had never seen a man betray such a peculiar aptness amid machinery
as he did. He let on the steam in an instant, but yet with care and
judgment, and he backed up to the baggage carriage with the most exact
nicety.

8. I had seen enough to assure me that he was thoroughly acquainted with
the business, and I felt composed once more. I gave my engine up to the
new man, and then hastened away to the office. Word was passed for all the
passengers to take their seats, and soon afterward I waved my hand to the
engineer. There was a puff, a groaning of the heavy axletrees, a trembling
of the building, and the train was in motion. I leaped upon the platform
of the guard carriage, and in a few minutes more the station house was far
behind us.

9. In less than an hour we reached Dirschau, where we took up the
passengers, that had come on the Konigsberg railway. Here I went forward
and asked Kroller how he liked the engine. He replied that he liked it
very much. "But," he added, with a strange sparkling of the eye, "wait
until I get my improvement, and then you will see traveling. Why, I could
run an engine of my construction to the moon in four and twenty hours?"

10. I smiled at what I thought his enthusiasm, and then went back to my
station. As soon as the Konigsberg passengers were all on board, and their
baggage carriage attached, we started on again. Soon after, I went into
the guard carriage and sat down. An early train from Konigsberg had been
through two hours before, and was awaiting us at Little Oscue, where we
took on board the Western mail.

11. "How we go," uttered one of the guards, some fifteen minutes after we
had left Dirschau. "The new engineer is trying the speed," I replied, not
yet having any fear. But ere long I began to apprehend he was running a
little too fast. The carriages began to sway to and fro, and I could hear
exclamations of fright from the passengers. "Good heavens!" cried one of
the guards, coming in at that moment, "what is that fellow doing? Look,
sir, and see how we are going."

12. I looked at the window, and found that we were dashing along at a
speed never before traveled on that road. Posts, fences, rocks, and trees
flew by in one undistinguished mass, and the carriages now swayed
fearfully. I started to my feet, and met a passenger on the platform. He
was one of the chief owners of our road, and was just on his way to
Berlin. He was pale and excited.

13. "Sir," he gasped, "is Marti