are a dead man; don't stir, but listen to me. I have done just what
any man must have done under the circumstances. I stopped the train
as soon as possible, and I'll convince you of it, if you are a
reasonable man; but not another word of shooting, or you go down."

"Don't shoot, don't shoot," he cried.

"Put up your pistol and so will I," I replied.

He did so, and came forward, and I explained the impossibility of
seeing the train sooner, as I had no head-light, and they had
carelessly neglected to leave a light on the rear of the other
train. I advised the choleric colonel to go forward and expend his
wrath and curses on the conductor of the forward train, that had
stopped in such a place, and sent out no signal-man in the rear, nor
even left a red light. He acknowledged I was right. I then informed
him that I was an officer in the ordnance department, and was in
charge of a shipment of ammunition for Bowling Green, and would have
him court-martialed when we reached there, unless he apologized for
the threats he had made. This information had a calming effect on
the colonel, who at heart was really a clever fellow. He afterward
came and begged my pardon; we shook hands cordially, and were good
friends.

Having settled this talk of shooting, and put the responsibility
where it belonged, we had time to look at the damage done by the
collision. It was nothing compared with what it might and would have
been, if we had been running at high speed. Even as it was, it
stirred up the sleeping men not a little. The front train contained
a regiment of men, most of whom were asleep, while the employees