Year: 1878

lLiPrincott's Magazine.I


| was riding on night-train of the
Pennsylvania Central from New York
10 Washington on a mission as news
paper correspondent. We had passed
Bait more, and within an hours time
would be at our place Of destination.
The conductor had finished collecting
the fares, and seeing u vacant seat bv
my side had dropped into il as if for a
little rest at the end of tiresome dav's
work. lie made an entry in his note
book, closed it, placed it in his breast
pocket, buttoned his coat, folded his
arms, and then turned To me with a
friendly remark, as if now he felt at
liberty to lay aside all official dignity
and be sOcidbje. ! was glad TO while
away the time as the train was rushing
along in darkness which concealed all
objects of interest without, and so | en-
cOuraged the conversation.


You must nave met with some in
teresting experiences, and perhaps some
great danger, in the course of your life. -
said ], the conductors grizzly beard
showing that he might have seen long
service.


Well, perhaps the most exciting
time In my expert nee was the night |
was chased by an engine-a night which
this one reminds me of, J." said he, looking
sut into the darkness.


Chased by an enginel" said /, get
ling interested. How did that hap.
penP'


Well" said the conductor, settling
down in the cushion and bracing his
knees against the back OF the seat in
front, many years ago / was running
the Hight-express on Long Island from
Brooklyn TO Greenport, a distance OF
ninety miles, the entire length of the
road The Long Island road was then a
sne-horse affair, having only single
crack, with switches at the different sta
tions to allow trains TO meet and pass
On the evening to which | now refer
started from Brooklyn at ten o'clock
with the old Constitution, long since
broken up, but then the crack engine of
the road, with a baggage or freight-car
and three passenger The night
was just rs dark as pocket, or, if any
thing, perhaps little darker" ;" he added,
as if he had accurately tested the in.
ternal obscurity of that useful portion
of the dress.


ct must have been very dark p
said /.


We were the only regular train upon
the road that night, with the exception
of the GreeDport express to Brooklyn,
which was to start at ten o'clock and
meet us at Lakeland Station, in the mid
die of the island, switching off there 10
allow US to pass.


Well, we we're perhaps six or eight
miles on our way when ] stepped out
on the back platform Of the rear car to
see II 1T was growing any lighter. We
were then going over part of the road
which was as straight as an arrow for a
distance of four or five miles. As /
was looking back over this stretch saw
behind us, at the distance Of three miles
or 80, what ] knew was the head light of
an engine, as il was TO n bright for any
thing else; for of course did no sup
pose the government had been putting
mp any lighthouses along the road"


" Probably not, 3" said !.


You may be sure I was a little sur
prised," said the conductor, " for there
wasn't an extra train once a week upon
that road, and ! knew that there was
none going out from Brooklyn that
night, anyhow. / waited for a few
minutes, until / saw that il was really
an engine coming, and, what was more,
was gaining rapidly on US, although We
were going at our usual rate Of speed.
When / was satisfied of this fact hur-
ried forward, and said to the engineer.
Jake, there is a train close behind us


Jake dropped his oil-can and his
lower jaw at about the same moment.
and looked to see whether ] was crazy
or joking.


90 Well, let the fireman attend to
matters here, and come back and see.
said j.


We hurried to the rear, and in a
moment Jake saw as well az myself that
IT there was any joke i'm the matter we
we're the victims Of one and Of rather
n serious one, too, for the train i'm the
rear had gained ON us full mile while
] had been forward. The red ciudets
were pouring out of the smoke-s,ack as
If from blastfunance the HEADLIGHT
threw n glare along the road, Furnishing
che iron rails 10 our very wheels Close
as he was upon us, the engineer of the
advancing train had not given the
slightest signal to warn us Of his ap-
proach, and made no response 70 our re-
peated whistles of alarm. lie was vio-
lating All railroad rules, and if he de
termined to secretly run us down he
would act just rs he was then doing.
Jake seemed to be struck dumb-not so
much because he then thought of danger
rs at inc cool impudence Of tho engineer