A Brakeman's Thanksgiving

"Did we have any Thanksgiving at our house!"' replied the brakeman, echoing an englneer's inquiry. "Well, I should say we did. I had a lay off that iay. The night before carne near laying me ofl forever, too. Didn't yon hear alxut that? Fnnniest thing that ever happened on the road. As I was coming In on the lnst section of 57, I having the rear end, 1 went up ahead to speak to the conductor, who was on the engine. It was as dark as a stack of black cats before the moon rose. As I was going back I slipped on a broken foot board right it tha end of one ot those infernal refrigeratot care, and feil. I couldn't see a hand before me, but I knew I was golng down. 1 clutched for the hand rail, but falled tn reach it, lost my balance, and went down between the airs, breaking my fiill by a one hand grasp on the brake rod. I knew whiit that meant. It camc over me like a flash. It wus denth, and I knew it. My flrst thought was of my wife and babe- of wliat a Thnnksgiving diuner they would Imve with the ttirkey tha miperintendent had sent tis. and me H-lyin' in the little front mom all cold. I can't teil yon all I thought iuthatsecond, and 1 wouldn't f I eould. It was awful. 1 can reinember striking the ground. I struck on my feet, my efforts to grasp the hand rail and my half grip on the brake rod having started my feet down flrst The horror of that shock. Qnicker t.han you can wink the thought ran rhrough my brain that in the next instant I would be crushed by the wheels of the dozen cars behind mo. But I wasn't. I feil headlong on the ground and rolled over and over, bruised and stunned, but conscious. I couldn't reahze whythe other cars didn't. rnn over me. I waited for them, second by second. It seemed liours. Soon I roused, Rcrambled to my feet, and fonnd that there were nn cars nitor me. The train had broken in two and I had fallen off the rear end. One of my arms was trribly sprained. also my left ankle, and I was bruised a gnod deal, but I conld walk. There was my lantern by me. Jnst then I remembered tliat the tlirough expres was following our sectlon. and that there was no one on the caboase t. fias T hohblert, almost crawled, back abont thrce quarters of a mile and found our missiiiR cars standing in a curve and a cut wliere the expresa would surely have telesooped 'em, and got there just in time to signal the expreas and stop it. Next day I was able to Bit up in bed and eat turkey and receive the superintendent, who called to say that I should be promoted the flrst of the year."