Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1889-06-13

tuc cnHlnc - 10 De nlomcu Oacen9o
people got on the track before hetP"
said Charlie t4 t
'Tt's hor luck thir, lts All the sanne
She'll bring throublc 70 any one who
has auQht 10 do wild hcr Let her
alone, ME BY"
Nov, Mike" said Charlie. Il take
II veto all In the han ls u the Lord
wherever we arc am as much In
Ills cnre ON No i47 as / am standing
hero talking 10 YOU don't believe
lie gives n locomotive power to hurt
His creatures, and do believe Il is my
duty TO take this chance and dc the
best can"
This was new view OF the matter,
and The men werefsilchced. II not con-
vinccd. No onocpposcd Charlie Rug.
giles decision, and IN day or two he
entered upon his now duties
lie was sontinto tho mountain re-
gions 20 help tako trains over the
highest passcs IN ths.State. Until one
has crossed tho Rocky Mountains by
rail II Is impossible 20 form an idea OF
tho Rwhilness Of these passes The
train creeps slowly ap tho mountain,
with laborod broath, giving one sen.
sation OF painful exertion' The road
winds about 10 Hna tho easiest grades.
now zigzagging back and forth, now
crossing Itself by means OF trestlo
work, or tunneling under. but always
going upward, slowly but surely
As the train climbs higher, far be-
low in some abyss may DO seen the
track already passed, while high
above tower rows Of snow sheds Yet
70 be Rono ihsough. In the higher
altitude the solitude and stiffness be-
come oppressive. One seems lor N a
sea Of mountain peaks, while above
all tower mightief SUBMITS. eternaily
snow clad, whcro foot OF man has
never yet trod. ~
In the heat OF midsummer below. IL
is always winter in these passes.
Huge iciclos hang upon the roofs of
these snow sheds. and deep snow Hes
on the ground. IL was at the entrance
TO such a pass that Churlio and No.
i47 we're stationed. When tho through
express came. daily, q was divided
into two sections. and each section
was given two engines TO pull il up
the steep grade. But at the top 1t was
coupled together again, one locomo
time being quite enoughto take Il over
the down grade, and the remaining
three were sent back again TO help
bring the next train up.
Well up in the pass stood a little
cabin. whero few of the section
hands had their home. There were
two little children, n boy and q girl
in this family, TO whom Charlie be.
came much attached. They were
pretty little creatures. but II seemed a
lonely life for them. isolated entirely
from playmates, from school and all
the pleasant things which children
love. A water-tank stood near the
cabin. where the locomotives stopped
TO take In water, and in summer the
children ran through the cars while
they waited selling punches of the
beautiful Colorado wild flowers which
blossom in spite OF Encouragement
under the shadows OF the everlasting
snow banks.
This was their only diversion
and Charlie learned TO watch
for them us the prettiest Incl
dent OF the trip, lie always
had a pleasant word and smile for
them, and often something more. An
apple or an orange. a pretty card,
which, small rs il was. went far ~
brighten the childrens' day.
No l47 behaved herself perfectly.
AS week after week and month after
month slipped by, and she did not
even kill a sheep. the train men began
TO breathe freer, and even Charlie was
conscious OF a sense OF relief 1t was
generally believed that the overhaul
ing in the repair shops had changed
her disposition. Only old Mike was
skeptical. "a .. ~
There's no good in herr he said
"She's only biding her time, an she'll
do worse than she ever dhramcd OF
before wan OF these days"
But the other men laughed and
called him bird OF in omen
One warm, sunny day, in early July.
the train had climbed 10 the summit
OF the pass, and Charlie was ready
to retrace his course The air was
sultry; oppressively warm. Even at
the summit the snow was melting
rapidly, and down by tho cabin the
heat was felt sensibly. Charlie often
said that his return trips reminded
him Of sliding down hill. He kept
the fires low. and the engine slipped
along OF its own weight. gathering
momentum as IL went, until IL almost
new. To-day he stood watching the
track before him. as No, 147 sped over
the rails, admiring. half unconscious.
ly. the wonderful panorama spread
out before him, and thinking, quite
consciously, OF a little blue-eyed CIR
he had left at the East, wondering hoV
soon he might have a home for her IL
tho West Then he thought Of No
l47. with how much distrust he hat
undertaken her. and how pleasantly
she had disappointed him. He fell
In perfect sympathy with hel
now-sure that she would respont
10 his touch. confident that h'
could always guide her 1--WE un
derstand each other, don't we, my
beauty he said. hall aloud.
The locomotive whizzed along
Looking up above him, he could se'
the other engines, apparently not IA
away, but he knew that miles Of tort
uous. twisting track lay between them
And below was the most uniathomabl,
abyss. One deviation from the track
and be would go crashing down int
its depths, TO certain destruction. III
was nearing the cabin now. Twl