The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-07-29

IL was desperate undertaking, but |
he swore to himself that he would
try it.
Heaven forgive mel" he muttered,
as he clasped the rather low post and
commenced the climb Heaven for
give me IL ! fall--or the wires break"
| Slowly, slowly. he dragged himself
up the post until his hands could
clasp the lowest crossbars. Then he
drew himself up by them. There
were larger number of wires. If
only they would stand the strain
| Placing his feet sideways on sever
al of the lower wires, he threw his
arms over the uppermost, thus
spreading his weight as far as pos
sible. Then he began to crawl side
ways from the post, shifting himself
on the wires.
| For yard or two it was fairly
easy. Then the wires began to swing.
He set his teeth and urged himself
on. The wind howled with baffled
rage as he hung over the torrent,
and vainly tried to force him off. But
he stuck to it manfully and moved
slowly EDWARDS. Once one of the
wires broke with tWang, but the
next held, and presently the surging
flood was. no longer beneath him.
Fortunately, at this part, the posts
were not far apart, for he felt, as at
length he reached his goal, that he
could not have held on much longer.
Sliding down the post, he at once
started running, as fast as his
strength and the storm would permit
him up the line.
1t had been a work of time, that
awful crossing. He felt that the train
could not be far off.
"Ah!" he cried, as he caught the
twinkle of the engines headlight in
the distance. There she comes!
Thank heaven, I'm in time! She
ought to be able to pull up couple
of hundred yards, and reckon she's
got that to do it in
, Hastily STOPPING, he placed a de-
tonator on one of the down-rails,
fastening it with it's lead clip. He
stumbled on another ten yards and
fixed a second; and there was just
time to place third beyond when the
great engine bore down upon him.
He jumped clear.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With one hand the ever-watchful
driver closed the regulator, while his
other sought the vacuum brake The
fireman flew to the mandrake There
was a hiss and grinding as shower
of sparks flew from the wheels OF
E the train.
Whats up, mater" cried the front
guard, descending from his van.
Dunno" said the driver. Halo!
Here comes someone along the line!
''The bridge is down." shouted Jas
. per Finch, as he stumbled up to the
engine.
r you gave us warnin' only jist in
!. time, said the driver. .s'Another fifty
: yards would ha' done it,"
: tits lucky you got warned at all
: But you'd better back to Egton-you
q must, for they'll have to wire to close
9 the line for up-trains from. Dullmin
4 ster! Goodnight"
Here" said the driver, you sto1
a bit! You've saved the train, ant
. we amt a-goin' to let you off so easy
i Halo! Why, it's Jasper Finch!
4 knew yer, mattel"
4 Il want to go back to my wife,
said Finch.
% And then he sank on the GROUND
beside the engine. The strain hat
= been too much.
y They drove him home from Egto1
9 later on. He found his wife ant
u children trembling in bed, wonder
H. ing what had happened
IL Forgive me, Mary!" he sobbed
10 1--WE been wicked husband-forgiv,
IL IL me! Here-here's money-take it
IL it's honestly come by! They sub
p scribed and gave it to me for saving
is train!"
"Oh. Jasper" said his wife: Fan
re when | found what you'd taken,
thought you'd gone to wreck one!"
as as
e. Finch said the chief engineer @
to the line to the ex-platelayer day o
tx two later, you saved the train, but
to can't understand matters at ALL Ho,
n. came you to be near-and what wa
ee the meaning Of that rail by the sid
re OF the down-track? The storm didn
ne take that out!''
Finch hung his head.
a You're the man I dismissed fol
by drunkenness five weeks since, aren
Nv your"
d. Eyes, sir"
is, HIN! Perhaps I can guess. Blu
as you saved the train. Well, will 20
IL enter the company's service again
Id Finch looked at him earnestly.
lis ION one condition." said the engil
W eer.
Heaven bless you, sir. unde
! stand. You'll never need to chuc