Seeing that she was firm in her resolve to stand by me, I gratefully accepted her offer of assistance, which indeed, was of considerable value. It was important that I should keep a firm hold upon the steering wheel, to prevent the craft from yawing, and, unless I were to be continually screwing my head about in a very painful position, I could not very well see the road over which we were traveling. From a position between the coal-boxes behind me--now the front of the conveyance--she could keep a look-out and pass the word to me when it became necessary to correct the deviations in our course. Without her help, it is more than probable that I should have run Antaeus ignominiottsly, perhaps disastrously, into a ditch before reaching the foot of the incline. Even as it was, I had my hands full. During the ride, which certainly was one of the most disquieting, mentally and physically, that I ever have taken, we said very little to each other. I gripped the wheel, and she grasped the iron sides of the coal-bunkers, between which she stood, opening her lips only to call, “right! left!” or “steady!” as I had hastily instructed her to do for my guidance in steering. So we rumbled and rattled and jolted on down the hill, at continually increasing speed, until at length we reached the base, and I drew a deep breath of relief at knowing that the worst was over. Arrived upon a level, our momentum gradually expended itself. From an estimated ten-mile rate--which had seemed terrific--we slowed to a five, to a three, to a one, to a snail's pace, and then something occurred which, although not threatening any danger to us personally, filled our minds with the liveliest anxiety for the safety of others. Antaeus came to a stand-still just across the railway track. “Well?” said my passenger, inquiringly. “Well,” I returned, blankly, as I pulled my watch from my pocket, “this is--interesting, to say the least.” “Are there--how about trains?” she queried anxiously. During the jolting of our forced--and forcible--descent our lantern had gone out; but there was an electric lamp near, and by its light I managed to read the hour upon my watch-dial. “There is a train leaving the city at ten, due here at ten-seventeen; it now lacks five minutes of that. I must go to the station and report that the way is blocked. I am sorry to leave you--or would you prefer going while I wait here?” “I think it will be better for you to go.” “Very well, then; I'll not be long.” [Illustration: 0220]