Year: 1866

more aQO QOueQ my cOdLi We Juup6


on and away we went, past hamlets


through Wildernesses Of stunted bushes


up grade and down hill, alta speedrarely


equaled. Our light train made firing al


easy task for me, and I had frequently


leisure to scan the beautiful ranges Of the


Alleghahies along which we skirted.-


Joe was sitting as was usual with him


with his left hand on the throttle lever
, and his body half out of the side window


Of the 4" cab" :" that he might the better


scan the track ahead.


A few miles south Of the famous Cheat


River Bridge is a deep mountain gorge,


with PERCEPTIONS rocky sides. 5-


1t is shaped like an hour glass, wide


at each end, but tapering each way to-


ward the middle The track runs for


quite distance along one side of the


gorge, makes very abrupt turn to cross


the chasm, a very deep one, in straight


line, and then, still eurving inWardly,


follows the gorge in line nearly parallel


with the track on the opposite side, for


three-fourths of mile.


We we're pitching along with that
peculiar rocking, bounding motion, so
different from the jar of ordinary fast
speed. As we swept to the top of a
grade around side of hill that com
manded view of the gorge-Joe and
1 both on the lookout-We saw, at mo-
ment's glance enough to make US con-
centrate our thinking faculties, and act
in a hurry whatever was best to be done.


There on the straight track, just at
the near end of the gorge, a lot of men,
in gray uniform were hastily piling up
some old ties, logs, etc., while at the
point where the curve was sharpest-
before reaching the gorge-were several
more, tugging furiously at a rail, one
end of which seemed to battle them, as
they pulled it outwards. Wewere with
in mile of them, when We discovered
them, and as each noticed them, the
shout came Simultaneously from both of
us-''The wrong side of the curve" The
/ ignorant fools were pulling out the inside
rail instead Of the outside. Iu the latter
Ease nothing could have saved US from
running of the track, and probably into
! the gorge. 0ursingle brakesman, seeing
the danger-I suppose from habit-was
commencing tightening the brake, but at
look from Joe sinalled " off brakes"
Joe meanwhile opening the throttle to
its widest extent as we dashed down the
grade at positively frightful velocity.


As we neared them, a party of them
huddled together near the track l
seized a large stick of wood, intending,
# possible, to hurt (" somebody" We
we're going altogether too swift to fear
their taking aim at US and for that
matter, I suppose they considered our
destruction such certainty that firing
at us would be needless. l was poising
the hig stick Of wood, and guessing at
the rate ofspeed-I've had some practice
in throwing parcels from trains inmotion
I when Joe suddenly pulled the whistle
rope The hoarse shrek seemed to
starile them fur an instant; they huddled
fcloser together. and tossed the stick
outwards and downwards. had barely
time -to. see it crash through the group
with the force of a thunderbolt, when,
with jarring plunge, the wheels on one
side struck the naked ties That part
of the trouble We had feared but little,
as the impetus Of the engine was almost
sure to make it mount the track again.
On the track again, but a few rods ahead
of us was the formidable barricade, and |
beyond that the yaWning chasm Joe
was standing up now, with eyes blazing,
still holding the throttle wideopen, as he
braced himself for the shock. l had |
grasped the brakerod of the tender the
instant [ threw the piece of wood
Crash my hold didn't avail me, and I
was pitched head over heels against the
fire. box, and laid fiat on my back on the
foot-b board or floor of the engine.


Joe was so suddenly jerked half
around, his back striking little door in
front of where he had stood, breaking
the door and shivering the glass to atoms.
But we were through; how, we couldn't
tell, except that we were still on the
track and laundering over the gorge
Joe's spirits rose with the occasion. Ex-
tracing himself almost as suddenly as he
had been deposited in the little glass
door, he ierked a tin flask from his
pocket, sprung on top of the tender, and
from thence to the roof of the cab
Steadying himself for a moment. with
his face toward the rebels, he shouted
q good bye" and then made them low
bow, and took drink, perfectly regard
less of the white puffs of smoke, as one
after another discharged their pieces at
him, as he afterwards explained, " the
engine made too much noise for him to I
hear the bullets, and they didn't seem to t
be hitting anybody" Il


After having, in spite of sore bones,
performed a jig which he had extempor-
lied for that occasion for the express
edifcation of the rebs, Joe descended
from his perch, and deliberately shutting |
off steam, stopped. q


We were still in sight of them, though c
at a tolerably safe distance, and now saw S
a group of them standing near several
men who had been wounded perhaps $
some killed, by that "irrepressible " !
stick of wood. Z


Our damages were a few bruises each, :
but no serious hurts. Our engine suffered a
he loss of the pilot or cow-catcher and I
head light, the front of the smoke-box a
vas stove in, besides sundry dents and '
bruises on the brass casting Of the cylin- q
lers but forruuning purposes absolutely g
the rebels having piled logs i
Iquarely across the top Of the track, the e