Wicked No. 7 [pp. 505-523]

5o6 WICKED No. 7. [Jan.,
Heaven!`twill be my turn next. That locomotive has killed
three men already, you know-good, worthy members of the
Brotherhood-and she tried her level best to kill you." "Pshaw!
don't talk nonsense," said Shippen. "No. 7 is a tip-top machine.
Accidents will happen." " Well, what made her act as she did
when you got hurt?" asked the fireman. "Surely you're not in
earnest, are you?" said Shippen. "I am," said Barnes, thumping his knee with his fist, which made little Bobby burst into
another fit of laughter. "I tell you No. 7 has a devil in her, and
-and if I didn't like the man who drives her, and whose name is
Robert Shippen, not another trip would I make on her; I think
too much of my life."
The following evening Shippen wended his way to the~engine
yard, where No. 7 was hissing and paliting for him to arrive, and
where his fireman was very glad to see him. "For I do hate to
be alone on this machine," said Barnes. "Why, ever since I've
been getting up steam I've-" "Bah! bah!" interrupted Shippen, as he perched himself upon his elevated seat on one side of
the cab. "Don't talk nonsense. Off she goes!" And so saying,
he pressed his hand against the throttle-lever and brought the
locomotive to her place at the head of the train, which was a
pretty heavy one: three express-cars, seven sleepers, and two
bag~age-cars, and several of the cars had come all the way from
the Pacific. The depot presented a lively, bustling scene.
Please tell me, sir, does this train stop at Casey? "inquired
a young woman with a gun resting on her arm, and addressing
Shippen, who had alighted to take one more look at his enginethe grim, iron monster, with huge six-foot driving-wheels; and
more than one impatient traveller paused to admire No. 7.
"No, miss, this is the lightning express," answered Shippen.
"Too bad! " ejaculated Lizzie Elder. "I want so much to get
home to-night with my brother Jiull'S rifle." "Sorry, but you
can't be in Casey till to-morrow," pursued the engineer.
"Too bad!" repeated Lizzie. "Well, I am sorry, truly sorry,
that we don't stop there," said Shippen, glancing up at the big
clock-four minutes yet. At this moment an oldish woman approached, carrying a bundle which on nearer view proved to be
a baby. "What! brought Bobby here to get one mor~ kiss out
of me?" exclaimed Shippen, smiling and rubbing his greasy
beard all over the child's face, which Bobby greatly enjoyed; for
he laughed and thrust out his tiny hands toward Lizzie Elder,
who was very fond of children, and this was such a bouncer!
She could not help pausing to look at it; she might never see it