether she was old enough to see her danger and get mp. I knew the train would come to a stop just about where she was; but, great Scott, if 1t didn't stop before 1t reached her, 1t didn't matter how slow it was going, it would crush her! The picture before me then is before mo now, and for months after I'd wake up | toward morning to see 1t again, the | child's figure becoming more and more distinct and her features gradually re- yealing themselves. She had set her l doll on the tie and leaned 1t up against | the rail opposite. There sat the doll, | and there sat the girl, and I wished there were a thousand dolls and no girl
 "The train moved slower and slower till it got within, say, hundred feet of the child She didn't seem to care any more about it than for the breeze that rustled the leaves about her. She didn't even look at us. I think she was talking to her doll. Here was moving on to kill her without any DOW CT to keep from doing so. Every sec ond the great mass of iron was getting closer.
 Just as got within about forty feet of her she turned and looked at me. And what do you think she did2 Just sat there and-smiled.
 There was the baby figure, a lot of flax hair tossed over her forehead, a pair of blue eyes, chubby cheeks, a iimple in each, smiling at me. I jerk ed on the lever. I prayed and cursed stamped like madman.
 Suddenly there was a streak of something darting from the house in . straight line for the child. I was too .aken up with her and the thing was . ,oing too fast for me to see what 1t vas. But 1t wasn't man nor a wom- . ln nor a boy nor q girl. It wasn't any hing human. The first knew what 1t ! vas was seeing dog seize the child's lress in its teeth and give her a pull. Then the engine went past where she vas. I looked out of the window and ! aw a mass of child's clothing, hair , md shoes right under the cab. I jump. d out and picked her up. "She smiled at me. linen came her mother tearing out ! # the house like mad after her dog lurse had saved her child, snatched the lttle thing out of my arms and took n like as If she was beside herself. I } umped aboard, but I had to let my Ireman take the engine for spell. } vas completely done up. There Is the j rec out there ahead of us. I never l ass it but I feel the shock all over { gain" And the dog?" asked after we had assed the place. "Oh, the dog. I did all could to get < he child's father to sell him to me, ut he said nurses were unreliable round these parts. and he wouldn't ell him for fortune However, ho { loved to town after awhile, and when i<l l..- II .k