The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-10-22

IN
process of being turned end on toward
the factory gates the monster boiler
had broken loose! Now it was hur-
Ting noisily down the street, bang
Ing the cobbles furiously, while the
voices of the workmen were raised in
frantic warnings.
Instinctively Simpson turned his
eyes toward the Wave. The opera
tion of repairing and repaving a sec.
tion Of the wharf had caused a con-
gestion of freight in her vicinity. The
steamer lay, as it we're, at the end
of street built high on both sides
with boxes and bales-a street. down
which, in a moment more, would
come bounding that terrible mass Of
charging steel. And the two hundred
feet were thronged with workmen
and passengers.
In imagination Simpson saw the
freight-lined alley swept clear, the
deckhouse of the Wave torn away,
and the boiler plunging overheard.
He gasped as he pictured the trapped
people crushed beneath The rolling
cylinder, or tossed against he side of
the steamer.
One or two men scrambled in wild
panic over the abandoned truck to
the deck; but for the most part
the throng seemed paralyzed by the
imminence of the danger and the
knowledge that they were, hemmed
in directly in its course.
Springing erect on top of the cob
blestone load, Simpson snatched up
his blacksnake whip He had never
yet struck Prince or Sager with that
thing. But now, with the reins firm
ly grasped in one strong hand, he
swung it savagely.
It whistled through the air and
struck hard on the tanks of the
horses. There was a snort of pain
from the astonished creatures. The
boiler changed once more with the
noise of thousand fire-bells, and the
terrified horses gave mighty leap
forward.
Instantly dropping the whip, Simp-
son caught the reins in both hands.
With eyes flashing, muscles corded
and his under lip bitten nearly
through. he poised himself like a
charioteer behind his galloping
horses.
He was headed diagonally from the
water to strike the ear-tracks which
the boiler must cross before it bound
ed between the piles of freight. A
hundred pairs of eyes turned and
watched him laundering on to what
seemed like instant humiliation.
A second later Simpson saw the
boiler loom above him. His heart
swelled into his throat when he found
how close the thing was.
Another leap of the horses; and
then Simpson suddenly threw back
his whole weight. The tossing heads
of Prince and Sager jerked up cruel
ly. Their jaws opened wide, their
lips, curling back, showed white
teeth; and frantic, futile hoof-beats
struck fire from the pavement as
Simpson brought the wagon to a
standstill exactly in the path of the
believing cylinder.
With the crash of a falling house
the plunging boiler struck. broadside
on. To Simpson it seemed as if the
universe were smashing beneath him.
The impact hurled him into the air.
The wagon collapsed, the bulk Of
steel recoiled Then the boiler sprung
forward again, dealt the heap OF
wheels and cobbles a final, twanging
blow, and settled into stiffness. Simp-
son fell into pile of paving sand.
While the trembling horses were
being soothed, the mate of the Wave
pushed through the crowd to shake
Simpsons hand. Peterson, following
for the same purpose, found chance
to whisper. I'll bring your blanket up
to the stable first chance get
Youths Companion.