the
banks giving out. The night was intensely dark, and the winds moaned
piteously through the deep gorges of the mountains. Some of my
passengers were trying to sleep, others were talking in a low voice, to
relieve the monotony of the scene. Mothers had their children upon their
knees, as if to shield them from some unknown danger without.

It was near midnight, when a sharp whistle from the engine brought me to
my feet. I knew there was danger by that whistle, and sprang to the
brakes at once, but the brakesmen were all at their posts, and soon
brought the train to a stop. I seized my lantern and found my way
forward as soon as possible, when what a sight met my gaze! A bright
fire of pine logs illuminated the track for some distance, and not over
forty rods ahead of our train a horrible gulf had opened its maw to
receive us!

The snow, together with the rain, had torn the whole side of the mountain
out, and eternity itself seemed spread out before us. The widow Graff
and her children had found it out, and had brought light brush from their
home below, and built a large fire to warn us of our danger. They had
been there more than two hours watching beside that beacon of safety. As
I went up where that old lady stood drenched through by the rain and
sleet, she grasped my arm and cried:

"Thank God! Mr. Sherbourn, we stopped you in time. I would have lost my
life before one hair of your head should have been hurt. Oh, I prayed to
heaven that we might stop the train, and, my God, I thank thee!"

The children were crying for joy. I confess I don't very often pray, but
I did then and there. I kneeled down by the side of that good old woman,
and offered up thanks to an All Wise Being for our safe deliverance from
a most terrible death, and called down blessings without number upon that
good old woman and her children. Near by stood the engineer, fireman,
and brakesmen, the tears streaming down their bronzed cheeks.

I immediately prevailed upon Mrs. Graff and the children to go back into
the cars out of the storm and cold. After reaching the cars I related
our hair-breadth escape, and to whom we were indebted for our lives, and
begged the men passengers to go forward and see for themselves. They
needed no further urging, and a great many of the ladies went also,
regardless of the storm. They soon returned, and their pale faces gave
full evidence of the frightful death we had escaped. The ladies and
ge