Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-05-23
TOM KING, ENGINEER.
BY WILLIAM H. S. ATKINSON.

for its very life upon the existence and
prosperity of that great enterprise.
The traveller passing through Track
vile perceives nothing but acres of
tracks, switches, shops, and round
houses, and miles of cars, cabooses, and
locomotives; but back of all these lmme-
date surroundings there is town con-
tanning several thousand souls-men,
women, and children-alld directly or in
directly interested in the success of the
Overland Western.
Ten years ago everybody in Trackville
knew Robert Leslie, who, although
scarcely more than 80 years old, was
superintendent of the road; and when
they knew Bob Leslie it followed as a
matter of course that they also knew
but a wonderfully bright, intelligent,
and pleasant fellow, and, although there
was so much difference in their respec-
tive positions on the Overland Western,
King and the superintendent were
warm friends and almost inseparable
companions in their of-duty hours.
They were both of an age, both were
bachelors. and their tastes and lnclina-
lions were Identical; both came from
the same New England village to enter
the railroad service in the West, both
roomed at the same hotel, and the
friends of one were also friends OF the
other.
But there came time when the
warmth of their friendship cooled some
what, though both ielt sorry for it, the
cause being-a woman. AS though there
were not enough good as we'll as pretty
girls in Trackville for these two men
to secure one apiece, they both had
to fall desperately in love with the
same young lady. Up to the point
when this narrative commences neither
Leslie nor Tom King had expressed
their love in words to Miss Gray, and
Just how much that young lady knew
or surmised is not for me to venture an
opinion, nor is it necessary to the story
that we should be informed.
Perhaps, at the outset, Robert Leslie,
by reason of his superior position on
the railroad and in the town, possessed
some advantage, and at anv rate, Tom
King (manlike) so thought For when
King, slower than his friend, made the
discovery that Leslie undoubtedly loved
Jennie Gray, he really thought that his
own chances OF success as a sutton were
very slim, and made up his mind that
he might as well back out of the race.
When he arrived at this faint-hearted
conclusion, he became very sullen and
morose and his friend wondered at the
great change that had come over the
light-hearted engineer.
No. 10, the fast eastbound express,
was pulling out of Sandy Run late on
nasty evening in fall. Engine 404 had
Just been attached to the train to haul
her over the last division, whose termi-
nus was Trackville. 1t was one of those
fnnf rhan
railroad men land especially engineers
require all their wits about them and
when travellers appreciate somewhat the
risk of railroad travelling after dark.
Superintendent Leslie sat in a parlor
car irving to steal little sleep after
ong and busy days work. But he could
not lose his senses in slumber-the
noise and rattle of the rushing train,
the splash of the rain on the windows,
and the picture Of iair face hundred
and fifty miles away in Trackvllle, kept
him wide awake.
Onward the heavy train sped, crashing
over the line OF steel rails stretched
across the almost interminable prairie.
1t was known as the Nineteen Flyer,
but it seemed to Leslie as though the
speed they were now making was some
thing extraordinary. As the conduc-
tor passed through the car the superin-
tendent stopped him.
''This is King s run ?''
Eyes, SIR
els he on tonight %
''Y es, sir.
"He's good man and ought to know
his business; this is a bad night and there
NAV be washouts. He's running very
fast and we must be near the Big Horn
Crossing-Great Heavens ~
hxyf
quick iolts in succession, such as both
SUPERINTENDENT and conductor knew
could only be caused by running fast
over cross tracks.
aWe've passed the Big Horn Rail
road without stop Why, we must
be going 55 miles an hour. Are you
certain King lis the engineer p
Yes, sir
'sWell, don't say word to any one,
but come to the front of the train and
help me ON to the engine.
The two men walked quickly through
the train, and stepped out to the front
platform of the baggage car, just behind
the locomotive. At great peril, with
the aid of the conductor. Leslie climbed
on to the tender and craWled over the
wet Goals into the cab.
1t was weird sight, as the red glare
shot out of the furnace, Illuminating
with an uncanny CLEAN the excited
features and blood-shot eyes OF Tom
King. It needed only one glance for
the superintendent to see that his old
friend had been drinking. Leslie was
a man born to command, and when he
threw King into the seat at the side of
the cab and told him to ''stay there, the
engineer obeyed like child Then
Leslie took the throttle, much to the re-
lief Of the fireman "a green handy, and
the small hours of the morning safely
drew Number Nineteen into Trackville.
The four-hours' ride, relieved from
duty, had sobered up the engineer, so
that he was able to take 404 into the
roundhouse, and as Leslie stepped from
the engine in the depot he said to the
conductor, Tom was pretty sick
about the time we jumped over that
crossing-guess | went to him in the
nick Of 1ime-he's better now.'
To Tom he had said rather sternly:
"Come up to my Office at ten o'clock. F"
Robert Les lie was at his desk the
next morning when King entered look
10 Il tot