Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-04-02

steel could push hundred tons Of fly
Ing metal up and hold 1t steady In a
play Of six inches on the teeth Of the
gale that tore down behind him.
Again and again Burns tried to
couple and failed. Sinclair. straining
anxiously ahead, caught sight Of the
headlight Of No. rounding O'Fallons
bluffs.
He cried to Burns, and, incredible
though it seems. the fireman heard.
Above all the Internal din, the tearing
of the fianges and the roaring Of the
wind Burns heard the cry. 1t nerved
him to supreme effort. He slipped the
eye once more into the draw and man.
aged to drop his pin. Up went bis
hand In signal.
Choking the steam, Sinclair threw
the brake shoes flaming against the
biz drivers. The sand poured on the
rails, and with Burns up on the cOalers
setting brakes the three great run
aways were brought to with jerk
that would have astounded the most
reckless scapegraces in the world.
While the plucky fireman crept along
the top Of the freight cars to keep
from being blown bodily through the
air, Sinclair. with every resource that
brain and nerve and power could eX-
ert, was struggling to overcome the
terrible Roadway Of pursuer and pur-
sued, driving now frightfully into the
beaming head Of No. l.
With the Johnson bar over and the
drivers dancing gallop backward;
with the sand striking fire and the rails
burning under it; with the old sky
scraper shlvering again In n terrific
struggle ard Burns twisting the heads
| off the brake rods; with every trick OF
old Sinclair's cunning and his boy du-
plicating every one of them in the
cab Of No. 1-still they came together.
1t was too fearful momentum to
overcome, when minutes mean miles
and tons are reckOned by thousands.
They came together. but instead OF
an appalling wreck, destruction ana
death 1t was only a bump. No. had
the speed when they met, and 1t was
car Of coal dumped bit sudden and
nose on Georges engine like full.
backs after q center rush. The pilot
doubled back into the ponies, and the
headlight was secured with nut, pea
and slack, but the stack was hardly
bruised.
The minute they struck GeOrgle Sin
clair, making fast and leaping from
his cab. ran forward In the dark, pant
Ing with rage and excitement. Burns.
torch In hand, was himself just jump
Ing down to get forward. His face
wore its usual grin, even when Geor'
gle assalled him with a torrent OF
abuse.
"What do you mean. you red headed
lubberY" he shouted, with much the
lungs Of his father. What are you
doing switching coal here on the main
line?"
In fact, George called the astonlshed
! fireman everything he could think OF
until his father. who was laundering
forward Oh his side Of the engine, hear
| ing the voice. turned and ran around
behind the tender to take hand HIM
self.
"Mean?" he roared above the blow
of Ills safety. Mean" he beloved In
the teeth of the wind. Mean? Why.
you Impudent, empty headed, migrate
| full rapscalllon, what do you mean COM
Ing around here to abuse n man that's
saved you and your train from the
scrap"
And big Dick Burns, standing by
with his torch, burst into IN Irish
laugh, fairly doubled up before the
nonplused boy and listened with great
relish to the excited father and ex
cited son. 1t was not hard to under.
stand Georges amszement and anger
at finding Soda Water Sal behind three
cars Of coal halfway between stations
on the main linesand on his time-and
that the fastest time on the division.
But what amused Burns most was to
see the imperturbable old Dad pitching
| into his boy with as much spirit as the
young man himself showed.
1t was because both men were scared
out Of their wits; scared over their
narrow escape from frlghtful wreck;
from having each killed the other.
maybe-the son the father, and the "a
ther the son.
For brave men do get scared. Don't
believe anything else. But between
| the fright Of coward and the fright
Of brave IL an there Is this difference
the coward's scare Is apparent before
the danger, that Of the brave man after
| It has passed, and Burns laughed with
O tremendous mirth "at tn two o thin
ajawin'," as he expressed 1t.
No man on the West End could turn
on his pins quicker than George Sin
clair. though, II his hastiness mlsled
him. When 1t all came clear he climb
| ed into the old cab-the cab he himself
had once gone against death Inland
with stumbling words tried to thank
the tall lrlshman, who still laughed In
the excitement Of having won.
And when NelghbOr next day,
thoughtful and taciturn, heard 1t all,
he very carefully looked Soda Water
Sal all over again.
Dad" said he. when the boys got
through telling It for the last time.
"she's better machine than ] thought
she was"
There isn't q better pulling your
coaches" maintained Dad Sinclair
stoutly.
"Pn put her on the main line. Dad.
and give you the l6s for the cut off.
/ HmT
The l68 will suit me. Neighbor. Any
old tub-sh. FoleyY said Dad, turning
to the cheeky engineer, who had come
up In time to hear most OF the talk.
The old fellow had not forgotten Fo-
ley's sneer at Soda Water Sal when be
rechristeued her. But Foley. too. had