"Whew!" said Andrews. "I thought we were going to have trouble there."
"Do you think the passenger train will pull out?" asked Tom. "That would block 'em."
"No," answered Andrews. "He'll stay there. I wanted to tell him that the way was clear to Adairsville … but I couldn't. It might mean a wreck, if they are still pursuing us. That would be terrible—it's a passenger train."
Tom nodded. Brown yelled for more wood. When the fire had been stoked, Tom took his seat beside Andrews.
"We've left them behind now, I think," continued the leader. "That tangle of freight at Kingston will stop them."
A deep rumble, rising above the noise of the General struck their ears.
For a moment they did not know what it was; then Tom exclaimed, "Thunder!
Look!" He pointed to the black sky. Already the rain was splashing down
upon them, streaking the forward windows of the cab.
"We're near the Reseca bridge now," said Andrews. Then he added: "If only the rain doesn't come down hard enough to put out our fires! It may take us longer…. Hey, Knight! Stop here! We'll tear up the rails!"
The General glided around a sharp curve in the road and came to a stop.
The men jumped out from the box-car.
"Pull up some rails here, men," ordered Andrews. "Break the wires, Scott."
Scott was already halfway up a telegraph pole.
"We dumped some ties out on the road back there," said Ross. "They're lying across the rails."