"Go!" repeated Tom. The steam hissed and enveloped them in a cloud. The walls echoed the screeching of the wheels as they slid upon the tracks. Brown yanked at the sand lever. The wheels gained traction and the _General_ jumped ahead and sped from the bridge. Smoke was pouring from the ends of the shed as they looked back. And across the bend, a mile behind them, came the _Texas_! CHAPTER FOURTEEN THE END OF THE RACE Fuller had stopped at Green's Station and at Tilton for wood and water; at Dalton he paused for a moment to shunt the two freight cars which Andrews had dropped. The telegraph operator who had been dragged into the chase at Calhoun ran to the station and pounced upon a telegraph key. Chattanooga answered him and he hammered out half of the message; then the wire "went dead." Andrews had broken the lines. But half of the message was enough to warn Chattanooga. The Commander of the Confederate troops rushed his men out to block the tracks against the raiders. Fuller, relieved of the two box-cars, ordered the _Texas_ ahead, and they swung out from the Dalton station. "How about the tunnel?" Murphy asked. Fuller thought for a moment. "We'll go straight through," he answered. "You don't think that they'll drop that last box-car there?" asked Murphy. "We'll have to take the risk. A minute's delay will be enough for them to destroy the bridge." Murphy nodded and climbed up beside Fuller on the edge of the tender. Both of them realized that they would be in the very center of the wreck if Andrews had abandoned his last freight car in the tunnel. Yet they sat there, coolly and indifferently, awaiting whatever might come of the risk they were taking. "If I were leading those men," said Fuller, "I would rush for the bridge, and not bother about the tunnel. And I think that is what they'll do." That was all he said as the black entrance grew larger before them. The engineer glanced at Fuller and Murphy, wondering if they would give the signal to slow down. Neither of them moved. Then the _Texas_ plunged into the smoke-laden darkness. Presently there appeared a faint luminous splotch ahead of them, growing brighter as the seconds passed. They flashed out into the daylight again. "Whew!" said Murphy. They exchanged glances and Fuller laughed nervously. The _General_ was just disappearing around the bend. "Look!" exclaimed Fuller. They caught a glimpse of the smoking freight car. He climbed down from the tender and went to the engineer. "Put every ounce into her! They're making for the bridge--freight car on fire!" The _Texas_, unburdened by cars, had the advantage in speed now. For seconds she seemed to hover above the tracks as the engineer forced her around the curve under full throttle. They came to the point where they had caught the last glimpse of the _General_; then the bridge swung into view. Black smoke, with wisps of red flames breaking through it, poured from the ends of the shed.