The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-03-30

exhaust and knowing the nature of
/ the land we knew she must be near
| the top. As the track was curved
beyond the lodges, which were not oy
+ re seventy feet through, We could not
see them but the smoke was in sight
as found place to climb up. l got
there Just in time to lie down as her
! pilot came in sight and noticed Tom
conceal himself in a cavity in the
wall"
THE engine might have been going
at ten miles per hour when she pass
ed me- | got to my feet and saw, as
| leaped for the first car, that the boy
had just hauled his head in from the
window and made a dive for the ten
der. After | landed on the car roof
and had picked myself UP the first
thing | saw was the long poker going
through the air, welded by the boy
who was in the gangway.'
Il gave yell and jumped down on
j to the tender but too late to attract
his attention and the poker landed on
Toms hip Just as he was in the act
of swinging aboard. He went down
and over into the ditch. Then | lost
/
The boy whirled as he heard me
and when he caught sight of me you
never saw more surprised looking
person in your life. Before | could
j get to him he leaped to the fireman's
gang-way and went overheard. 1t
didn't take me long to boss that en-
CINE over and stop her. Then | took
a look for the boy. He was just dis
appearing over the top of the cut and
after setting the tender brake | turn
ed my attention TO the fireman"
II found him lying in the ditch hold
/ ing on to his hip, and he said he
thought 1t was broken. | was so ex-
cited | started to carry him to the en-
CINE instead of backing the engine to
him. and had just got underway
when | heard a noise on the engine. |
started to lay Tom down as | mis-
trusted it was caused by the boy and
| didn't want him to get away again.
But hearing the engine start | drop
ped Tom like a hot potato and ran
for the engine got near enough
to touch the rear of the tender, but
she pulled away before | could get
hold of anything to hang on by.
stood looking at the fast disappearing
engine until recalled to my senses by
Tom, who told me to put for the ice
boat and try to head her off at Milo
Said | couldn't help him any and he
would be all right
Il started on run and when
reached the bank | could see it just
where we had left it. | found a
. 1AA "A
went down that path like falling down
a creased pole, shooting out over the
end of the wharf on to the pond q
good three hundred feet. BY the
time | was on my feet the ice-boat was
close aboard. We took things more
moderate this trip as the wind was
quartering. 1t took us about three
minutes on that half mile and as the
road was all down grade to Milo
chances were good for the boy to get
there first"
Though woods lined the shore con-
ceaing us, the station is near the
waters edge at Milo and | liked for
it hot foot as soon as we got there
had made up my mind to throw the
switch on to the mill spur and dump
the engine If | got there first. As
soon as | cleared the lumber piles
and could see the track | found that
the station agent had already thrown
the switch. The engine not being in
sight lodged back behind the lum-
Der piles which lined the track and
ran up the line. | reasoned that If he
ran in slow and saw the switch
against him he would try to stop and
run back
In this | was right as | had not
run far when heard her coming
round the curve and also working
back steam. AS | peeked around a
stack of lumber she was stopping
quickly close to me. Just as her
nose went by | started for her. The
boy saw me instantly and as | made
a leap for the steps and succeeded
in getting my hands on the hand
holds, a clip over my knuckles
forced me to let go and | dropped to
the road bed
Before | got to my feet she was
starting back | made dive for the
pilot as it went by Now thinks |.
my boy, have you; but | was count
ing NY chickens before they were
Matched. | started for the cab over
my running board but the front win
dow was closed so | couldn't get in
and | proceeded to climb over the
roof. He was ready for me with the
long poker. As it came through the
window 1t covered me with broken
glass but did not hit me. | began
to realize | had desperate youth to
deal with"
Il got over the roof in quick time
but was afraid if | jumped down on
to the wood | would lose my foot
ing; so | swung my feet over the
edge of the roof intending to get
down carefully But | drew them
back quickly as | received an awful
clip on my shin from a monkey
wrench"
While sitting on the roof holding
on to my hurt leg a new idea struck
me and | hastily unlaced my shoe,
glanced at the boys shadow and
noted his attention was all on the
rear roof. Pulling off my shoe |
reached over Toms window and TAX
ing a good aim threw 1t at the water
glass. The result was pleasing. The
steam spurted out and In no time the
cab was full and the boy was
scrambling over the tender. | was
on his back before he realized what
had happened and in less time than
it takes to tell it | had him all truss
ed up with a spare bell cord