Part 24 (1/2)
”You would have thought he fairly snorted to his work, going at the rate o' forty miles an hour we were, and at last we got abreast o' the runaway engine, and could have pa.s.sed him, but that would have been useless. There wasn't another driver on the whole line would have thought of the thing so quickly as Mat did, nor could have regulated the speed so nicely to a moment. The two different engines were running just opposite each other on the two different lines, the runaway being a good deal worn out now, and going much slower than at first, when Mat he says to me, hoa.r.s.ely, 'Jump across. It'll be safer if I stick here to hold the regulator; but I'll go, if you'd rather stay.' I had such confidence in Mat Whitelaw, that I could trust my life with him before any mortal man; and the instant he gave the word, I jumped, and did it safe. We each put on our brakes, and took breath, and desperately hot we both were, I can a.s.sure you.”
”Were you not terribly afraid?” said Archy, who had been almost breathless during the recital.
”I can't say that we were,” said John, coolly; ”but I'll tell you I was frightened enough the next moment, when Mat looked at his watch, and sees that the down express was due in a few minutes on his line. I believe that Mat thought more o' the pa.s.sengers that might be smashed, and the risk for the Bison, than o' his own safety. He said it would never do to reverse the engines now; but if we kept on, he thought there might yet be time to run into the siding at the nearest station. So on we went once more at increased speed, straight on ahead, though it was like running into the very face of the danger.
The telegraph had been hard at work, and the station people had been laying their heads together, and they were at the points. So, when they heard the whistle, and saw Mat putting on the brake, they at once opened the points,--not a moment too soon, I can tell you,--and in he ran into the siding. Now, what Mat did, sir, was what I call about equal to most generals in war, and as great a benefit to society.”
”He must be a brave fellow,” said Archy; ”and I hope you were both rewarded for it.”
”The company behaved very handsome,” was the answer. ”Mat got on to the Great Western line at once; but the worst of it is, he and I are parted, and the old Bison; he felt his loss as much, if not more than me.”
Mrs. Falkoner, who had come in during the latter part of the story, now said,--
”But tell the young gentleman what you did your own self, and what the company thought of your conduct.”
”Tuts, Mary,” he answered; ”I did nought extraordinary; there ain't a man in the service but could have done the same, had they known old Bison as well as I did.”
”I should like to hear it, John,” said Archy, who was standing ready to leave the brother and sister alone.
”Well, 'cept it be to tell you how I got to be driver of the Bison myself, it's not worth the listening to. When Mat left, Bill Jones got to be my mate--the worst driver on the line; at least he couldn't manage the Bison. He did not understand that engine one bit, and was constantly getting into trouble, till I was driven almost wild. Bill would say, 'Bison, indeed! he ought to be called Donkey; it would suit his kicking ways better.' It was quite true he kicked, but he never did it with Mat on him, and went along the rails as smooth as oil.
Well, at one part o' the line, there is a gradual long incline, and one day we were just putting on more steam to run up, when we sees at the top two or three coaches coming tearing down straight upon us. We knew there was a heavy excursion train on ahead, and we had been going rather slow on that account, and this was some of the coaches that had got uncoupled from the rest. Well, Bill, my mate, no sooner saw it coming, than says he, 'Jump for your life!' and out he went. But I knew what a quick engine the Bison was, and, moreover, I saw our guard had noticed the danger, too, and would work with me; so I reversed the engine, and ran back, until the coaches came up to us, but did no further damage save giving us a bit of a shake as they struck on the old Bison; and so we drove them afore us right up to the station. Bill was killed, as might have been expected, for he had no faith in the Bison whatever; and so the company, they came to see I understood that engine, and they made me driver o' him from that time.”
Archy now bade the worthy engine-driver good night, saying that he should always take a greater interest in engines than ever before, and that he should have liked very much to have seen such a famous one as the Bison.
John Stocks evidently took this speech as a personal compliment, and, in consequence, bade Archy a friendly good by, saying, as he did so, ”that people nowadays talked of nothing but s.h.i.+ps and extraordinary guns, and what not, but to his mind a good engine was before them all.”
MRS. GEORGE CUPPLES.
THE CHILDREN'S SONG.
Merrily sang the children, as their mother softly played; With eager, outstretched faces a pretty group they made; Their clear and bird-like voices ran loudly through the air, Till ”Baby” heard the music, and crept from stair to stair, That she might join the singers, and in their gladness share.
Dear, merry little warblers! I love to hear you, too; Your fresh, unworldly feelings, your hearts so fond and true, Give to your songs a sweetness that no other strains possess; They soothe the hara.s.sed spirit when troubles thickly press, And evoke the warm pet.i.tion, ”O G.o.d, OUR CHILDREN BLESS!”
[Ill.u.s.tration: PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS.]
PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS.
How earnest Kate and Constance and Brother w.i.l.l.y look, Counting up varied treasures, s.h.i.+p, bat and doll and book!
The three are very busy, and very happy too, Trying to mend up old things to look almost like new.
The book was rather shabby, but Kate with paste and thread Has made it firm and tidy, and rubbed it clean with bread.
And now, ere she resigns it, she lingers, glancing o'er The pretty picture pages and well-known lines once more.