footed it earlier in the
morning at Big Shanty), and left the rest of the party to mend the track.

Were they merely running on in an aimless way? Not by any means. They had
not gone very far before the freight train which Andrews had encountered
at Adairsville came groaning down the track. The two men made violent
gesticulations as signals to the engineer, and the train was slowly
stopped.

"Did you meet 'The General'?" cried Fuller.

The freight engineer told the story of the impressed powder-train that was
hurrying on to Beauregard, and of the fine-looking, imperious Confederate
who was in command.

"Well, that Confederate is a _Yankee_," came the explanation.

The freight engineer made use of some expressions which were rather
uncomplimentary to Andrews. To think that the supposed Confederate, who
had acted as if he owned the whole State of Georgia, was an enemy--a spy!
Why, the thought was provoking enough to ruffle the most placid temper.
And the engineer's natural temper was by no means placid.

"I must have your engine to catch these fellows!" said Fuller. Naturally
there was no dissent to this command. He quickly backed the train to
Adairsville, where the freight cars were dropped. Then Fuller, with engine
and tender still reversed (for there was no turn-table available), hurried
northward on the way to Calhoun station.

"This engine is a great sight better than the last one I had," said the
conductor, in a tone of exultation, to Bracken, his new engineer.

"Ah, 'The Texas' is the finest engine in the whole state," answered
Bracken, with the air of a proud father speaking of a child.

They were tearing along at a terrific speed when Bracken suddenly reversed
"The Texas" and brought her to a halt with a shock that would have thrown
less experienced men out of the cab. On the track in front of them were
some of the cross-ties which the fugitives had thrown out of their car.
Fortunately Fuller had just taken his position on the tender in front and
gave the signal the instant he saw the ties. As "The Texas" stood there,
all quivering and panting, the conductor jumped to the ground and threw
the ties from the track; then he mounted the tender again, and the engine
kept on to the northward with its smoke-stack and headlight pointed in the
opposite direction. The same program was repeated later on, where more
ties were encountered.

When "The Texas" dashed into Calhoun it had run a distance of ten miles,
in