rhaps a stock-yard and section house
once in a while, but generally without buildings or even switch lights.

Noting the approach of the storm, I let the heavy engine drop the
faster, hoping to reach a certain sidetrack, over twenty miles away,
where there was a telegraph operator, and learn from him the condition
of the road. But the storm was faster than any consolidator that
Baldwins ever built, and as the lightning suddenly ceased and the air
became heavy, hot, and absolutely motionless, I realized that we would
have the storm full upon us in a few moments. I had nothing to meet for
more than thirty miles, and there was nothing behind me; so I stopped,
turned the headlight up, and hung my white signal lamps down below the
buffer-beams each side of the pilot--this to enable me to see the ends
of the ties and the ditch.

Billy Howell, my fireman, and a good one, hastily went over the
boiler-jacket with signal oil, to prevent rust; we donned our gum coats;
I dropped a little oil on the "Mary Ann's" gudgeon's, and we proceeded
on our way without a word. On these big consolidators you cannot see
well ahead, past the big boiler, from the cab, and I always ran with my
head out of the side window. Both of us took this position now, standing
up ready for anything; but we bowled safely along for one mile--two
miles, through the awful hush. Then, as sudden as a flash of light,
"boom!" went a peal of thunder as sharp and clear as a signal gun.
There was a flash of light along the rails, the surface of the desert
seemed to break out here and there with little fitful jets of
greenish-blue flame, and from every side came the answering reports from
the batteries of heaven, like sister gunboats answering a salute. The
rain fell in torrents, yes, in sheets. I have never, before or since,
seen such a grand and fantastic display of fireworks, nor heard such
rivalry of cannonade. I stopped my engine, and looked with awe and
interest at this angry fit of nature, watched the balls of fire play
along the ground, and realized for the first time what a sight was an
electric storm.

As the storm commenced at the signal of a mighty peal of thunder, so it
ended as suddenly at the same signal; the rain changed in an instant
from a torrent to a gentle shower, the lightning went out, the batteries
ceased their firing, the breeze commenced to blow gently, the air was
purified. Again we heard the signal peal of thunder, but it seemed a
great way