gang, gang, gang,
gang, gang-- He threw a hasty glance at the two blackish-brown rings;
four steps further and he could again see the cart. The next time----

"Stand straight in front of the station and let the train pass!" sounded
close behind him. He obeyed mechanically.

"Nearer to the house--right against the wall!" He obeyed.

All his muscles tightened. If he could now take a leap forward and
manage to get hold of something--a railing or something--as the train
rushed by, then they could shoot as much as they liked. A rumbling and
roaring noise reached his ears, and he could hear the increasing thunder
of the wheels on the rails, the noise of the bell--gang, gang,
gang--growing more and more distinct. The engine, with its long row of
clattering cars behind, assumed gigantic dimensions before his wide-open
eyes.

Not a sound came from the house; now the rails trembled; now he heard
the hissing of the steam and the rattle of the rods; he saw the little
curls of steam playing above the dome of the boiler. Like a black wall,
the express came nearer, rushing, rumbling, hammering along the tracks.
Yes, he would jump now--now that the engine was almost in front of him!
The rush of air almost took his breath away. Now!

The engineer popped his head out of the little cab-window. Now! Tom bent
double, and, with one tremendous leap he was across the narrow platform
in front of his shanty, and flew like a ball against the line of rushing
cars, of railings and steps and wheels. He felt his hand touching
something--nothing but flat, smooth surfaces. At last! He had caught
hold of something! With a tremendous swing, Tom's body was torn to the
left, and his back banged against something. Something in his body
seemed to give way. As in a dream, he heard two shots ring out above the
fearful noise of the roaring train.

Too late! Tom was clinging to a railing between two cars and being
dragged relentlessly along. He was almost unconscious, but could hear
the wheels squeaking under the pressure of the brakes as he was hurled
to and fro. But his hand held fast as in a vise. The wheels scraped,
squeaked, and groaned. The train began to slow down! He had won! The
train stood still.

Tom's body fell on the rail between two cars, almost lifeless; he heard
a lot of steps all about him; people spoke to him and asked him
questions. But his jaws were shut as if paralyzed; he couldn't speak a
word. He felt the neck of a bottle being pu