Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, vol 7 | Page 2

rocks, and at the same time the
gong in his cab sounded and he applied the brakes.
The conductor ran up and asked, "What did you stop for?"
"Why did you signal to stop?"
"I gave no signal. Pull her open and light out, for we've got to pass No.

19 at the switches, and there's a wild train climbing behind us."
Edwards drew the lever, sanded the track, and the heavy train got under
way again; but the whistles behind grew nearer, sounding
danger-signals, and in turning a curve he looked out and saw a train
speeding after him at a rate that must bring it against the rear of his
own train if something were not done. He broke into a sweat as he
pulled the throttle wide open and lunged into a snow-bank. The cars
lurched, but the snow was flung off and the train went roaring through
another shed. Here was where the defective rail had been reported. No
matter. A greater danger was pressing behind. The fireman piled on
coal until his clothes were wet with perspiration, and fire belched from
the smoke- stack. The passengers, too, having been warned of their
peril, had dressed themselves and were anxiously watching at the
windows, for talk went among them that a mad engineer was driving
the train behind.
As Edwards crossed the summit he shut off steam and surrendered his
train to the force of gravity. Looking back, he could see by the faint
light from new snow that the driving-wheels on the rear engine were
bigger than his own, and that a tall figure stood atop of the cars and
gestured franticly. At a sharp turn in the track he found the other train
but two hundred yards behind, and as he swept around the curve the
engineer who was chasing him leaned from his window and laughed.
His face was like dough. Snow was falling and had begun to drift in the
hollows, but the trains flew on; bridges shook as they thundered across
them; wind screamed in the ears of the passengers; the suspected bridge
was reached; Edwards's heart was in his throat, but he seemed to clear
the chasm by a bound. Now the switch was in sight, but No. 19 was not
there, and as the brakes were freed the train shot by like a flash.
Suddenly a red light appeared ahead, swinging to and fro on the track.
As well be run into behind as to crash into an obstacle ahead. He heard
the whistle of the pursuing locomotive yelp behind him, yet he reversed
the lever and put on brakes, and for a few seconds lived in a hell of
dread.
Hearing no sound, now, he glanced back and saw the wild train almost
leap upon his own--yet just before it touched it the track seemed to
spread, the engine toppled from the bank, the whole train rolled into the
canon and vanished. Edwards shuddered and listened. No cry of hurt

men or hiss of steam came up--nothing but the groan of the wind as it
rolled through the black depth. The lantern ahead, too, had disappeared.
Now another danger impended, and there was no time to linger, for No.
19 might be on its way ahead if he did not reach the second switch
before it moved out. The mad run was resumed and the second switch
was reached in time. As Edwards was finishing the run to Green River,
which he reached in the morning ahead of schedule, he found written in
the frost of his cab-window these words: "A frate train was recked as
yu saw. Now that yu saw it yu will never make another run. The enjine
was not ounder control and four sexshun men wor killed. If yu ever run
on this road again yu will be recked." Edwards quit the road that
morning, and returning to Denver found employment on the Union
Pacific. No wreck was discovered next day in the canon where he had
seen it, nor has the phantom train been in chase of any engineer who
has crossed the divide since that night.

THE RIVER OF LOST SOULS
In the days when Spain ruled the Western country an infantry regiment
was ordered out from Santa Fe to open communication with Florida
and to carry a chest of gold for the payment of the soldiers in St.
Augustine. The men wintered on the site of Trinidad, comforted by the
society of their wives and families, and in the spring the women and
camp-followers were directed to remain, while the troops set forward
along the canon of the Purgatoire--neither to reach their destination nor
to return. Did they attempt to descend the stream in boats and go to
wreck among the rapids?