Year: 1870

BY the next yesterday, I had reason
ed myself out Of the belief in anything oi
the kind. 1t was an hallucination, said
aud to prove it so, would 60 there again
and see if it would appear second tiu'e
! went again yesterday, and sir, the same
thing was repeated! It will come once
more-and then l shall 60 to my death p


"Nonseuse I" said I. "Come, Earl, be
honest, and confess that you have been
taking too much whisky"


II never drink anything, As you know,
Mr.. Woodbury." retured he,. !" snd this
thing was fenrfully real. If run the
mail train out tonight l shall be killed,
and Heaven knows what will be the fate OF
the train !! suppose it could be taken of
to night ?"


"Takcn off! What the deuce do you
meau?" snapped I; "this road runs trains
as advertised. Cowardly engineers to the
contrary Notwithstanding"


He looked at me sadly, reproachfully-
and l could have kicked myself for the way
l had spoken to him. "''..


1T was not on my account SIR" said he,
but it is only STEW days before Thanks
giving, and the train will be full one.
If there is an accident it may be bad
one." l.


Accident" said /, contemptuously.
" fddlestick. Come in tomorrow aud let
US laugh at you"


He bid me goodnight gravely, and went
out.


Presently the clock struck twelve, aud
I heard three sharp successive whistles
that told me that train was nearly ready.


Yielding to an impulse which would not
be controlled, l threw on my overcoat,
turned out the gas, locked the Office and
hurried over to the depot just in season to
catch the tail of the rear car and swing
myself on board.


Earl Rogers stood at his post, pale and
silent, yet alterated and watchful.


BY the head light Of the locomotive he
could see the track for half mile ahead,
and his keen eye scanned every inch Of the
way as the train swept on.


Past Roman station-past the Mill Cut
past Hills embarkment, and they
plunged into the belt of woods which
skirted Rocky River. .:. ~.


Suddenly, as they swept around the
curve, Earl's check whitened aud he drew
his breath in quick aud hard!


What he saw before the train warned
him that only death aud destruction lay
ahead.


He could probably save himself by leap
ing IF, but that would doom all on board.


Not second did he hesitate.


The sharp whistle to down the breaks
sounded, he reversed steam and did every
thing in his power to stop the train.


When he saw that his efforts were vain,
that the obstacle which lay across the
track cnly few rods in advance could not
be avoided, he sprang over the wood box
and unlocked from the carriages. The en-.
gine released from the drag, shot ahead,
and next instant plunged forward into the
gulf.


There was crash, succession of shrill
whistles from the escaping steam, all was
still!


Not one Of the carriages went down, the
first one halted on the very brink of the
abyss. as if the more fearfully to impress
upon the minds of the passengers the ter.
able danger they had escaped.


Before the train came to stop, had
jumped out aud was looking for Earl
Rogers.


They pointed into the river in answer
to my inquiries, and seizing lantern from
the hand of one of the brakesmen, soon
climbed tho bank and found him.


He lay under wreck of the locomotive,
pale and bloody, with no breath coming
from his icy lips.


The two strokers were little way of,
stone dead. ...


1 am an old man, but didn't feel the
weight Of that poor fellow as | carried
him up the bank, and on to the house. Of
Demain, which happened to be the nearest
residence.


OF course old Demain could not refuse
admittance under the circumstances, and
in FIVE minutes Laura vas with me, trying
to restore the lifeless man to consciousness


She was all courag> and hope; but for
her We should have given him up for
dead aud I to this day firmly believe that
her presence and her care brought him
back from death.


She never finched while the surgeon
amputated his leg at the knee it was
the only way to save him Doctor Green
said, and Laura held the poor head Of her
patient to her bosom, and his hands in
hers through the whole operation.


The accident, it was found. had been oc.
casioned by stick Of timber pinned across
the track, and the railroad company offer
ed reward of a thousand dollars for the
discovery of the rascally perpretrator.


No matter how We found it out, but it
was ascertained beyond doubt that Prince
Carleton was the guilty party.


He confessed it when we had him snug
aud safe, and he said he wanted Earl
Rogers out Of the way, aud because he
hated the whole coucern-meaning the
railroad aud the corporation, he had form.
ed this plan of diabolical revenge.


His father was a millionaire, and bought
nm our silence handsomelv