“Mr. Gammon had promised to look to it that day; but he so seldom did as he would talk that we did not believe he had been near it.  If it was so, every life on the train was in peril, and, as I have said, it was then time for it to come along.

“So Mr. Baxter and I decided to signal the train, and tell them of the situation.  But it was raining hard then, the wind was blowing furiously, and our matches were damp, so we worked in vain to make a torch.  It was too dark for our flag to be seen.  We had no way to stop the train.  At that moment we heard its whistle in the distance and knew it would soon reach us.

“We were on the backbone of Trestle Summit, where, either way, the track descends at a sharp grade for over three miles.  It was nearly six miles to Woodsville; but I knew while the mail was climbing the up grade we could get well on toward the station.  So I said to Mr. Baxter: 

“’Let’s take our hand-car and go on ahead of the train.  It’s our only chance.’

“We weren’t long in getting the car upon the track.  But we had barely sprung aboard when the mail head-light burst into sight less than half a mile away!

“‘We are too late!’ gasped Mr. Baxter; and, whether from fright, excitement or illness, he fell in a swoon.

“The car had started down the grade.  Pulling Mr. Baxter on, so he would not fall off, I lent my strength to the car’s momentum, and we shot down the track like lightning.

[Illustration:  ROCK STARTED FORWARD AND UTTERED A CRY OF TERROR AS HE SAW THE GLEAM OF A HEADLIGHT AND AN ENGINE AND TRAIN.]

“In my excitement, I had forgotten that it would require my arm to hold in check the speed of the car.  In fact, it had been known to get beyond the management of its drivers at one point several times.  But I had given it a start, and it wasn’t long before it was beyond my control.  Then, all I could do was to cling to the platform, expecting every moment to be my last.  We went so fast the wheels didn’t seem to touch the tracks, only now and then, and we appeared to be flying through the air, going faster and faster.

“Glancing back once, I saw the engine-light as the train thundered over the summit, and at increased speed shot down after us!  But we were not likely to be overtaken, going at our flying rate.

“How the hand-car kept the track I do not know; but, before I could realize it, we had reached the valley, crossed Runaway Bridge, and were rushing up the ascent toward the station.

“As we began to lose speed, the train began to gain on us, and I knew the engineer was doing his best to make up for lost time.

“For the last half-mile it looked as though we should be overtaken, but we came in with the cow’s nose at our heels.

“I told them what we had done, and as soon as they got over their surprise a party went ahead to examine the bridge.”

“Well, what was the result?” asked the superintendent, who had listened with great interest to the boy’s thrilling, yet straightforward, account of his hazardous ride.  “You took a fearful risk.”