y cars, and the engine flying on before! The cars
swayed from side to side, and the men on top sat down, as if calmly
waiting their dreadful fate. They swept round a curve, and the engineer
had a chance to look back up the line, and saw to his dismay that there
were more cars behind. A second and shorter train was fast following the
first. The train had evidently broken into three parts, and two of the
parts, one of eighteen cars, and one of nine cars, were tearing down the
grade at forty miles an hour. It was a killing pace, and growing worse
every second. It was sure death to all to keep it up much longer.
Something must be done to save engine, men, and cars.

The engine was using steam, and kept ahead of the cars; but it could not
do so much longer. What if he let them gain on him, and then time the
speed till they collided? It was a desperate experiment, but he would
try it. Slowly and very carefully he took off the steam, and ran slower.
In a moment he had the speeds just alike. Then he made the pace of the
engine a little less, and a little less, while the roaring and swaying
train came nearer and nearer. Both were still flying down the grade at a
fearful pace. The men on the cars watched the engine sharply. They saw
what the engineer meant to do. If he succeeded, he would save their
lives--provided he could let the cars strike the engine, could hitch on,
and then pull ahead before the train behind smashed into them from the
rear. On and on flew train and engine. Slowly they drew nearer, and at
last they bumped with a gentle jar. The fireman was on the pilot all
ready to couple on. He dropped the pin in the coupling, and the men on
the car gave a ringing cheer that was heard above the roar of the train;
and the engineer opened the throttle wide, and away they dashed down the
grade, just in time to escape the train behind.

The men wanted to climb down on the engine to shake hands with the
engineer, but he motioned them back. The danger was not over. One of the
men stood on top of the caboose, with his back to the engine and his
arms extended. One of the others held him up, for the cars swayed
frightfully in the terrible pace they were going. He watched the train
following behind, and with his hands made motions to the engineer to run
slower and slower, till, with a crash, the two parts of the train came
together. This feat was not so successful as the first, as the engineer
could not see the rear cars. The engine