A THRILLING RIDE.
At first the different members of the company were inclined to treat
the situation as a huge joke on themselves.
“The car was dropped by accident,” said several. “The train will be
back before long to pick us up.”
But as an hour went by and then another, matters began to look
serious.
“I must confess I’m getting hungry,” said Neka. “If nothing turns up
soon, I’m going off on a tour of discovery.”
“I’m with you, Neka,” replied Bindley. “I’m getting to think they
don’t intend to come back for us.”
“But why did they drop us?” questioned Jennie Windom.
“Perhaps they got tired of hauling us along,” laughed Nina Tonetti.
She was always light-hearted.
A little later Neka, Bindley and Longfellow Wadsworth set out to look
over the situation. They trudged down the track for nearly half a
mile, but no buildings of any kind appeared in sight.
“Let us go the other way,” suggested Neka. “We are walking away from
Springfield now.”
So the three retraced their steps, and soon reached the car again.
They found those inside half frozen, for the car had been steam
heated, and now the pipes were empty.
A few minutes later they started in the opposite direction. Here they
fared better, for a ten minutes’ walk brought them in sight of a farm
house and several outbuildings.
“Some signs of humanity,” cried Neka. “Let us visit the place and
arrange for a hot breakfast for the crowd, if nothing more.”
The owner of the farm, a tall Westerner, was much surprised to have
three callers coming on foot through the snow. But when matters were
explained, he hastened to make the visitors welcome, and invited all
hands to partake of such “fodder” as he could offer them. Bindley at
once went off to bring back the balance of the company. A notice was
tacked on the car, stating where the company was, this being done to
notify any railroad officials who might come after the car.
A hot breakfast at the farmhouse served to put all hands in good
humor. It was learned that they were a mile from a village called
Penfield, which was eighteen miles out of Springfield, their
destination.
“Well, one thing is certain,” remarked Bindley. “We must get to
Springfield somehow.”
“We have all of Sunday and Monday before us,” said Joe Windom.
“True, but there is no telling what may turn up at Springfield. We
had better get off early.”
The matter was talked over for a while, and finally Bindley and Neka
took a walk back to the empty car.
On the way they discovered a small shed in a hollow, which they had
previously overlooked. Outside of the shed was a snowy mound.
Neka brushed away part of the snow, and thus uncovered the end of a
handcar.
“Hullo! a handcar!” he exclaimed.
“That’s of small use to us,” replied Bindley.
“I don’t know about that. If we can get it on the track we might ride
on it to the next town.”
“By Jove! that’s a good idea, Neka. Let us try to move it.”
The two set to work, and soon had the handcar clear of the snow. But
to move the heavy thing was a different matter.
Presently Longfellow Wadsworth came along, and the three, by main
strength, managed to shove the handcar onto the regular track. Then
they sprang aboard, Bindley giving the necessary start before doing
so.
The oil on the axles was stiff, and consequently the machine moved
quite slowly at first. But presently it got warmed up, and on and on
over the tracks they bowled, their speed increasing as they advanced.
“This is first-class exercise to keep one warm!” puffed Longfellow
Wadsworth.
“It will keep us from getting cold,” replied Bindley. “I believe we
can run all the way to Springfield on this thing if we wish.”
“Providing we don’t meet a train coming in the opposite direction,”
put in Neka.
“They run very few trains on Sundays out here.”
“That’s a good thing for us--in one way.”
“And a mighty poor thing in another,” growled Longfellow Wadsworth.
A minute later the three discovered that they were running down hill.
The handles moved of themselves, and the speed kept on increasing.
“We are coming into Penfield,” said Bindley. “See the houses ahead!”
“I don’t believe we can stop the machine!” cried Neka, in alarm. “We
can’t!” he added, as he tried in vain to make the brake work.
Bindley sprang to assist him, as did Longfellow Wadsworth. It was
useless. There was a whirr and a snap, and on went the handcar at a
greater speed than ever!
“By George! we’re in for it now!” cried the elocutionist.
“Hang fast, or you’ll be pitched off!” yelled Neka.
Scarcely had he spoken when they approached a curve, and there came
a jerk calculated to send them all off. But they clung fast and ten
seconds later flashed past the Penfield station like a cannon-ball
express.
“Providence alone knows where we are going now!” groaned Longfellow
Wadsworth. “See! the course is still down hill!”
“But there is a rise about a mile further on,” replied Neka. “Perhaps
we’ll be able to stop there.”
The dash through Penfield had aroused considerable interest,
especially as a man in a cutter had had a narrow escape from being
struck, a catastrophe which must have resulted seriously.
“They see us!” cried Bindley, as he nodded back to where a crowd of
people were pointing with their hands and talking excitedly.
“Yes, but that won’t help us,” replied Neka. “They may telegraph
ahead to switch us off on a side track and ditch us.”
The smoke was beginning to come up from the wheels, so great was the
speed. But to this they paid no attention, their whole thought being
now centered on what was ahead and what would be the outcome of the
thrilling and perilous ride.
The rise Neka had mentioned was nearly a mile off still, when through
the clear air came the unmistakable sound of a locomotive whistle.
“Do you hear that?” cried Bindley.
“A train coming!” echoed Longfellow Wadsworth.
“Is it behind us or ahead?” questioned Neka.
For several seconds no one could answer this question. Then the awful
truth burst upon them.
The train was ahead!
“It’s coming along at forty miles an hour, too!” moaned Bindley. “We
are lost!”
Neka grew sick at heart, and Longfellow Wadsworth turned as white as
the snow around them.
Death did certainly appear to stare them in the face.
Eagerly the trio looked around them for some means of escape.
None appeared. On either side the wind had blown the snow from the
bed of the road, and nothing but the frozen ground and the hard
railroad ties appeared.
To jump under such circumstances would prove fatal.
“Try that brake again!” cried Bindley, hoarsely. “Jam it down as hard
as you possibly can!”
The three sprang to the brake as if it was their one hope of
salvation. But it was labor thrown away. It was broken under the car,
and would take no hold on the wheels.
“No use; it won’t work!” groaned the elocutionist.
“We are doomed!” added Bindley.
Neka said nothing. Yet it must be confessed that he felt fully as bad
as the others. In the very midst of their success it looked as if
they must give up life itself!
And now the approaching train could be seen, around a long curve, and
still half a mile away. But, oh, how rapidly the distance between the
oncoming locomotive and the dashing handcar appeared to diminish.
“Shall we jump?” yelled Longfellow Wadsworth.
“We must jump!” replied Bindley. “Now, then, all together!”
“Wait a second!” screamed Neka. “There is a big snowbank ahead, and
we may be able to----”
Neka was unable to finish.
The handcar struck another downward curve, and away it went at a rate
of speed that took away his very breath.
With loud yells Longfellow Wadsworth and Bindley waited no longer,
but took long leaps for the snowbank Neka had mentioned. Seeing there
was no other help for him, Neka sought to follow.
A fearful chill of terror struck through his heart. The lining of his
overcoat had caught fast in the handle of the handcar, and he was a
prisoner, with the oncoming train less than two rods away!