Year: 1867

to abide the result We were now put
ting on brakes for our second and last
stopping place ere we reached B.
Macleod sprang out upon the platform
as we stopped, and went into bar
room adjoining the station. I went
back and spoke to one Of the brake
men, athletic man, with thews and sin
ews of iron and the stature Of giant.


''Jim," | said, in a low voice-his
name was Jim Torrance-e'I want YOU
to keep your eye on Macleod and come
on the locomotive with me. He talks
and acts very strangely tonight; and
he may attempt some violence"


81 saw him draw out that outlandish
knife O. his Sir, minute or two ago."
said Jim, shrcwdly. Il could easily
jerk it away from him when we're
movin' again"


"No, do not wish you to use force
of any kind unless it is absolutely ne
cessary. think he is harmless, but
it's just as well to keep little watch
over him."


"He's queer" said jim '.I'll keep
an eye on him.


Once more after a ten minutes stop
the little signal-bell sounded Go
aheadt'' the brakes moved noisily, and
the wheels began to revolve. Macleod
had not returned to his place by my
side, and began heartily to hope that
he designed to favor me with no more
of his society. l was overjoyed to feel
this, and in much lighter spirits than
usual let on the steam and was soon
going on at a rapid rate Three or
four hundred yards from the depot the
road ran through deep cut, and just
beyond it was q corresponding ''flr'
or embankment about ten feet high
The engineers, that is the surveyors
as we mechanical engineers insist, half
sneeringly, in calling them, had with
very bad taste made compound
curve" here, SO that before entering
the "cut'' | could see nothing beyond
it, So, Of course, we had to 60 through
with whistle blowing and usually at a
slow gait. But feeling in good spirits
at MacLeod's absence, the prospect Of
good run, having the Lady in fine
condition, with the trains we were to
meetreported ''all right and the track
clear, ''let the dogs loose" opened
valves, dashed through the cut, and


Very, very nearly into eternity =
Danger is said to be fascinating; it is
particularly so when you see it coming,
have time to reflect upon it, and plan
and execute rescue or what you hope
to proveso. I saw it plainly this night,
the rail halt removed, the figure of the
madman still bent at his hellish work.
saw him as he completed it, saw him
as he completed it, saw him shake his
fist savegely at me and jump aside to
watch the slaughter he had plotted. /
was not a second in sounding ''down
brakes not an instant in reversing the
engine, but nothing could have saved
that train except the madman's ''lack
of method" or want of the skill of the
despised surveyors. For want of this
knowledge, perhaps for want of time,
Macleod had removed but one rail,
and that the ''inside one Of the curve" "
I knew if / could check the ''Lady's''
speed she would not leave the track, as
the outside rail is the one which guides
the train on a curve, and this was inn
pact Jim Torrance had come on the
locomotive with me, and [ turned to
tell him to Jump for his life when saw
him standing upright in the centre OF
the tender, grasplng a huge block OF
wood and his eyes cleaning like Goals.
1t was no time to look after his safety
| saw him hurl the stick of wood at
MrcLeod as he ran down the embank-
/ +ho "a, ol,
the ground, and plungedinto the break.


My calculations had been correct
Jolting violently over several cross
ties, shattering "cow-catcher" and
"headlight," mashing the baggage and
first passenger car; throwing Jim Tor
rance with great violence from the ten
der onto the locomotive, leaving him
fsenseless by the shock, and nearly
throwing me unto the boiler, the
Lady struck and stopped without
leaving the track except upon the side
where Macleod had removed the rail
We were disabled for the time, with no
body but Jim seriously injured


Except Macleod. Jims aim had
been too true, and the block ofthe wood
hurled with all his force, gaining adj
ditional velocity from that ofthe train,
had struck Macleod as he ran and
felled him senselesss-the fact is, as we
soon found, dead The billet had
struck him and killed him. Jim Tor
rance was never tried for it on earth
poor fellow, he's gone since, and I don't
much think they recorded any verdict
against him in heaven.


After Jim was taken care of, the Ian
terms put out ahead and behind us to
warn approaching trains, and the disa-
bled train was gone through to see af-
the wounded, John MacLeod's corpse
was taken up and carried back to the
station whick he had just left.


'Frank,' said Carew, when matters
were slightly settled again, ''who is to
tell this story to Macs wife p


''She does not suspect anything
that is, she don't know how it occur
red''


s'She knows there has been an acci
dent, but she doesn't know that Mac
was thrown out of the locomotive and
is the only one killed.


Good! Even Carew did not suspect
how Macleod had been felled by Tor
rance's blow and killed.


''I will tell her, said, determined
, that she should never know his crime,
nor learn how he had Eeen terribly
and suddenly punished.