That Hell Bound Train, by Robert Bloch

[Omphalos]

The Hell Bound Train is a Hugo winning short story from Robert Bloch about outsmarting the devil himself. It is about a hobo-thief named Martin who rode the rails out of respect for his father, who was a rail man himself, and who died one day while working drunk. One day while in the middle of nowhere, waiting for a train that was taking forever to get to him, Martin decided that he would toe the line, and make a real man out of himself. He vowed that he would clean up his act and live on the straight and narrow. Hearing this in Hell, Satan decided that he could not afford to lose this soul, which he reckoned he had for sure, so he visited Martin in a train straight out of Hell. When he arrived he offered Martin anything his heart desired in exchange for his soul. Wary of the ways of the trickster, Martin tried to outsmart Ole Scratch, and wished to be able to stop time whenever he wished, forever, and told Satan that he would do it when he reached his happiest moment. He also told Satan that if he could stop time, he would never die and Satan will have lost. Not really caring for Martin's opinion, Satan gave Martin a watch and told him when he pulled the peg, time would stop and he would get his wish...Please click here, or on the book cover above, to be taken to the complete review..