Marion Marlowe on the Prairie, or, A Thrilling Ride Across Kansas — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

20 the throttle, I mean? There is surely noth- ing to run over out here on the prairie.” The grim engineer smiled at her as he re- plied - : “"Tain’t aflus what’s ahead of us, it’s what's behind,” he said, pointing to the bell rope. “A jerk of that rope means to stop her, quick. Don’t do ter have yer hand too far from ther throttle!” | “You mean that the conductor might sig- nal,” said Marion, a littleswonderingly. ‘But what should make him do that when there aren't any stations?” Dr. Brookes was thinking of the warning that Ajax had given him, so he put his lips close to Marion’s*ear andaanswered her ques- tion : “Something might go wrong: in the train, There might be robbers aboard or something like that. Suppose anything should catch on fire, they would have to stop instantly.” “Or, if any one should fall off,” added the fireman, who had just crawled in from the coal bunker. “People do sometimes, you know, and we'd want ter stop fer ’em!” Marion shuddered at his words, for the train was going like lightning. There would be little use in going back for any one who fell off at that minute. - “Do yer want ter run her, miss?” asked the engineer, suddenly. Marion’s eyes flashed joyfully, as she com- prehended the question. The next moment she moved forward*and put her white hand on the throttle. “When I tell yer ter slow her down yer kin move her so,” he explained, as his hand closed over Marion’s; “an’, ef yer want ter yo faster, why, move her so!” “Oh, I don’t believe I'll ever care to go faster!” cried Marion, laughing, but she moved the lever as she was told, and then her cheeks paled a little; it was such a won- derful thing to be able to control the iron monster, “Td like to learn all about it,”’ she said, as she paid strict attention to what the engineer was telling her. “Tt might come in handy some time, and a person can wever know too much, When I have a Uttie time, I shall cer- tainly learn engineering.” MY QUEEN. “Yer doin’ all right now,” said the engi. neer, laughing. He had edged a little to one side, so he could look at her squarely. The young girl’s beautiful hair had burst all bonds now and it was waving in lovely ringlets all over her shoulders. | Her great gray eyes were scintillating with © excitement, and the flush upon her face made _ it exceedingly beautiful. It was almost the proudest moment of her life, and when the engineer told her to slow down a little, she did it promptly, although it was several sec- onds before she understood his motive. _ A long line of smoke had appeared in the distance, and as the engineer resumed his_ hold on the throttle, he drew his train care- ‘ fully over a switch, and an express from Den- _ ver thundered past them. Marion held her breath as she saw it coming, for it seemed to her that a collision was inevitable. ‘““*Ships. that pass in the night’ are not in it with that,’ laughed the doctor, in her ear. “Just think of it, Marion—probably there were hots of New Yorkers on board of that - express. That is the way it goes—one meets one’s neighbors everywhere, but, in this case, we couldn't so much as bow to them.” “They are almost out of sight now,” said Marion, as she gazed after the train, then it suddenly occurred to her that her own train should be moving. ; “There’s something wrong, I cuess,” she began, but the engineer replied, briefly: “We had er minute ter spare an’ the men are lookin’ at ther boxes. It’s our only stop ‘tween Hutchinson an’ Dodge City.” “Did I gain that minute?” asked Marion, laughingly. “IT reckon you did, miss. Yer speeded her jest er little,” was the answer. “An’ she kin vo like ther wind, ef it’s a case of git thar!” Marion gazed down from her high perch, where the engineer had again placed her, and watched the trainmen a second, then took an- other survey of the rolling prairie. “Yer kin start her now, miss,” said the en- gineer, as there came a jerk of the bell rope. Marion grasped the throttle with a flush of pride, Once more they were off, over the wind-swept prairie, which was growing more beautiful with each comicboolke Eom , 4 %