| Show A sleigh bido lor for life the month of february was drawing to a close there hai in I 1 been it a thaw with it warm drizzling rain nun all day but just before dark the wind f hanged changed and groat great masses of inky clouds rolled ephom tho the northwest it II gre grew woold calil very rapidly aal an I 1 before 9 0 clock tho the soft bolt hail had become it frozen mass of 0 ioe ice the ibe morning dawned clear and bright with the tha mercury only lour four degrees above zero frosty particles glittered in the tha air antl anil tho the cleared fields field a at the baso base of the ilia dis dig tint flat blue blua mountain seemed eased cased in fetters ol of ice boys boya 11 said eaid father rising from the table aa and going where tho warm fire was glowing like molten gold in in tile the open grato grate 11 cant can t you take mr fort fon toua tons sleigh home this morning as yon go goto to school 2 its down hill bill mosto most of tho the way nod and you yon can draw it easily by hand you yon will have plenty of time before school commences and nil ihn not bo be bothe bothered reil to como come home with the hor hows fieg of course wo could tako take it just as well fig as not john was 17 and I 1 was 19 halo hale and ana hearty end and with our strength of muscle null and ambitious spirits wo we undoubtedly felt as most mosi y oung men of that age do that wo we were a full team 1 I for almost anything tile tho long yellow sleigh eleigh with w ith three calida salida leavy an an in front was soon goon nt at the door the dinner basket aud anti books were placed therein and each took lis place at the pole for a trial brisk run rim along tho the icy road let mo me say one word to you yon boys before you goi go roid father coming out upon the stone steps dont undertake to ride down hill bill its aey and its dangerous remember what I 1 tell 11 you yon 11 all AH right we replied in concert conceit as aa we started on a run ran tho the halt half mile that intervened between our place and the school bousa bassoon waa was soon passed A number her of girls und and boys were binning a about bon nt the yard na as wo we came up for a sleigh ride a gana in ino 0 old fashioned gool good anol I 1 shouted as aa we halted before tho the door cone come boys and girls get in load up the old ohl sleigh and go down to mr fentons jentons Fen tons with ns well 1711 bit have I 1 a a glorious time anti and we can a n all get back before school commences comel alas aim in ia our moments of excitement find and hilarity how soon was the ad man monition of a kind father forgotten I 1 11 Goo dl ejaculated harry Hig gara bt battening toning up his coat and drawing on ilis hid mittens 11 girls ret get your cloaks and built bundle up antl and well have a half hours tan fan fit lor for a king la in lose less than fire minutes the long sleigh waa well filled with a laughing merry crowd and we were ready to start billy youth smith stood blood up in fix front froat to I 1 hold tho the pole and two of af the larger I 1 boys b took their places on tho the sides to j steer ia herb martin stopped stepped behind and pushed unshed the ilia sleigh aleigh two or three rods as fast its as ho he coald run and then leaped aboard we were fairly under way before we wa hail had passed over ton ten rods I 1 began to see eee that wo we had bail undertaken a j dangerous rile on wo flaw gather j ing speed faster and faster wi with theyer every ar rod we over until the tha keen air blow in ia our faces find and the bo trees und and fences seemed to dash patt past us at an am amazing zing rato rate of speed what if wo we should happen to meet a loaded vehicle 7 I 1 could sot not help shuddering at the thought tho the boys who worn acting as steersman steersmen steers men were stout follows fellows who know their duty well but I 1 noticed they already lad had hard bard work and the sleigh with its heavy load of human freight was getting beyond their control we had not taken into consider apiou aaion tho the icy road and the weight of the load that was propelling the smooth steel eleigh shoes with almost irro brosia sisti tibia power r wo a had bad a good mile mila of down grada to ride and scarce a quartet quarter of the distance ilal had yet been passed A short way below us ua the road made au an abrupt turn tam to tho the right around a faur of the atee bleed bleep I 1 p bill side bide tile ground had bad slid away on tho the lower side aido of the ibo road around this tarn and aa almost sheer yawned dawned below for more than ya 50 0 iad feet could wo we mako make the tum lim W wo had little time lima to think A loaded landed sleigh bad passed along the iho road tho he night before and tho the runners had haa cut deep furrows in tho the soft which was LOW cow frozen liko like adamant doubt leal lea i these aided greatly in keeping our sleigh in proper position politico we wa dashed around tho the CIS n barous tarn liko like wib wild are I 1 shad I 1 ore as aa I 1 nn an instantaneous dumpso of the he tall treetops tree troa tops below anlow ID tt mid lower still too ti w eli duster tater of vii willona ws that hint lierl llie ilia ny icy awro of tile i iver kt at tho ii bianto moment ft a cobit tim of t whito steam shot lit front from ilia toot foot 0 of if ilia imek directly direct balow its the brill liall of ilia rung in our onto curs it wn was tho iho up tip dinall train ita approach to ilia lot the kroml extended along ulong the steel lull hill hillside Bide in fit a southwest Hoath west direction loc for hall half it milo mile or more when it crosso I 1 tile near tho the toot foot of ilia do scout in IB many places tile tho rocks hatt been sliced down to 10 or cr CO 50 toot foot to form thy the roadbed cicil aud and a precipitous calitr extending below lo 10 tho the railroad trach nock anti neek we KO how flow bulong ulong even with the graat niton iron monster below it wits it itilia ibl run race for life lor for if wo we nit met the ibo train ut ilia croos cribbing ilig no curt lily live its the 1 ho engineer briw its daniul taia promptly sounded Boun deil tile danger bignal sharp anti and distinct it ning alarmingly in our ears earb like the knell of approaching death tho the steersman cramped grant iod the sido side of the sleigh with the energy of do ae impair anil and betting their teeth together togi tog thor ethor mado a lat last concentrated effort cal ort to check our lightning like career brit ant ilia moment their feet deot touched tho the surface they were thrown violenta violen violently tl y upward nearly jerkich jerk ico them hem from their positions and the mad runaway rail away sleigh dashed on as an before the engineer seeing our oar tit antion hi as wo we afterwards learned opened the th throttle and throw threw on every ponna ol of steam the tha engine wig was made to bear rearing fearing for our lives ha be mailo the effort to pass tho the crossing uio saing before we reached there it wu an ail awful moment the sleigh track tholf ppul behind Us ua liko like silver rib ribbons rillions lions bud and the stumps bull and corners of 0 fences fencer seemed to dash past us like huhes of lightning lit tio pieces of 0 from the ilia roud road bod ilow flow fully iu in our oar fuses faces and the wind blow so hard wo we cougil Bear scarcely coly Lr breathe eatho oil ob how bow forcibly did fathers kind w words 0 adm of warning comeback to our recollection reco ol 1 now null nuil pierce lour out ent heart with mental angui anguish 1 thoughts 0 homa und eternity passed vividly through our minds in quick succession the tha girls cesped cl each ot liora hands and mth staring stil ting eyes ond and bated baled breath troublingly ugly a awaited iva cited the broad moment A moment only wo had to think chinh und and wo were at the crossing and tho the crisis was ut at hand tho eleigh struck wo llo iron rails just a head of 0 tho the cowcatcher cow catcher and with a sudden leaped forward find and upward there was a frightful clanging and biasing around us and a deafening screech from the hateam calves as aa we lettl iod the tha track TIB the hot breath ot of sho ilia fiery monster fairly swept ja ia our faces us as wo before him and he even left his mark in the shape of a iciak nud aud deep indentation on tho the rear of 0 tile tho sleigh blei gh box tho the girls uttered at wild shriek of despair anil two of them fainted in each others arms billy smith bank down pale and trembling and the steersman steers men tottered and shook as though their almost palsied limbs were veto struck with deathly wea weakness liness it wis all over however howar er wo had won the race we were nt at tho the bottom of the tha hill and wo were sale safe the engineer and swung their huts hats and a score ot of handkerchiefs handkerchief a flattered ut fit the car windows as they dashed past us ns but we were too much frightened unit ind ox cited to return tho congratulation 0 oar ar rato rate of speed diminished rapidly as an wo we crossed the he little flat and shortly after wo we struck the ascending grade ceased altogether tho the shock to our nervous systems hail had been considerable but wo coon boon recuperated aud while the girls slowly wended their way back to the schoolhouse school house drew draw the sleigh to its destination we returned to the schoolroom school room that morning ten minutes lato late tho the to teacher acher had heard beard the story of our narrow escape but bat did not mention it to us then perhaps our blanched faces and nery ous gl glances neon revea loil 1 l the fact that wo we hail had loi learned lynea a lesson lessen wo we were not soon to forgot ayo aye so it wital was ton for weeks otter after that exciting event 1 I often saw iu in my dreams the great lesoing iron steed just nat dashing upon mo and with the alarming it g 0 ot atho abo athum whistle I 1 would g give i v 0 back ill tho answer with a despairing I 1 I 1 at trick shriek and awa iwako ko trembling with mortal terror rather father kindly forgive u us a w when hen he 1 heard an rd of I 1 it t but bat it was tho the last of our riding down hill bill and from that day to this I 1 cannot witness the sport anywhere noar near the railway without recalling my tearful fearful experience w when hen so many of 0 us its passed throngs sli such a narrow carroi v from a death so horrible l jasper 1 jennings Jon ninga in |
