The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-03-07

THROW tue ucdulN CulhDult Ou lilt Siu-
ing and into his own train and 80
save the unconscious travellers BE.
fore the words were out OF his mouth
he started up the track at topmost
speed
The angry wind staggered him. II
blew out his lantern. but he flung II
away, for he could throw the switch
In the dark. A sharp gust tore half
his rain coat from his back. Ripping
Off the rest. he ran on. When the wind
took his breath he turned his back and
fought for another. Binding sheets
of rain poured on him. Water stream
Ing down the track caught his feet. A
slivered tie trlpped him. and, falling
headlong, the sharp ballast cut his
wrists and knees like broken glass. In
desperate haste he dashed ahead again.
The headlight loomed before him like
a mountain OF flame. There was light
enough now through the sheets of rain
that swept down on him, and there
ahead, the train almost on 1t, was the
switch.
Could he make 1t?
A cry from the sleeping children rose
in his heart Another breath, an in
stant floundering, a slipping leap, and
he had it. He pushed the key into the
lock, threw the switch and snapped it
and, to make deadly sure, braced him.
self against the target rod. Then he
looked.
No whistling now, 1t was past that,
He knew the fireman would have
jumped, Cameron too7 No, not Andy,
not IL the pit yawned in front of his
pilot,
He saw streams of fire flying from
many wheels he felt the glare of q
dazzling light, and, with rattling
crash. the ponies shot into the switch.
The bar In his hands ratified az if 1t
would jump from the socket, and.
lurching frightfully, the monster took
the siding A flare of lightning lit the
cab as it shot past, and he saw Cam
eron leaning from the cab window with
face of stone, his eyes riveted on the
gigantic drivers that threw sheet of
fire from the sanded rails.
Jump screamed Ben. useless as
he knew it was. What voice could live
in that hell OF noise? What man es-
cape from that cab now?
One, two, three, four cars pounded
over the split rails IN half as many
seconds. Ben, running diz2iiy TOR life
to the right, heard above the roar of
the storm and screech of the sliding
wheels ripping, tearing crash, the
harsh scrape of escaping steam, the
hoarse cries of the wounded cattle.
And through the dreadful dark and
the fury of the babel the wind howled
in gale and the heavens poured
flood.
Trembling from excitement and ex-
haustion, Ben staggered down the
main track. A man with lantern ran
against him. 1t was the brakeman
who had been back with the torpedoes.
He was crying Historically.
They stumbled over body. Selling
the lantern, Ben turned the PROSTATE
man over and wiped the mud from his
face. Then he held the lantern close
and gave a great cry. 1t was Andy
Cameron--uncOnsciO true. but soon
very much alive and no worse than
badly bpHised. How the good God
who watches over plucky engineers
had thrown him out from the horrible
wreckage only he knew. But there
Andy lay, and with lighter heart
Ben headed wrecking crew to begin
the task of searching for any who
might by fatal chance have been
caught in the crash.
And while the trainmen of the
ffelghts worked at the wreck the pas
senger train was backed slowly-so
slowly and 30 smoothly-up over the
switch and past. over the hill and past
and so to Turner Junction and around
by Oxford TO GAINESVILLE.
When the sun rose the earth glowed
in the freshness of Its June shower
bath. The fiier, now many miles from
Beverly hill, was speeding in toward
Omaha. and mothers waking their lit
tie ones in the berths, told them how
close death had passed while they
slept. The little girls did not quite
understand 1t, though they tried very
hard, and were very grateful to that
man, whom they never saw and whom
they would never see. But the little
boys-never mind the little boys-they
understood it, to the youngest urchin
on the train, and Atty times their papas
had to tell them how far Ben ran and
how fast TO save their lives. And one
little boy--I wish knew his name
went with his papa to the depot master
at Omaha when the filer stopped and
gave him his toy watch and asked him
please TO give Ii to that man who had
saved his mammals life by running so
far in the rain, and please to tell him
how much obliged he was-if he would
be 80 kind.
So the little toy watch came TO our
superintendent and so to me, and /, sit
ting at Cameron's bedside talking the
wreck over with Ben gave IL to him.
And the big fellow looked as pleased as
II II had Been jeweled chronometer.
Indeed that was the only medal Ben
got
The truth Is we had no gold medils
TO distribute out on the West End Ii.
those days. We gave Ben the hest we
had, and that was passenger run.
But he Is great fellow among the
railroad men. And ON stormy nights
switchmen In the GAINESVILLE Yards.
smoking in their shantIes. still tell OF
that night that storm. ami how Ben
HuckIey threw SECOND Sey1,utv-aayen