A Narrow Escape.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 90, 19 March 1885, Page 4

A Narrow Escape.

Our house lay near the railway. There- was a bridge about a qu.arter of a mile down the line ; between oiir house and the bridge 1 -lay the station, itust opposite' our house was a small single line which branched off to X— — ,-a small and unimportant little town : while a gap m the hegde and a jump over the ditch gave ready access to the metals. Nearly 'opposite but accross the railway was the doctor's house. One ni^ht my father was suddenly 'taken ill. About, seven o'clock or so, my mother bade me go, and fetch the doctor as quick as possible.. Off I started, when I bethought)my- ;- self,' "Now, it's half a mile tp.jhe doctor's. I can make it fifty yards by, crossing. tlip rails at the; bottom of. our gavieo-.'' ,1 w^s down theie like a shot, through :the, hedge, over ithejdiCclij/atid was jumping) accross the metals, when,, just -as I reached" the points of the branch line, they ctogcd'wit.h ■a'snap, and my* toot iii--1 side 'them as. firm' as jri a" vice. 'iJTust ,^ien Ihedrda wliiscte ariH'. a ban^- . .ing^or'doors as/ tlie ; 7.lo ' train ibr ' ..' K— -^ left the atatidn! ' ' ' s „: situation flasliecl,. upon me., ' „..., _, • ' ■ ■ ( ' ._' ";_.-,• ! . I( „, I pulled, and strained ,^t : rny. ; fo6t all to, no purposes it, was ia^t. What, to do. I didn't know* , ,l thrugt „my t hands. into my .pockets* with the ■! vain hopq of finding something. Nothing bufcaihandkerchief m them." Stay ! here m a courier w<as' a piece of wood. I pulled it out. Joy, ;it viis a"'maft:li ; I sfti-ii^ii;! struck it, what eagerness I watched the flame,' for on it depended 'my life. For I a momfehtf 1 thought' it'woUlid^go opt m the night air, but no, it quivered I a bit, grew a lM^^^eriSMWxMf' ! developed iiitd a ' respectable 1 'flame. .'Hit my cap with it, wavihgii gently [about tojnc.rease' the blaze. ', In! a of the tini^it tal^ ; ttf'rekd !: t!iis T'h'acT got; rriy: cap in i a'fiill'bliaie, i and' was waving it niadly to the' approaching.,train. : . -Hpw cruel and re|entlcss the ' front ' of th e ,engi n e . loci'k'J ed as it ca'rhb heerer . and/ nearer./ .. .Suddenly 'th'ere was a tfe'menddus and violent application of the brikfes 1 .^arks tlje wheels.. G(iod luck ! the train was, sensibly stpp,ping. „J^lieve, .me :or not, ..jiylien' that train did comq to a standstill: ib' 1 -wasnot-«n inch farther- than half; a y?rd,from. me. ; When the, guard; I carh.e j tjij jse&, what (We!: ;3»bstVji ction was he fo.undalad m, .a, dead faint accross the metals. . j j That's the only' bit of ! rdmance, m my life: notmuch, perhaps, you'lli, /Baj;, but enough to make "■■.a; [man s flesh creep all the same. j _