Pretty soon, along she came, and we could see the headlight now, good and clear, and hear her thundering along as if she should worry about anything. Rattle, bang, she went, and roaring and clanking as if she'd be glad to trample the whole world down and never even stop to take notice. Slam, bang, she came along, and we could see the mountains as plain as day, brightened up by her headlight.
I just held the glass, moving it around, and I have to admit I was a little kind of nervous, sort of.
Slam bang, slam bang! She came along and we could hear the rattling and clanking echoing from the mountains, and the racket was all mixed up. Sparks of light were flying up out of the smokestack and we could hear the rails clanking, clanking....
Then the sound of the clanking changed. Then it died down, and there was only the steady rattle, rattle....
She was slowing down.
"We've got her, Kid," I said; "sit still, you'll only fall off. We've got her eating out of our hands."
"Clank, clank, clank—clank—clank," she went; then "s-s-s-s-s-s...."
She had stopped.
There she stood, puffing and puffing, part on the bridge, and part back in the dark. The locomotive seemed like a big lion that had just been going to spring at us.
"Hurrah!" we heard the fellows down in the car calling.