Page 280 - AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
P. 280
Around the World in 80 Days
the snow! But soon, under a new sheet, every imprint
would be effaced.
Fix became discouraged. He felt a sort of
insurmountable longing to abandon the game altogether.
He could now leave Fort Kearney station, and pursue his
journey homeward in peace.
Towards two o’clock in the afternoon, while it was
snowing hard, long whistles were heard approaching from
the east. A great shadow, preceded by a wild light, slowly
advanced, appearing still larger through the mist, which
gave it a fantastic aspect. No train was expected from the
east, neither had there been time for the succour asked for
by telegraph to arrive; the train from Omaha to San
Francisco was not due till the next day. The mystery was
soon explained.
The locomotive, which was slowly approaching with
deafening whistles, was that which, having been detached
from the train, had continued its route with such terrific
rapidity, carrying off the unconscious engineer and stoker.
It had run several miles, when, the fire becoming low for
want of fuel, the steam had slackened; and it had finally
stopped an hour after, some twenty miles beyond Fort
Kearney. Neither the engineer nor the stoker was dead,
and, after remaining for some time in their swoon, had
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