Charlevoix county herald., 1916-06-23

ed on her quivering horse, told the as
tonished man in few hurried words
what had happened, and as he hur-
ried into the tower agape to lower
the draw Helen urged Rocket at
run down the track. II seemed as IL
her ears bubbled and rang with the
rumble OF the two approaching trains,
but her brain had ceased to take
note of anything beyond her one stub
born resolve to reach the passing
track switch--she could see il plainly
ahead. The bridgetender was hastily
lowering the knife for the freight. De-
termined, while in the river, to leave
the bridge open and wreck the freight,
Helen believed she could avoid even
that, and had given the tender his
orders accordingly. The tug, which
had been whistling wildly, Low heeled
violently toward the wharf, where the
captain, a game sport, had resolved
to make fast and see the excitement
out. With the boat crew ashore and
dashing across the wharf to watch
Helen, she crouched like a jockey
over Rocket as he crushed and scat
tered the cinders under his flying feet,
and in what seemed another moment
so fast had she fiown-checking
the horse cruelty, she threw her lines
and slid from his back beside the
passing-track switch.
Running to it, she grasped the lever
only to find the switch locked. She
had feared, almost expected, as much
but now, how to open it! She
looked ahead. A shrill engine whistle
startled her, and her cup filled-the
passenger train, bearing down the
long tangent at full speed, was whis-
tling for her home crossing, hardly two
miles distant.
She could see smoke streaming from
the stack of the engine. Behind, she
had no~need to look, the rumble of
the head-end of the runaway was
laundering on the bridge. Desperation
cleared her head. She caught up
! heavy stone from the right of way
and pounded fiercely at the switch
lock. She struck at the stout bow
and hammered in fury at the resist
ing cover
No mechanism could stand such an
assault for long The ground under
her feet was vibrating with the fear
full pound Of the great freight engine
as 1t dashed with its heavy drag over
the close-by rail joints. She knew the
reeling machine must be almost on
/ hnr hnr 10
unnatural strength. The staple gave
way. The excited girl jerked the twist
ed bow clear and threw the switch,
half fainting beside it as the monster
engine struck madly at the switch
points Then, with a shock that tore
the heavy roadbed and the roar al
most of an earthquake, engine, tender
and train lurched heavily into the sid
ing. Car after car jumped and pound
ed at the stubborn rails. On and on
they came, shaking the solid earth
under Helen as she painted and gasped.
But the laundering, jumping wheels
continued to catch the switch. in safe
ty and the points held. The long train
made the siding to the very end and
Helen, almost stunned saw, in some
thing like a vision, the passenger
train, its brakes throwing streams of
fire from the grinding wheels, race
past her down the main track toward
the bridge. The sight meant little to
her now-her senses were too numbed
to realize what it meant-that the pas
senger train at last was quite safe.
The runaway freight was less for
tunate. At the farther end Of the
passing track three box cars stood pa
tiently waiting for orders. They had
been standing there unmolested for
days; they had tarried one moment
too long. The runaway engine with
it's still obstinate fireman, at times on
the running board and at times in the
cab, was heading viciously. for them.
But the fireman saw the game was
clearly up. He chose his moment and
jumped, landing violently in the Gin
der ballast. Bruised and cut, he lay
breathless, almost insensible. He
heard confusedly the terrific crash
into the idle box cars. The huge en-
gine scattered them in dust and
kindling high in the air. He tried to
roll farther from the threatening
wreck-for the head-end of the train
had been derailed by the impact and
the jamming string of cars was zig
tagging wildly across the right Of
way. The first realization that came
to the stunned boy was of someone
struggling to help him get away from
the wreck-some puny strength ex-
erted to drag his heavy body to great
er safety. With breath, the first
he had been able to draw, he opened
his eyes. A young woman was bend
ing over him.
He was a forbidding sight. Blood,
dust and gravel hung in half dozen |
cuts on his orehead-hardly feature
of his face. except his eyes, had es-
capped the smash of the cinders. Some
one with a very little and very wet |
handkerchief wiped his eyes and he |
could see more clearly when he opened |
them again. He could see the face !
bent over him and two eyes fixed |