The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-05-27
Hunter was here he might get me
down ; but as it is | may as well go

home and let the money 60"
Mr.. Thedford,n said |, bob is sick
but | can run this machine to juno,
ton City in time to connect with the
train you want but you will have to
fire for me as my two cleaners are
drunk, as you see, and there isn't an
other man in this village knows the
engine from the tender hardly"
| hope that | have been forgiven
that lie, for there were two or three
men that could have fired all right,
but it struck me all of a sudden that
here was a fine chance to get even
with Billy, and let him see whether it
took any knowhow to fire an engine
for 10 miles run. 1t SO happened
that we had just wooded up on the
home trip at a little station three miles
from Georgetown, so we had plenty of
fuel aboard to make the run with.
Can you do it p says he. RE
member it is 10 miles, and it is $50
now, so you have only "a hours to
make the run that generally takes
double that time"
81 can do it," says l, eff you will
jump aboard, pull off your coat, and
do just as tell you"
No sooner said than done, and in ten
minutes we had the old engine on the
turntable, turned her around and were
off
If the road was rough when we ran
at our usual speed, that night, making
double time, it was just awful. As
we flew around the curves it seemed
as if we should lose the track at every
turn of the drivers, and the poor old
machine rocked and swayed SO that,
used as l was to it, could hardly
keep ON my seat by the lever.
If it was hard ON Inc, what must it
have been to poor old Billy? l could
hardly keep from laughing in his face,
as / watched him and heard him
groan as he handled the heavy sticks
we used for fuel.
The heat of the weather, added to
that of the furnace and the unusual
work, made him look as if he was in a
Turkish bath. The water ran down
his face, his stiff, white collar hung
down on his shoulders like a rag, and
his beautiful, smooth shirt bosom
looked as if some one had thrown a
pail of dirty water over him. His
hands were torn and cut, from hand
ling the wood, and to take it alto
gether he was the most unlikely look
ing railway president / ever saw.
Once in a while l had to shout at him
to lay the wood more even in the fur
mace, and would tell him he would get
the knack of it in time.
Whenever he tried to rest told him
we were losing steam, and if he wanted
to catch that train, he mustn't idle
over the work. If | had thought to
hitch a car on when we started we
should have run much smoother; but
it was too late to think of that now,
and so ON we rushed, now through
woodlands, now past grain fields,
lurching first to one side and then to
the other, until | expected every min
ute to land wrong side up in the ditch.
However, luck was with us that
night, and we pulled up at Junction
City at just H. Poor old Billy could
hardly climb down from the engine,
but he managed to gasp out:
Come to my office at 2 o'clock next
Saturday"
| learned afterward that, finding the
Chicago train was behind time, he
hunted up a clothing shop and rugged
himself out so as to look like civil
lied man, which he didn't when he
left me.
/ managed to find fireman who
was willing to make the run back with
me, and l finally got home at 3 clock,
and finding the cleaners a little sober
ed up, got to bed as soon as possible,
for l was clean played out. l told
Bob about my trip next day, and
thought he would die laughing to
think of old Billy playing fireman.
But all he said was:
I'm afraid that'll settle your hash
Jim, for he will find out that you
worked him more than was needed. )"
The next Saturday, at 29'clock,
reported at the presidents Office, won
dering whether was going to be re-
warded for my extra work or kicked
out for my impudence.
When l entered the Office, there sat
the old man, spick and span as ever
and showing no signs of his hard
work.
"Well, young man." says he, ''you
helped me out the other night, but l
would not go through the same expert
ence again for $4,000. At the same
time [ think you were trying to get
even with me for not doing what you
asked about your salary, and have
oncluded that this line can dispense
with your services
At this my hesrt went down into
my boots, for l can tell you it isn't an
easy thing to get new job when you
can't bring a recommendation from
your last place.
Then he went on to say:
II have letter here from the super
intendent of the Chicago and Western,
asking me if l can recommend to them
a driver who has a sharp eye and cool
head to run their new fast night eX-
press. | have written in reply that l
can recommend such a man, one
James Martin, who will report for SER
vic. the 1st of September. The pay
will be 800 month. / may add to
you privately that shall never apply
to you for the position of fireman.
Good day, sir"
That's all there is to my story.
Molly and l were married and went to
Chicago to live. took the new train,
and have brought her in on time
every trip I've run, so you can see I've
a pretty good record with the COM
pany. I've never seen Billy since, and
| don't believe he wants to see me for
Bob told me last time | saw him that
they all called the old man Martins
Fireman :" that he knew it, and natur-
ally didn't like it. There's my mate
signaling for me now, sir, and | must
go.-LoaI0n IId-Bits.