Year: 1878

out, What does that crazy fool mean ~


The engineer must be either crazy
or drunk, said /. If he keeps on that
way ten minutes longer he will surely
be into us and signaled the fireman
to put on more steam. What business
the train has upon the road at all to-
night is what puzzles me-.


wonder If il isn't an engine the
old man is sending down to Jamaica TO
the shops for repairs p said Jake. L
saw the Ben Franklin standing on the
side track with steam u2 lust as we
started. From the way she overhauls
US, there can't be much of a train be-
hind her


did not know but that Jake might
be right, for | had seen the franklin
standing in the depot when we left.
That engine was Just as fast rs our own
and If IL was without "A train attached
as Jake supposed, might easily gain on
us, as 1T seemed 10 be doing. At any
rate we shall see when we pass Jamaica
Station whether Jake's theory is cor
rect, | thought, and said to him.


by this time the fireman, acting as
engineer, had given our engine all the
steam she would take, and we were
slashing along at lively rate, | tell
you, said the conductor The good
people along the road who were out of
their beds must have thought that a
railroad Gilpin was riding another race
according to the new style / was angry
enough To have sent bullet at the crazy
engineer following us, and determined
that my first business the next dav
should be TO complain To the superinten-
dent of his foOlhardiness | thought
that possibly, being for the moment his
own master and no longer under the inn
mediate orders of a conductor he was
indulging in kind of railroad spree.
and for lark was driving us to the top
OF our speed, expecting 70 end the race
and his days work at the same time at
Jamaica.


''Well, we tore through that sleeping
village without stopping long for re-
freshments, can assure YOU. and then
Jake and i looked TO see our comical
friend in the rear pull up at the station
and take lodgings for the night But we
were mistaken i'm our guess. Not a
whistle was given by our pursucr as a
signal that he intended TO stop; not "A
sign of slackening was shown; but on
the contrary he was gaining upon us
when we were doing our very best.
sometimes curve in the road would
shut him moment from our
view, but he would round it in an in
slant, and every new turn brought him
more closely upon us. Jamaica had been
left far behind, and we were out on the
wide Hampstead plain. The old Con
stitution WAS on her muscle. Our train
was actually swaying and rocking with
speed like yacht on the waves. The
telegraph poles, upon which the light
from our windows would CLINT in the
dense darkness, were flying behind us
at every second. The sound of our
wheels as they struck the end of the
rails was continuous hum. But, do the
best that 1T might, our engine with its
heavy train was no match for the light
weighted one behind. That wasgaininp
upon us, and was not the eighth Of
mile off. The glare from Its lantern
shone brightly in our faces; / thought
Jake's face looked little pale, and per
haps mine did, too. Now that our pur-
suer did not halt at Jamaica. we
were entirely off our reckOnings. and we
could make no guess as to the cause of
our chase, nor when it would end. The
prospect seemed that we might be driven
to the end of the road, if we were not
Overtaken and smashed before il could
be reached.


"'That's the Franklin, sure broke
out Jake once more. No other engine
on the road could overhaul US as we are
going now. What can that fool of a
Simpson mean by driving her at such "A
rate? He must be drunk. If the boss
don't break him tomorrow he won't get
his deserts. He will be into us i'm two
minutes


"' You are right Jake said I. Go
forward and see if you can not get up a
little more headway, Empty few Of
those petroleum-ca on the wood, and
pitch it in, and see what can be done


While Jake was forward on his err
rand ! tn ught over the situation. Here
j was with hundred or two passengers
under my care, all ignorant OF the dan
ger which ] knew they were in. If we
should be overtaken and crushed in the
rear, the disaster would be a serious one
and would probably cause the death or
injury at least some Of the passengers
II we were not smashed in this wav.
there was another and perhaps a greater
danger before us. The train Of which
! have spoken, which left GreenpOrt
when we left Brooklyn, was on its
way TO meet us on the same track.
~ olOulh HWlbCn OH db Lakeland lB the
middle Of the island, and allow us to
pass an hour after we started, or at
eleven O'Clock IL was now half-past
ten, and we were close 10 Lakeland
already, and would pass there long be-
fore the arrival Of the Greenport train.
which ordinarily got there first. The
result would be thatwe should meet that
train beyond Lakeland without warning
Of our approach, and acollision i'm front
AZ well as the rear would be the conse.
quence.


owe reached and flew through the
Lakeland Depot nearly half an hour
ahead Of time. or course the Green
port train was not there yet, but was
coming down the road Our speed wa.
now a little ahead Of any ever before
made upon the Long Island road. The
telegraph-poles fairly danced behind us.
and the bushes on either side of the
track seemed a continuous wall Of fire
az they were lighted up by the flame
which was pouring out Of our smoke
stack. But dangerous as it was for us
to keep Oh, IL was just az dangerous
to slacken speed, and 20 on we went"


The conductor relied his quid from
one cheek 10 other, raised the window
by his side and expectorated into the