170 



RECREATION. 



my surroundings. Gradually, the events 

 of the day and night came back to me. 

 It occurred to me that I must have slept 

 a long time, and that it must be near 

 the hour when I should be called for the 

 train I was to take. It also occurred to 

 me that the night clerk might have for- 

 gotten me, and yet I felt, after the strict 

 injunction I had given him, that it was 

 almost impossible ; and I argued to 

 myself that I might as well enjoy such 

 sleep and rest as I could, and depend 

 upon his promise to see that I was called 

 in time. 



Just at this moment I heard what 

 seemed to be the distant sound of a lo- 

 comotive whistle far away over the lake. 

 Half rising in bed I listened intently 

 and became convinced I was not mis- 

 taken. I could hear the hoo — t, hoo — t, 

 hoo — t, hoot, hoot as the train ap- 

 proached some highway crossing. I 

 jumped from my bed, struck a match 

 and looked at my watch : 3:24 ! Great 

 Scott ! I cried ; is it possible the clerk 

 has forgotten my call and that this is 

 the train ? It can't be more than three 

 or four miles away at this moment. The 

 match went out, I groped about for an- 

 other, struck it, attempted to light the 

 lamp and it also went out. I lighted 

 another and another, and finally suc- 

 ceeded in lighting the lamp. The noise 

 of the fast approaching train could now 

 be distinctly heard. I could hear its 

 crash as it rushed over a cattle guard or 

 rattled across some culvert, then its 

 noise would be deadened for an instant 

 as it passed through some cut, and then 

 in a moment more I could hear the 

 thunder of its wheels ring out with grow- 

 ing distinctness, as it dashed on to the 

 lake-side. Good heavens, thought I, 

 I am left ; I never can make it ; the 

 clerk has forgotten all about me ; and 

 instead of being at Bayville at ten in 

 the morning I shall be at least 100 miles 

 away, shall miss my engagement and 

 keep a hundred people waiting. Hoo — t, 

 hoo — t, hoot, hoot, was the merciless 

 answer of the locomotive as it came 

 thundering on, on, on — apparently not 

 more than half a mile now, from the 



station. I jumped into my clothes, as 

 best I could, and with the ever nearing 

 sound of the locomotive thundering in 

 my ears, laced my shoes sufficiently to 

 keep them on my feet, and threw on 

 the remainder of my clothing. There 

 was no time for ablutions, and the train 

 at this moment gave the long whistle 

 signifying its approach to the station. I 

 knew it was an express, that it was 

 carrying a large load of tourists to the 

 northern resorts, and that its halt at a 

 small station like Carrolton, at that hour 

 in the morning, was likely to be short ; 

 that the most I could hope for would 

 be to reach the rear platform of the 

 last car, throw on my grip, fall on 

 myself, if I could, and then be in 

 great luck. 



Hastily throwing my night shirt and 

 other things into my grip I dashed down 

 the stairs, two steps at a time and ran 

 into the office. No one was there, al- 

 though the office was brilliantly lighted. 

 I ran through at full speed. Neither 

 the clerk nor his friends were visible 

 about the place, but as I made a break 

 for the train and had nearly reached the 

 door, he, who had apparently been with 

 his companions in the room back of the 

 office, rushed out to learn the cause of 

 the disturbance. I asked him to inform 

 me how much he thought I owed him 

 for getting me left ? He made a running 

 estimate of the amount due for lodging, 

 and I told him if he wanted it he would 

 probably have to go to Bayville, as I 

 didn't propose to be left by his negli- 

 gence in that one horse town. 



I reached the station, the clerk a 

 good second, and just as I landed on 

 the platform the incoming train came to 

 a sudden stop with a swi — sh, and a 

 grinding of the brakes. 



I attempted to leap on the platform, 

 but the brakeman headed me off with a 

 rude grasp at my arm, and a " where 

 you goin' ?" 



" To Bayville," I gasped. 



" Well, this ain't your train. This is 

 number four, going South. Your train 

 '11 be here in five minutes." 



