delay, and set out for thenext station, Calhoun, atterrible speed, hoping toreach that point before theexpress, which was behindtime, should arrive. Thenine miles which we had totravel were left behind inless than the same numberof minutes! The expresswas just pulling out, but,hearing our whistle, backedbefore us until we wereable to take the side track ;it stopped, however, in sucha manner as completely toclose up the other end ofthe switch. The two trains,side by side, almost touchedeach other, and our precip-itate arrival caused naturalsuspicion. Many searchingquestions were asked whichhad to be answered beforewe could get the oppor-tunity of proceeding. We, in the box car, couldhear the altercation and were almost sure that afight would be necessary before the conductorwould consent to “pull up ” in order to let us out.Here, again, our position was most critical, for thepursuers were rapidly approaching.
Fuller and Murphy saw the obstruction of thebroken rail, in time to prevent wreck, by reversingtheir engine; but the hindrance was for thepresent insuperable. Leaving all their menbehind, they started for a second foot-race.Before they had gone far they met the train wehad passed at Adairsville and turned it back afterus. At Adairsville they dropped the cars, and,with locomotive and tender loaded with armedmen, they drove forward at the highest speedpossible. They knew that we were not manyminutes ahead, and trusted to overhaul us beforethe express train could be safely passed.
But Andrews had told the powder story again,with all his skill, and had added a direct request inperemptory form to have the way opened beforehim, which the Confederate conductor did not seefit to resist; and just before the pursuers arrivedat Calhoun we were again under way. Stoppingonce more to cut wires and tear up the track, wefelt a thrill of exhilaration to which we had longbeen strangers. The track was now clear beforeus to Chattanooga ; and even west of that city wehad good reason to believe that we would find noother train in the way till we had reached Mitchel’slines. If one rail could now be lifted we would bein a few minutes at Oostenaula bridge, and, thatburned, the rest of the task would be little morethan simple manual labor, with the enemy abso-lutely powerless. We worked with a will.
But in a moment the tables were turned! Notfar behind we heard the scream of a locomotivebearing down upon us at lightning speed! Themen on board were in plain sight and well armed!Two minutes —perhaps one —• would have removed
I'UllSUEltS OFF THE TRACK.
the rail at which we were toiling; then the gamewould have been in our own hands, for there wasno other locomotive beyond that could be turnedback after us. But the most desperate effortswere in vain. The rail was simply bent, and wehurried to our engine and darted away, while re-morselessly after us thundered the enemy.
Now the contestants were in clear view, and amost exciting race followed. Wishing to gain a littletime for the burning of the Oostenaula bridge wedropped one car, and shortly after, another; butthey were “picked up” and pushed ahead to Besacastation. We were obliged to run over the high tres-tles an d covered bridge at that point without a pause.This was the first failure in the work assigned us.
The Confederates could not overtake and stopus on the road, but their aim was to keep closebehind so that we might not be able to damagethe road or take in wood or water. In the formerthey succeeded, but not the latter. Both engineswere put at the highest rate of speed. We wereobliged to cut the wire after every station passed,in order that an alarm might not be sent ahead,and we constantly strove to throw our pursuer offthe track or to obstruct the road permanently insome way so that we might be able to burn theChiekamauga bridges, still ahead. The chancesseemed good that Fuller aud Murphy would bewrecked. We broke out the end of our last boxcar and dropped cross-ties on the track as we ran,thus checking their progress and getting farenough ahead to take in wood and water at twoseparate stations. Several times we almost lifteda rail, but each time the coming of the Confed-erates, within rifle range, compelled us to desistand speed on. Our worst hindrance was the rain.The previous day (Friday) had been clear, with ahigh wund, and on such a day fire would have beeneasily and tremendously effective. But to-day abridge could be burned only with abundance offuel and careful nursing.
voi„ II. 46