Page:A La California.djvu/263

Rh ning speed, upon the down grade, and the light of the locomotive head- lamp already fell upon me. Ten seconds more, and there would be a terrific crash, and a pile of broken cars ; and crushed, bleeding and dying men would burst through the side of the shed, and go rolling down the mountain side. Deadly faint, and convinced that all was nearly over, I staggered against the side of the shed, closed my eyes, and sank half down to the ground. I heard Jerky give a sudden snort of terror, and opened my eyes. He had discovered the danger at last, and comprehended it all in an instant. The train could not have been more than thirty feet from him, when he made one tremendous jump, and went through the opening. The beam caught the high Mexican saddle, tore it into fragments, and frightfully lacerated his back, but his weight, and the strength which mortal terror gave him, carried him through, and he fell in the snow outside. I sprang after him, just as the locomotive came abreast of me, and fell, trembling, exhausted and fainting beside him.

I don't think the engineer saw us at all. I did not see him, so far as I could remember afterward. It was half an hour before I could gather strength enough to regain my feet. When I did so, I got my exhausted and bleeding horse upon his legs, and replaced the wreck of the saddle upon his lacerated back, securing it, as well as I could, with some thongs cut from the edge of the rein, and my pocket-handkerchief, torn into strips, and prepared to resume my journey. In a canon, filled with the black shadow of the mountain, I saw what appeared to be the dim