Through the Air to the North Pole | Page 4

down grade now, and the speed was much
increased. Telegraph poles whizzed past at a rapid rate and the wheels
sung a livelier tune as they clipped over the rail joints.
"It's a good thing the engineer is going to slow down for us," said Jack.
"We'd never be able to jump off at the rate we're going."
"Hark!" exclaimed Mark. "There goes the whistle!"
The boys listened. A long, shrill blast cut the summer air, and vibrated
back to them over the tops of the cars.
"That isn't five whistles; it's one!" cried Jack. "It's the call for brakes! I
wonder if anything has happened to the train!"
There was a pause. Then came another single shriek from the engine's
whistle. It sounded appealingly, as if the steam monster was in distress.
"Look! Look!" shouted Mark. "We are going much faster than we
were!"
At the same instant there was a crash and a jolting sound. The train
seemed to break in two parts at about the centre. The forward section,
drawn by the engine, went one way, and the other part, with the
gondola containing the boys, in the lead, took another track. An
insecurely fastened switch was responsible for the accident. The
locomotive and nearly half the cars of the train took the main track,
while the remainder of the outfit swung on to a siding.
The section of the train with the boys aboard had become a runaway
freight!
"What has happened?" cried Mark.
"The train's broken in two!" shouted Jack. "Come on! Help twist the
brakes!"
Both boys sprang to the wheel of the gondola. It was all they could do
to give it a few turns, but they managed to make the brake-shoes grip

the wheels to some degree, as was evidenced by the shrill shrieking.
"Can you climb up to the top of the box car?" asked Jack.
"Sure!" shouted Mark. "Go ahead!"
Though Mark was thin, he had a nervous strength almost equal to that
of his stouter companion.
"We must set all the brakes we can!" Jack cried. "That's the only way to
stop the runaway train!"
With their small arms they twisted the wheel on the box car. They got it
as tight as they could, then ran along the top of the vehicle to the next
one. About ten cars down they saw their friendly brakeman.
"That's the stuff, boys!" he shouted. "There'll be a smash-up if we don't
stop the cars!"
He was twisting wheels with all his might. As fast as they could the
two boys went from car to car, setting the brakes.
But in spite of their efforts, and the efforts of another brakeman besides
the one they had spoken to, the speed of the runaway freight train
increased. The grade was a steep one, and down the hill the
uncontrolled cars rushed.
"I don't believe we're going to stop," said Jack.
"Shall we jump?" asked Mark.
"Not if you want to get a job in the mill or factory," replied Jack. "I
reckon if you or I jumped that would be the last of us."
With a rush and a roar the train continued to speed along. The trees and
telegraph poles whizzed past so quickly as to be almost invisible.
"I guess this is Millville," said Mark, as the runaway train passed a
station, on several sides of which there were large buildings to be seen.

So fast was the runaway train going now that the boys had to lie down
on their faces and cling to the run-boards on top of the box car to avoid
being jolted off. The wind fairly whistled in their ears. Through the
town they rushed, observing, as by a flash, the white, frightened face of
the station agent as he watched them go past.
"Do you think there'll be a smash-up?" asked Mark.
"I don't see how it can be avoided," replied Jack. "This track has to
come to an end somewhere. When it does, look out, that's all!"
On and on rushed the train! It's speed was now fearful, for the down
grade had increased. It was of no avail to twist the brakes, for no
strength would avail to slacken the awful speed. The boys, in common
with the brakemen, could only cling and wait in terror for what was to
come.
The cars swayed as they went around a curve. Jack lifted his head and
peered forward.
"Hold fast!" he shouted. "We're going to strike something in a minute!"
He had looked up in time to see that the track siding came to an abrupt
end about a quarter of a mile further on, the rails stopping in a sand
bank.
Hardly had the boys time to take a tighter grip with their fingers on