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

asking all kinds OF questions ABOUT
what | intended To do and suggesting
number of impossible things. |
didn't pay any attention to him, but
was soon explaining to the owner of
the boat what | wanted. lie caught
on quickly and in less than minute
We were Swimming over the lee. As
the wind was In our favor it wasn't
long before we were going at terri
fie clip with Tom and me holding on
for dear life"
The railroad runs near the pond
for about half a mile, then swings
away to the west and up among the
hills two miles from the pond, and
comes back again at the BLUFFS four
miles away. Then II follows round
the head of the pond and back down
the east shore to Milo. From Web
ster to the Bluffs it's all of seven
miles by rail. mostly up hill and from
there to Milo it is four miles. Milo
is almost opposite the BLUFFS which
is a summer resort but without sta
ton house or operator, having just a
platform to accommodate passengers
and no one lived there except few
weeks in summer. From the Bluffs
across the pond to Milo was only
about half mile. Now you have
the lay of things, just keep them in
mind
Now my plan was to go over to
the Bluffs, ascend them and try to
head the engine off, as l had an idea
the boy would see to his fire, and was
in for a good long ride"
The engine was the Golden Eagle
i lall our engines were named them
a light inside connected wood burner
She had no sand box and | knew she
was pulling one car with brake set
so if the young rascal kept UP steam
[ figured she would go slow enough
up over the hill for us to board hei
if we got there in time. If he didn' I
keep up steam she would probably
Law down on the hill and he would
desert her.
You know it's second nature for
IN old engineer to look at his watch
every move he makes, and | had noted
/ n
much excited to pay much attention
70 the boat or to take any pleasure
in the spin. After telling the boys
just what | wanted to do, | sat watch
ing the trail of smoke that arouse
rom the engine and drifted over the
woods. We were approaching the
Bluffs hand over fist and as we near
ed them and the boat circled round
and ran up into the wind | looked at
my watch just as got ready to jump.
We had made the four miles from
start to finish in just five minutes
Telling Tom to get move on
jumped as we swept up to the little
boat wharf and started up the path
Tor the top | soon gave that up as
| II was about all glare ice and the
whole surface was about as bad. The
only way we could make Roadway was
by pulling ourselves along by holding
on to the bushes that bordered the
path. Twas good 200 feet to the
/ Top and then we had to go surely an
eighth of a mile to the lodges where
the road is blasted out. 1t would
nave been no earthly use to wait on
the platform with no buildings to
shield us as he would have seen us
in time to stop and back away from
u.s."
We'll, we were about half way W
the hill when Tom who was behind
me ret out yell. | glanced over my
shoulder and saw him go sliding down
the slope, making frantic grabs at the
bushes. He caught one but 1t did not
IlOiu anu HC nSh1 Si0aA W 1hS boi1OhA
Asked him if he was hurt He shook
his head and told me to go on.
couldn't help laughing and if he
wasn't hurt | judged by his actions he
was pretty mad"
Il laughed too soon for all of sud
den the bush | was clinging to came
out of the ground so quick | couldn't
save myself and | went over back
wards, and whirling round and round
on my back down | slid. Tom was
making a second try and before he
could get out of my way l knocked
his limbs from under him and he went
down to the wharf in confused
/ heap"
1--WE were losing valuable time ant
beyond a laughing inquiry from Ton
IS to how | liked it we didn't indulge
in useless talk but tried it over again
This time we made success of II
but were 80 nearly winded we had tC
rest a minute
once more | glanced at my watch
/ We had been four minutes climbing
the hill. Reckoning at least three
minutes after the engine started be-
/ lore we were on board the ce-boat
twelve minutes had already elapsed
| and it was high time we were mov-
ing.
Explaining to Tom as we ran that