Through the Air to the North Pole / Or, The Wonderful Cruise of the Electric Monarch

unknown to them. All they cared for was that they were

d?" asked Jack, after he had settl

When I was all alone," the boy's voice trembled a bit, "I didn't know what to do. They wanted to send me to the poor-house, but I

o kept me as long as they could. Then I had to shift for myself. I had a good many jobs, and then I thought I'd like to be a farmer. I was sent to a place but the man wasn't very kind. He whipped me because I made a mistake and pulle

would have licked us if he h

r that. He's a good

ou boys doing the

ee a brakeman gazing down at

a ride," answe

an. "Well, I guess it will com

conductor?"

not," said th

air. "Just send the conductor here to punch our tickets. We're travelin

claimed the brakeman, climbin

his companion were safe. In a few words he told their stories,

ers of my own at home, and I hope, if ever they get in a tight p

d us about one thousand

brakeman joine

get work," put in Mark,

f at the next town. The name of it is Millville, and there are lots of factories there. Maybe you can st

tramps for a while, but we're both anxious to get wo

'll go back, and when you hear five whistles from the engine you'll know it's slo

the gondola where the boys were, until he reached the run-boards on

five whistles," said J

forget you

to the joyful mood of his companion, who never seeme

reased. Telegraph poles whizzed past at a rapid rate and the w

engineer is going to

able to jump off at t

d Mark. "There g

st cut the summer air, and vibrated b

ed Jack. "It's the call for brakes! I won

iek from the engine's whistle. It sounded appea

Mark. "We are going mu

engine, went one way, and the other part, with the gondola containing the boys, in the lead, took another track. An insecurely fastened switch was respon

with the boys aboard had

happened?"

o!" shouted Jack. "Come o

o to give it a few turns, but they managed to make the brake-shoes gr

o the top of the bo

uted Mark.

nervous strength almost equal t

an!" Jack cried. "That's the onl

t it as tight as they could, then ran along the top of the vehicle t

shouted. "There'll be a smash

ht. As fast as they could the two boys

the one they had spoken to, the speed of the runaway freight train increase

we're going to

jump?" a

or factory," replied Jack. "I reckon if yo

speed along. The trees and telegraph poles whi

runaway train passed a station, on several side

s on top of the box car to avoid being jolted off. The wind fairly whistled in their ears. Through the town the

ere'll be a smas

Jack. "This track has to come to an end som

as of no avail to twist the brakes, for no strength would avail to slacken the awful speed. Th

around a curve. Jack lifted

. "We're going to strik

ding came to an abrupt end about a quarter of a m

n the boards to which they were clinging, when the whole string of f

of wood, a rending of iron and steel, and then with one terrible smash, with one final roar, the runaway freight piled itsel

Jack cried to his companion. His

ack?" he heard Ma

ost their senses as they were hurled