They were going to cut us off. We cut the engine
loose, put fourteen men up on the tender, and Brainerd and I started
back with them. The engine was going head on, having backed out from the
city, and Bob let her put for all she was worth. Just at 62nd street
there is a long sweeping curve and we were coming around it like a
streak of blue lightning, when all at once we saw the crowd just in the
act of pulling the sleeper over on our track. There was no time to lose
and the command "Fire" was sharply given. "Bang," rang out the
Springfields, one or two of the mob dropped to the ground, the rest let
go of the ropes and ran like scared cats, and the car tottered back in
its original place. Redway had shut off steam and was slowing down under
ordinary air, when all at once there was a dull deafening roar, and then
for me--oblivion. I was only stunned and when I regained consciousness
looked around and saw the men slowly regaining their feet. Redway was
not killed, but the shock and concussion of the detonation of the
dynamite made him lose his speech and he was bleeding profusely at the
nose and ears.
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