The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1920-05-27

ginr roads neglected as To foadbed
and rolling stock also IL was under
manned. and the brakeman. who also
acted as saitchman had failed to, SET
the handbrakes on the leading truck
after the engineer had locked the air
brakes A. result. during the I'VE OF
slx minutes required 10 spot in" the
caboose and an extra minute or two
lost while the brakeman struggled
with the recalcitrant lock on the
switch. the air had leaked away
through the worn valves and rubber
tubing. snd the brakes rad been re
Ieased--so that the train. without
warning. had quietly and almost noise
iessly slid cut OF the loe-landing and
started on its mad career There was
nothing TO do now save watch the wild
runaway and pray. for Of all the mad
runaways IN mad world loaded
logging train is by far the worst
For an instant after realizing his
predlcament. Bryce Cardigan was
tempted to Jump and take his chance
on few broken bones. before the
train could reach greater speed than
twenty miles an hour. His next i'm.
pulsa was 10 run forward and set the
mandrake on the leading truck, sut
a glnuce showed him that even with
the train standing stu he could uof
hope to leap from truck 10 truck and
land on The rmnd freshly ptelei sur
fuee of tbe logs without slipping for
he had ua ealsS in hi, boots, Ahd ~
slip nov uicaut swift and horrible
death.
Then he remembered In the wildly
rulling caboose Shirley sumner rode
with her uncie. while less fh1'i two
miles ahead. tho track sw.ug IN n
sharp curve high up along the hillside
above Mad ,river Bryce knew The
leading truck would never take that
curve ri high speed. even II the m.
cieni rolling stock should hold togeih-
er until the curve was reached. hui
would shoot on al tangent into the
canyon. carrying trucks. logs. and ca.
hoose with II. rolling over and over
down the hillside 20 the river.
"The eaboose must ue cut out Of
th.s runaway Bryce soliloqulzed
"and Il must be cuf out IN devil of
hurry. Here goe. nothing in par.
ticular. aud may God be good to my
dear Old man"
He ieriSed his axe out ~ the log.
drove Il deep into the top log toward
the end and by using the haft to cling
10. crawled toward the rear OF the
load and looked doy'a ri the caboose
coupling The top log was a siSteer-
fooi hut' The two bottom logs were
eighteen-fOo,ers With a silent prayer
~ thanks 10 Providence Bryce slid
down 10 the landing thus formed lie
was still FIVE feet above the coupling.
however: hut by leaning over the
swaylng humping edge and swinging
the axe with one hand. he managed to
cur through the rubber hose on the
air connection.
After accomplishing this. axe in
hand. he ieap.d down TO the narrow
ledge fnrmed by the bumper in front
OF the cahoo<e-drivlng his face into
the front ~ the caboose: and he only
grasped tho steel rod leading from
the brake-chains to the wheel on the
roof u time % svoid falling half
stunned between the front Of the ca
hoose and the rest of the logging
truck The caboose had once been p
box cat: hence there was no rniled
front platform 20 which Bryce might
have ieaped IN safety. ClinginE peril
ously on the bumper. he reached with
his foot. got his toe under the lever
on the side. ierked "a upward. and
then With his free hand he swung the
axe and drove the great steel Jaws of
the coupling apart
The csbonse was cut out But A.
ready the deadly curve vas In sight:
in two minutes the frst truck would
reach Il: and the cabooSe though cut
i0oSe. had 70 be stopped. else with the
headway :, had gathered. Il too would
follow The logging trucks 20 glory.
For moment Bryce ciung 10 the
hrakerot. weak and dizzy from the
effects u the blow Ntsen. ieaping down
from tie loaded truck to the cabocse
bumper. hls face had smashed into
the front - the caboose. His chin
vas bruised skinned. and bloody: his
nose had been broken. and twin rivu-
lets Of blood ran from bis ncstr1lS He
wiped q away. swung his axe drove
the blade deep into the bumper and
left IL there with the haft qaiyering;
turning, hs climbed swiftly % the