The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-10-19
miscellaneous.
NUMBER sc.

of the terminus, out of the rays Of the
glittering lamps, and watched engine
| No. SO. The engineer was oiling her,
and the fireman, as he opened the fur
nance door and shoveled in the coal,
stood out like a red Rembrandt pic
ture in the cab against the darkness
beyond. John knew every joint and
bolt in that contrary old engine-the
most cantankerous iron brute on the
road, and yet, if rightly managed, one
of the swiftest and most powerful en-
gines the company had, notwithstand-
ing the many improvements that had
been put upon locomotives since old
| SO left the foundry.
The cry of ''All aboard ~ rang out,
and John Saggart climbed into the
smoking carriage at the front part of
the train. He found place in one of
the forward seats, and he sank down
into it with vague feeling of uneasi-
ness at being inside coach instead of
on the engine. He gaZed out of the
window and saw the glittering electric
| lights slowly slide behind, then more
| quickly the red, green and white
| lights of the station lamps, and finally
| there flickered swiftly past the bril-
| liant constellation of city windows,
| showing that the town had not gone
to bed At last the flying train plung-
| ed into the dark country, and Saggart
pressed his face against the cold glass
| of the window, unable to shake off his
| feeling of responsibility, although he
| knew that there was another man at
the throttle.
| He was aroused from his reverie by
| a touch on his shoulder and a curt re-
quest, Tickets, please"
| Hello, John, is this you ~ cried the
conductor as soon as he saw the face
turned toward him. Hang it, man,
| you did not need a pass travelling with
me-"
Il know il" said the engineer, 'but
they gave it to me to take me home,
and / may as well use it as not. |
don't want to get you into trouble"
"Oh, I'd risk the trouble,n said the
floor and taking his seat beside the
engineer. Il heard about your worry
| today. It's too cursed bad. If a man
had got drunk at his post, as you and
| have known 'em to do, it wouldn't
have seemed so hard, but at its worst
your case was only an error of judg-
ment, and then nothing really hap
| pened. Old SO seems to have the habit
of pulling herself through. | suppose
you and she have been in worse fixes
| than that with not a word said about
it,
"Oh, yes,n said John. We've been
in many Il tight place together, but
we won't be any more. It's tough, as
you say I've been fifteen years with
! the company and seven on old Sc, and
at first it comes mighty hard. But l
suppose I'll get used to it,"
Look here, john" said the con-
ductor, lowering his voice to a conf
Dental tone, the president of the road
is with us tonight. His private car
is the last but one on the train. How
would it do to speak to him ? Ifyou're
afraid to tackle him, I'll put in a word
| for you in minute-and tell him
your side of the story
John Saggart shook his head.
1T wouldn't do,' he said. "He
would not overrule what one of his
subordinates had done, unless there
was serious injustice in the case. It's
| the new manager you know. There's
always trouble with a new manager.
He sweeps clean. And | suppose he
thinks by bouncing one of the oldest
engineers on the road he'll scare the
rest
"Well, | don't think much of him,
between ourselves said the conduc-
| tor. What do you think he has done
| tonight? He's put d new man on Sc
| a man from one of the branch lines,
who doesn't know the road. l doubt
! if he's ever been over the main line
| before. Now, it's an anxious enough
| time with me with all the Christmas
| traffic moving, with the thermometer
at zero, and the rails like glass, and
I
! depend on"
Its bad enough not to know the
road" said John gloomily, but it's
worse not to know old So. She's a
brute if she takes a notion"
Il don't suppose there's another en-
CINE that could draw this train and
keep her time.n
"No.-She'll do her work all right if
you'll humor her." admitted Saggart,
who could not conceal his love for the
engine, even while he blamed her.
"Well, said the conductor, rising and
picking up his lantern, 1.-THE man in
front may be all right, but I'd feel
safer if you were further ahead on
this train than the smoker. I'm sorry
/ can't offer you a berth tonight,
John, but we're full clear through to
the rear lights. There isn't even
vacant upper on the train"
"Oh. it doesn't NATTER said Sag
CART, Il couldn't sleep anyhow. I'd
rather sit here and look out the win
dow
"Well, so long" said the conductor,
I'll drop in and see you as the night
passes on"
Saggart lit his pipe and gazed out
into the darkness. He knew every
inch of the road-all the up grades,
and the down grades, and the levels.
He knew it even better in the darkest
night than in the clearest day. Occa-
sionally the black hulk of a barn or a
clump of trees showed for moment
against the less black sky, and Sag
CART would say to himself. Now he
should shut off an inch of steam,n or
now he should throw her wide open. -
The train made few stops, but he
saw that they were losing time-S6
was sulking very likely. The thought
of the engine turned his mind to his
own fate. No man was of very much
use in the world after all, for the mo.
ment he steps down another is ready
to stand in his place. The wise men
in the city who had listened to his de-
tense knew so well that an engine was
merely a combination of iron, steel
aud brass, and that given number of
of pounds of steam would get it over a
given number of miles in a given num-
! har of hOurs and had smiled incredu-