es,
she seems to feel a thrill of life along her keel." I can fancy exactly
how that ship felt, because just as the first hiss of steam greeted my
ears and I felt that engine move, I felt a peculiar thrill run along my
keel, and my heart was in my mouth. She did not start quite fast enough
for me, so I gave the throttle another jerk, and whew! how those big
drivers did fly around! I shut her off quickly, gave her a little sand,
and started again. This time she took the rail beautifully, walking away
like a thoroughbred.

There is a little divide just outside of the El Monte yard, and then for
a stretch of about five miles, it is down grade. After this the road
winds around the river banks, with level tracks to Johnsonville, where
the double track commences. All I had to do was to get the train to the
double track, and from there a belt line engine was to take it in. Thus
my run was only thirty-five miles.

Our start was very auspicious, and when we were going along at a pretty
good gait, I pulled the reverse lever back to within one point of the
centre, and opened her up a little more. She stood up to her work just
as if she had an old hand at the throttle instead of a novice. I wish I
were able to describe my sensations as the engine swayed to and fro in
her flight. The fireman was rather an intelligent chap, and had no
trouble in keeping her hot, and twenty-three cars wasn't much of a train
for old 341. We went up the grade a-flying. When we got over the divide,
I let her get a good start before I shut her off for the down grade. And
how she did go! I thought at times she would jump the track but she held
on all right. At the foot of this grade is a very abrupt curve and when
she struck it, I thought she bounded ten feet in the air. My hat was
gone, my hair was flying in the wind, and all the first fright was lost
in the feeling of exhilaration over the fact that _I_ was the one who
was controlling that great iron monster as she tore along the track.
I--I was doing it all by myself. It was like the elixir of life to an
invalid. My fireman came ever to me at one time and said in my ear that
I'd better call for brakes or the first thing we knew we would land in
the river. Brakes! Not on your life. I didn't want any brakes, because
if she ever stopped I wasn't sure that I could get her started again. We
made the run of thirty-five miles in less than an hour, and when we
reached Johnsonville I received a message from Mr.