There had been some heavy rains, which had washed out the road for a
considerable distance, causing the track to give way.
"Good heavens!" thought Harry, "if a train comes over the road before
this is mended, there'll be a wreck and loss of life. What can I do?"
Just across the field stood a small house. In the yard the week's
washing was hung out. Among the articles was a red tablecloth.
"May I borrow that tablecloth?" asked Harry, in excitement, of a woman
in the doorway.
"Land sakes! what for?" she asked.
"To signal the train. The road's washed away."
"Yes, yes; I'm expectin' my darter on that train," answered the woman,
now as excited as our hero. "Hurry up! the train's due in fifteen
minutes."
Seizing the tablecloth, Harry gathered it quickly into a bundle and
ran back to the railroad. He hurried down the track west of a curve
which was a few hundred feet beyond the washout, and saw the train
coming at full speed. He jumped on a fence skirting the tracks, and
waved the tablecloth wildly.
"Will they see it?" he asked himself, anxiously.
It was an anxious moment for Harry as he stood waving the danger
signal, uncertain whether it would attract the attention of the
engineer. It did! The engineer, though not understanding the meaning
of the signal, not knowing indeed, but it might be a boy's freak,
prudently heeded it, and reversing the engine, stopped the train a
short distance of the place of danger.
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