SAVING THE KEYSTONE EXPRESS.
Conductor Tobin, of freight No. 15, was one of the biggest-hearted and
most generous men on the road. In fact it was largely owing to this that
he had not long ago been promoted from a freight to a passenger train.
He could not bear the thought of taking a place from any of his friends,
whom he thought needed it more than he did. So he always held back, and
let them step up over his head, and rejoiced with them in their good
fortune, and said he would take his turn next time. He had a wife and
one little girl about Arthur’s age, whose name was Katherine, but who
was called “Kitty” for short; and, though the conductor’s pay was small,
they managed to make both ends meet, and lived very happily in
Harrisburg, in a little cottage that they only rented, but which it was
their great desire to own, some day. It was so conveniently situated,
not far from the railroad, and yet in such a nice part of the town that
Mrs. Tobin often said to Conductor Tobin that they could not find one
more to their liking, if they should look for a hundred years, and
Conductor Tobin agreed with her.
Like Brakeman Joe, the only persons with whom Conductor Tobin had no
patience, and upon whom he was very severe whenever they came in his
way, were tramps. In the present case he was pleased with the sweet,
honest face of little “Prince Dusty,” a name that struck his fancy most
happily. It seemed a proof of the truthfulness of Arthur’s claims, that
he possessed, and evidently valued, the very book for which his little
girl had expressed a desire. Thus he became favorably inclined toward
our travellers, and offered to help them on with their journey.
So it happened that, when freight No. 15 pulled slowly and heavily out
from the Arden siding, Arthur and Uncle Phin and Rusty, instead of being
left behind on the storm-beaten platform, were comfortably seated about
the little round stove in the caboose, enjoying its grateful warmth and
very happy over their good fortune.
Soon after starting, Conductor Tobin and Brakeman Joe entered the
caboose, and sat down for a chat with their guests. Uncle Phin was too
fully occupied in nursing his bruised knee to enter very heartily into
the conversation; but Arthur so easily sustained his share of it, that
the trainmen were delighted with his intelligence and ready wit. After
he had told them all that he could about himself, he began to ask them
questions, whereby he gained much information concerning railroad
business in general, and the running of trains in particular. They
allowed him to climb up into the cupola of the caboose, through the four
windows of which he could look out into the night, ahead, behind, and on
both sides. Then they showed him their red and white lanterns, and set
of flags, and explained their uses. He thus learned that, if any
accident happened to their train, it would be the conductor’s first duty
to send a brakeman back on the track to wave a red lantern, and warn
approaching trains of the danger ahead.
“Would a train always stop if a red lantern was waved across the track
ahead of it?” asked Arthur.
“Of course it would,” was the answer, “for if it didn’t it would get
into trouble.”
Brakeman Joe even went so far as to initiate the boy into the mysteries
of his own peculiar department. Of course he did not invite him to walk
over the wet roofs of the moving train, in order to show him how the
brakes of the freight cars were set up; but he gave him a lesson on the
platform of the caboose that answered every purpose.
Then the trainmen brought out their tin lunch pails, and from their
contents, together with those of the paper bag so thoughtfully provided
by Aunt Charity, the merry party of five, for of course the
always-hungry Rusty was included in it, made a hearty midnight supper.
Freight No. 15 had stopped several times to drop or pick up loaded cars;
but, as yet, nothing had been said about leaving the guests behind, or
about Arthur reading a story in payment for the earlier portion of their
ride. At length, when they were toiling slowly up a long, heavy grade,
for they were now climbing the western slope of the Alleghany Mountains,
Conductor Tobin claimed the fulfilment of this promise, and Arthur
willingly undertook to read the story of “The Wild Swans.” Brakeman Joe
was at his post in the cupola on look-out, so of course he could not be
expected to listen to the reading. Nor could the conductor hear very
well, above the roar of the train, though the boy strove to read loudly
and clearly. At length, as it was evident that he was straining his
voice, and also that he was growing very sleepy, kind-hearted Conductor
Tobin gently took the book from his hands, and bade him lie down on a
sort of long bench, covered with a cushion and a blanket, that ran along
one side of the caboose, while he finished the story for himself.
Here, with Rusty nestled close beside him, the tired boy quickly fell
asleep, while Uncle Phin nodded and dozed in a big arm-chair beside the
stove, and the only sounds heard were the panting of the locomotive, and
the rattle of the heavy train as it toiled slowly up the steep grades.
Somewhere near the summit a stop was made for water. During it both
Conductor Tobin and Brakeman Joe went to the forward end of the long
train for a chat with the engineer. They were still talking when it was
time to start ahead, and both men jumped into the cab for a moment that
they might finish what they were saying. Then they began to make their
way back toward the caboose, walking as quickly and surely over the
swaying roofs of the cars as though they had been on solid ground.
It had ceased to rain; but thick, damp mist clouds, were driving over
the mountains, and they at first thought this was the reason why they
did not see the green lights, that should show in the back of the red
caboose lanterns. Then they became anxious, and quickened their steps.
When they reached the end of the train their worst fears were realized.
The caboose was no longer there.
The engineer, happening to look back, saw their swinging lanterns. A
sharp, imperative whistle blast called for brakes. For a few moments
there was a harsh grinding of the iron brake shoes against iron wheels,
and then the train came to a standstill. As it did so Conductor Tobin
ran breathlessly up to the locomotive, shouting: “Back down to the tank!
Side-track the train, and run your engine back after the caboose. It’s
broke loose and gone down the grade! Number 17 is coming up behind us!
There isn’t one chance in ten thousand but what there’ll be a collision!
We’ve got to take that one though, and do what we can.”
Long before he finished speaking Conductor Tobin was in the cab, and the
train was backing rapidly toward the siding. Brakeman Joe had run back
to the little green light at its end, unlocked and thrown over the
lever, so that now a “flying switch” was made, and, while the train ran
in on the siding, the locomotive, previously cut loose from it, still
stood on the main track. Again the lever was thrown over, the green
light, denoting that the main track was open, swung into place, and the
engine seemed to give a great bound as it plunged swiftly down the grade
in pursuit of the runaway caboose.
In the meantime Arthur had been suddenly awakened from his nap by a
peculiar jarring jerk that accompanied the starting of the train, and by
a loud barking from Rusty. For an instant the caboose stood still,
though he could hear the other cars in motion, then it began to move
backwards; at first very slowly, but increasing its speed with each
moment. Although he did not yet realize in the least what had happened,
the boy felt uneasy, and stepping to the door he looked out. Even to his
inexperienced eye the situation was clear at a glance.
A coupling-pin had broken, and the caboose was running away down the
steep grade the train had just climbed.
“Quick, Uncle Phin!” he shouted, “come here quick!” and the old man,
hobbling to the door, found the boy exerting all of his strength upon
the iron brake wheel.
Together they tugged and strained at it until at length they got the
brake set, after a fashion. Of course not as Brakeman Joe’s powerful
arms could have done it, but so that its iron shoes ground with
considerable force against the wheels.
At first it did not seem to have the slightest effect, and the car still
rushed at a fearful speed down the mountain side, whirling around the
sharp curves with sickening lurches that nearly threw its passengers off
their feet.
Suddenly a new terror was added to the situation. From down in the
valley came the shrill whistle of an approaching train, and they knew it
was climbing the grade toward them on the same track. Now their runaway
car struck a short place of comparative level, and its speed seemed to
slacken.
If they could only set that brake up one more notch! It seemed
impossible; but they did it, and the red sparks began to fly from the
grinding wheels.
They were certainly going slower, and, at last, on the beginning of an
abrupt curve, they stopped. Another hundred feet would have sent them
flying down the steepest grade of the mountain.
Arthur bade Uncle Phin take one of the two red lanterns left in the car
and swing it from the front platform. Then, with the other in his hand,
he jumped to the track, and ran at the top of his speed around the curve
ahead of them. He was not a second too soon, for within a hundred yards
of the caboose he was nearly blinded by the sudden glare of an
approaching headlight. Standing steadily in the middle of the track he
swung his danger signal to and fro, until he could feel the hot breath
of the approaching monster, and then he sprang aside.
Its powerful air brakes were already at work, and the “Keystone
Express,” filled with sleeping passengers, came to a standstill within a
few feet of the runaway caboose, just as the engine from the freight
train bumped softly against it from the other direction.
[Illustration: STANDING STEADILY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK HE SWUNG HIS
DANGER SIGNAL TO AND FRO. (_Page 180._)]
As Conductor Tobin picked Arthur up in his arms and carried him back to
the caboose the tears were streaming down his face, and he said: “God
bless you, lad! You’ve done a thing this night the oldest trainman on
the road might be proud of doing.”