La Junta tribune., 1907-09-14

out OF o,ir cal-oose. Quick. man. I'm
going to throw Cameron into the cat
tie"
II was a chances single. desperate.
but yet chnnce-the only chance that
offered 10 save the helpless passengers
In his charge
If lie could reach the siding switch
ahead OF tie runaway train he could
throw the deadly cniapult on the sid
ing AMI into his own train aud so
save the unconscious travellers. Re
fore the words were out Of hi. mouth
I he started up the track at topmost
speed.
The angry wind staggered him. II
blew out his lantern. Int be dung II
away. for he could throw the switch
In the dark. 4 sharp gust tore half
his rain coat from his back Ripping
or the rest he ran on. When III. wind
took his breath he turned his back aud
fought for another Binding sheets
Of rain poured on him. Water stream
ing down the track caught his feet.
sllverei tie trIpped him. and. falling
headlong the sharp ballast cut his
wrists and knees like broken glass. In
desperate haste he dashed ahead again.
The headlig ght loomed before him ike
n mountain Of flame. Their. WIS light
enough now through the sheets OF rain
that swept down on him. and there
ahead. the train almost on II. was the
switch
Could he make TT
\ cry from the sleeping children rose
In his heart. Another breath. an In
stnnt nounIering. y slipping leap. and
he had H. He pushed the key into the
lock- threw the switci, and sunpped II
and. to make deadly sure. bracr,i him
self against the target rod Then he
looked
No whistlIlg now Ii was past that.
He knew the fireman would have
jumped. Cameron toof No. not Andy,
not. II the pit yawned in front OF his
pilot
He saw streams OF fire hyiHs from
many wheels. he felt the glare of a
dazzling light. and, with rafting
crash. the ponies shot into the switch.
The bar IN his hands ratified MS IL II
world Jump from the socket and,
iurciiug friGbifully. the monster took
The siding. :, flare OF lightning III the
cab as II shot past. and he saw cam
eron leaning from the cab window with
face OF stone. his eyes rlveted on the
gigantic drivers that threw sheet OF
nre from the sandei rails.
Jump screamed Ben. useless aS
he knew II was. What voice could live
IN that hell of noisei What man es
cape from that cab now:
one. two. three. four cars pounded
over the split rails in half ~ many
seconds. Ben, running dizzlly for lifc
to the right. heard above the roar Of
the storm and screech OF the sliding
wheels n ripping. tearing crash. the
harsh scrapc of escaping steam, the
hoarse cries OF the wounded cattle.
| And through the dreadful-<nek and
| the fury OF the babel the wind howled
| In gale and the heavens poured n
flood
Trembling from excitement and ex-
haustion. Ben staggered down the
main track. A man with a lantern ran
against him. II was the brakeman
who had been back with the torpedoes.
He was crying Historically.
They stumbled over body. Seizing
the lantern. Ben turned the prostrate
man over and wiped the mud from his
face. Then he held the lantern close
and gave a great cry. II was Andy
Cameron unconscious. true, but soon
very much alive and no worse than
badly bruised How the good God
who watches over plucky engineers
had thrown him ont from the horrible
wreckaGe only he knew. But there
Andy lay. and with lighter heart
Ben headed n wrecking crew TO begin
the task of searching for any who
might 10y fatal chance have been
caught in the crash.
And while the trainmen Of the
frcights worked at the wreck the pas
senger train was backed slowly--so
| slowly and so smoothly-up over the
| switch aud past. over the hill and past
and 50. tesTurner Junction and aroftid
! by Oxford 10 Zanesville
1 When the sun rose the earth giowed
| IN the freshness OF its June shower
bath. The iiier. now many miles from
/ Beverly hill, was speeding In toward
| Omaha. and mothers. waking their 1T
| tie ones in the berths. told them how
! close death had passed while they
| slept. The little girls did not quite
| understand It, though they tried very
| hard. and We're very grateful 10 that
/ man. whom they never saw and whom
4 they would never see But the little
] boys-never mind the little boys-they
( understood IL. TO the Youngest urchin
I on the train. and fifty 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