Morris tribune., 1911-07-07
this, and concluded that whoever was

this, and concluded that whoever was
running that engine must be pretty
sleepy, for no one appeared to inter-
fere with me. l should have raked out
the ashes, but l didn't dare do that,
for the noise it would make. Pretty
soon the steam began to make noise
escaping, and l didn't dare defer my
departure any longer. l uncoupled the
box cars, mounted the cab and made
as noiseless a start as possible.
"My heart was beating wildly, keep
ing my eye to the rear, but when
came to a turn around rise in the
ground without seeing any one behind
! me I gathered courage and let her go.
! got over some five miles in about
! fifteen minutes, when | stopped and,
taking q file from a tool box In the
cab, climbed telegraph pole and cut
! the wires. This was to keep any one
from heading me off.
considering that wore butternut
| had pretty fair show to pass along
the road without being stOpped-that
| is if no telegram had been sent to
| stop me before I'd cut the wires-and
l didn't think any one would suspect
a Yankee had stolen the engine Aft
er I had passed the first station I
wouldn't likely be called back or stop
ped by telegraph. If I could have
free road l wouldn't fear getting on,
but all those southern roads had but
single track in those days. and l would
have to stop and switch to let trains
go by.
Give miles from where I started
passed a small station. It was still
early, though it was broad daylight,
and no one was up and about. I knew
by this that no information about me
had got thrOugh-at least to this point
from the one where l had taken the
engine. l pushed on. but stopped aft
er going a few miles to rake out the
cinders. When this was done l knew
| would soon get steam enough to go
as fast as the roadbed would permit
which was not very rapid, for there
had been no work done on it since the
war commenced, and it was very
rough. So long as l had stopped l
concluded to do some more cutting of
the telegraph wires, and, climbing a
pole, nipped them again.
'In a few miles more | came to an
other station. This one was open. I
slowed up and called to a man inside:
Bring me time table, quick
''He took a sOiled table from his
pocket and handed it to me.
Anything coming?' I asked.
"'You'u meet No. 5 at b. he replied.
"'Next station?
"'NeXt but one
"FAny side track at the next?
eyes. What you doin' runnin' wild
this way?
Government business was my re-
ply as 1 rolled away.
Il glanced at the time table and
found the man was right. In two
miles there was station. Three miles
further on was B. | resolved to go to
the next station, get on a side track
and wait. l soon covered the two
iiiliCS Separating LIC HULL II, SOE OI W
the switch and in ten minutes a pas
senger train went by. l saw the con-
ductor leaning out and looking back
at me, but he didn't seem to think it
worth his while to inquire what was
doing there.
"Of course I couldn't get on this way
very long. | was sure to be stopped in
time and called upon to give an ac-
count of myself. So I bethought my
self what story I would tell. might
say | was bearer of dispatches from
one general to another, but l knew
nothing about the southern command
ers of that region. While 1 was think
ing l passed another station. A man
was sitting on a box reading a morn
ing paper. l slowed down and asked
him the news.
"'Thar's been a fight on the Charles
ton and Savannah railroad at POGO
talego,' he said.
"'Who's in command of our fellowsY |
I asked.
General Beauregard'
''This was enough for me- l would |
pretend to be going for ammunition. !
1t was well that I had found some !!
story to tell, for at the very next sta |
ton l reached I found freight train |
standing on the track stopping my |
way. I pulled up in front of the loco
motive. The engineer of the freight !
was sitting in his cab reading about |
the battle the day before. l yelled to
him to h1v.: VI ard td'Se tn" s
Ee called the conductor. who N>.'i':' .
who w~s |