Rebel Train: A Civil War Novel by Healey David

Author:Healey, David [Healey, David]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Intracoastal
Published: 2010-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

• • •

Noon, near Parr's Ridge, Maryland

The plume of smoke behind them appeared as a smudge against the blue sky. Colonel Percy had known this moment would come, but he had dreaded it all the same. They were, at last, being pursued by another locomotive.

"Looks like them Yankees finally wisened up," Hank Cunningham said, nodding at the telltale smoke as he hurried past with an armful of wood. "They found themselves a locomotive to chase us."

"Open the throttle," Percy said. They were not yet at full speed and this locomotive could do better than a mile a minute on a level track. With the lead they had, he doubted there was anything that could catch them. "We'll run for it."

"We're getting low on water," Wilson reminded him.

"I don't give a damn," Percy said. "Give her full throttle and put that Johnson bar as far forward as it will go."

"Yes, sir," Wilson said. Cunningham, hearing Percy's order, scrambled to fetch more wood for the Chesapeake’s firebox. "One thing, sir. We're coming up on Parr's Ridge. It's quite a grade, and it's going to slow us down plenty."

"They'll have to slow down themselves," Percy said. "By then, we'll be roaring down the other side."

"Toward the Monocacy River bridge," Wilson pointed out. "But if the Yankees have any sense, they'll have men guarding the crossing. I was hoping we could take on water at Frederick Junction."

There was nothing to be done about that, Percy knew. They would find out what awaited them at the Monocacy when they reached the river. Meanwhile, they had to outrun whoever was pursuing them.

"Pour it on, boys, pour it on," Percy said. He turned to cross the tender. "I'll go pass word that things are about to get hot."

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.