The Brakeman's Story.

knife , dark as pitch , and watching for fear you may rush suddenly under a bridge and be swept off , ancl perhaps left to die in the SUOAV . Is that easy 1 Does that look like a soft job ? To be sure Avhen Ave are transferred to passenger carsthe Avork is nice enoughbut the

, , dangers Ave have to go through ( for we generally have to go on freight cars first ) , entitle us to something better on a passenger car , and Ave ain ' t sorry when Ave get orders to take the head end of such a

regular tram . "There are very few brakemeu AVIIO can ' t tell some never-to-be-forgotten incident connected Avith their life on the rail . To explain , let me tell you a story from my OAVII experience . I remember one nightit Avas fearfully coldright iu the

, , middle of winter , and snoAving hard , I Avas braking iu the middle of a frei ght train . It was running along on slow time that night , and Ave Avere about tsvo or three miles from the station . I Avas standing by the brake of a flat cartrying to get warm

, by stamping , wishing we were at the depot , so that I could go back to the cfboose out of the bitter cold , Avhen suddenly I felt the train bumping ancl jumping like as if a wheel had broken , and I kneAv something Avas Avrong . The whistle

bleAv for brakes , and in a mighty short time Ave had the train stopped . " With the rest of the men I Avent back to see Avhat Avas the matter , thinking that 1 might get a chance at the stove , for I Avas nearly frozen . Going back about three hundred feetwe found that one of

, the rails had got loose and Avas out of place , but , as we had been going slow , we had run over the spot safely . Our conductor looked up ancl seeing me said : " 'Jim , get back and signal the pasenger train . She Avill be along in a short time

now ; and take this , ' he said , handing me a red-light lantern ; ' Ave'll go on . You can come along Avith the other train . ' " With that all hands got on board , and soon there Avas nothing but myself and the lantern left .

" A cold gust brought me to myself Avith a quick turn , and then I remembered Avhat I had to do . Holding the lantern up , I saw that the li ght was flickering , and shaking it , found it almost empty . Then I began to feel the responsibility of my

position ; a lamp Avith no oil in it , ancl train clue in ten minutes , Avith the chance of it being thrown off the track , and n 0 telling IIOAV many poor people killed or wounded . In a case of this kind , sir , even a brakeman will do bis best to save human lifealthough he sometimes loses his OAVU in

, the attempt ; and all he gets for it is having his name in the j > aper , and beinocalled a brave felloAV . " Quicker than I tell it , I made up my mind that the train must be signalled , lamp or no lamp . But hoAv to do it was

the question ? If I ran ahead , Avithout a light , the engineer might think I wanted to stop the train for robbery , for such things have been done , you knoAA , ancl Avould not only dash right on , faster than ever , but ( may be ) try to scald me as the locomotive rushed by . I tell you I felt like praying just then ; but brakemen are

not selected for their religious feelings , so I didn ' t pray much , but looked around aud saw a light shining in a Avindow some distance off . I laid doAvn my lantern carefully on the track , made a bee line for the bouse , and soon brought a Avoman to the door , AVIIO looked more frightened than I

Avas , at my excited appearance . It Avas useless to ask for sperm oil ( the only sort Ave use ) , so I cried out : " ' For God ' s sake get me some straAV . ' " She seemed to realize the position , and quickly brought a bundle . Feeling in

my pocket , I found three matches , and grabbing the sfcraiv , I made my Avay back to the track . " Laying the straAV between the rails , I struck a match and shoved it into the bundle . It flashed an instant ancl then Avent out . I felt ancl found the straw damp .

"Just then a dull , faint rumbling sound come doAvn on the wind , aud I knew she Avas ¦ coming ; the train Avould soon be there . " I struck the second match and touched off the stew—a blaze , a little

smoke , and it Avas dark again , and raising my eyes 1 saAV the headlight aAvay in the distance . But trains don ' t crawl , and the buzzing along the rail told me to be lively . " The red light Avas burning but faintly ; five minutes more and it Avould go out . " For an instant I stood paralysed , when a shrill scream from the engine brought me