e, it seemed, for
passing birds. In that outstretching wire their most
imminent danger lurked. Fast as they might go, it could
flash the news of their exploit a thousand-fold faster. The
flight of the lightning news-bearer must be stopped. The
train was halted a mile or two from the town, the pole
climbed, the wire cut. Danger from this source was at an
end. Halting long enough to tear up the rail to whose
absence Conductor Fuller owed his somersault, they sprang to
their places again and the runaway train sped blithely on.

Several times they stopped for wood and water. When any
questions were asked they were answered by the companion of
the engineer, James J. Andrews by name, a Union spy by
profession, the originator of and leader in this daring
enterprise.

"I am taking a train-load of powder to General Beauregard,"
was his stereotyped answer, as he pointed to the closed
box-cars behind him, within one of which lay concealed the
bulk of his confederates.

For some time they went swimmingly on, without delay or
difficulty. Yet trouble was in the air, ill-fortune awaiting
them in front, pursuing them from behind. They had, by the
fatality of unlucky chance, chosen the wrong day for their
work. Yesterday they would have found a clear track; to-day
the road ahead was blocked with trains, hurrying swiftly
southward.

At Kingston, thirty miles from Big Shanty, this trouble came
upon them in a rush. A local train was to pass at that
point. Andrews was well aware of this, and drew his train
upon the siding to let it pass, expecting when it had gone
to find the road clear to Chattanooga. The train came in on
time, halted, and on its last car was seen waving the red
danger-flag, the railroad signal that another train was
following close behind. Andrews looked at this with no
friendly eyes.

"How comes it," he asked the conductor, somewhat sharply,
"that the road is blocked in this manner, when I have orders
to take this powder to Beauregard without delay?"

"Mitchel has taken Huntsville," answered the conductor.
"They say he is coming to Chattanooga. We are getting
everything out of there as quickly as we can."

This looked serious. How many trains might there be in the
rear? A badly-blocked road meant ruin to their enterprise
and possibly death to themselves. They waited with intense
anxiety, each minute of delay seeming to stretch almost into
an hour. The next train came. They watched it pass with
hopeful eye