o anything--and my papae's aboard that train! Oh, what shall
we do? What shall we do?"

"Run, honey, run!" said the old man, more hopefully. "Mebbe we'll head
her off some ways or 'nuther. Run for 't! Run!"

The dirty old black hand clasped the tender little white one, which
nestled into it gratefully. What it meant at that awful time not to be
alone,--to feel a human touch, to know that a human heart beat beside
you,--one would have to be in the child's place to understand.

II.

[Illustration: "AS THEY CAME ABREAST OF THE SECOND LITTLE STATION."]

THE two ran, plunging up the distorted track which swelled and shook
beneath them, toward the coming train. As they came abreast of the
second little station, known as the West End station of Summerville, an
idea shot like hope itself through the confused brain of the hurrying
boy.

"I know where the torpedoes are!" he cried, shrilly. "The torpedoes they
put down to stop trains! I've seen 'em. I play with the superintendent's
boys sometimes. If I was bigger I could bu'st open the doors and windows
and find 'em."

"I'se an ole man," shouted the Negro, "but I'se been a tough one befo'
Freedom. I sole for two thousand dollars onct. I kin smash 'most
anythin' yer give me, honey, if hi'm put to 't. If der's anythin'
wantin' to be bu'sted to stop dat ar train, I reckon I kin bu'st."

[Illustration: "I SOLE FOR TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS ONCT."]

Whirling along, in the dark and the uproar, the two panting figures
rushed against the little station. It was very dark. In a lull of the
raging earth the distant whistle of the train could be distinctly heard.

[Illustration: "THE RAGGED OLD ARM THAT FELLED IT DOWN."]

"In there!" cried the boy. "There! _There!_ Oh, don't you think perhaps
my papae took some _other_ train? Oh, she's coming! I'll help. I can
help. Oh, the door's too big for me!"

But not too big for the ragged old arm that felled it down as an axe
fells the last rings of a stricken tree. Not too big for the remnant of
strength in the once muscular slave. Not too big for the fiery old heart
that trouble and toil and hunger and loneliness had never quenched.

The door went down--glass crashed--another door yielded--two wild
figures fell into the superintendent's private office. The little one
climbed like a monkey upon a shelf he knew of, and then the two rushed
out of the rocking building into the resounding air, on which human
shrieks smote steadily, as it