United States or Kuwait ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The steam hissed as the Texas was thrown into reverse again. They swept out of the shed, pushing the two cars. The bent rail which Andrews had left as a snag in the track would have wrecked Fuller if the Texas had been traveling forward instead of backward. As it was, the cars cleared it. The snag caught on the low cow-catcher of the engine and gave the train a mighty jerk.
But when he climbed down beside the track he saw at once that the forward end of the locomotive had received more than a little injury. The pilot, or cow-catcher, looked more like an iron cobweb than it did like anything else.
"And when she bunts us, we'll jump for her cow-catcher, and five minutes later we'll be out in the glorious fresh air again." "Well, all right. If you are willing to take the risk, I am," said Jack. They reached the spot designated by Alex, and brought the car to a stand. Again came the whistle of the train. "Ready!" cried Alex. "The next time!" It came.
"It's a good thing," she went on, "that motoring wasn't invented by some grand seignor in the Middle Ages, when the rich thought no more of the poor than we do of flies, or they'd have run over every one who didn't get out of their way on the instant. They'd have had a sort of cow-catcher fitted on to their cars, to keep themselves from coming to harm, and they'd have dashed people aside, anyhow.
O'Burke's new bonnet was all smashed in the ditch, an' the bloody snort of Number Five knocked you senseless. Who would have thought that boost of the cow-catcher was jist clear good luck?
It carries the usual "cow-catcher" in front of the locomotive, but this is mere ostentation. It ought to be attached to the rear car, where it could do some good; but instead, no provision is made there for the protection of the traveling public, and hence it is not a matter of surprise that cows so frequently climb aboard that train and among the passengers.
With a jolt the engine hit the car, and in an instant the boys fell forward, grasped a smoke-box brace, and in another moment had scrambled to the top of the cow-catcher. And they were safe!
Standing horrified, and, without power to move, the two spectators saw Geoffrey still gripping his enemy's shoulders, heave himself erect in a supreme effort, then the cow-catcher on the engine's front struck them both, and Savine felt, rather than heard, a sickening sound as the huge machine swept resistlessly on.
She, too, had seen Patricia and Miss Fenler on the porch and, while she did not like Patricia, she detested the woman who seemed to enjoy spying, so her sympathy was, of course, with the pupil. "Had a scrap with the 'Fender'? I'd half a mind to say 'cow-catcher," she said. "Well, what if I did?" Patricia said, rudely, and walked on toward her room. Betty looked after her.
Do you think any one would choose such surroundings?" "You and I never wanted to go anywhere badly enough to crowd ourselves under the cow-catcher, or upon the trucks, but there were those who did.
Word Of The Day