The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-01-11
OLD EIGHTY-SIX
How Brave John Saggart Re-
 gained Lost Position.
Chicago Dispatch.

John Saggart stood in dark corner of the terminus, out of the rays of the glittering arc lamps, and watched engine No St. The engineer was oil ing her and the fireman, as he opened the furnace door and shOveled in the coal, stood out like red Rembrandt picture in the cab against the darkness beyond As the engineer with his oil can went carefully around No. SC, John Saggart drew his sleeve across his eyes and gulp came up in his throat He knew every joint and bolt in that con trary old engine-the most cantanker- ous iron brute on the road, and yet, if rightly managed, one of the swiftest and most powerful engines the com pany had, notwithstanding the many improvements that had been put upon locomotives since old s6 left the foundry.
 Saggart, as he stood there, thought of the seven years he had put in on the foot board of old st, and the many tricks she had played hiT during that period. If, as the poet says. the very chains and the prisoner become friends through long association, it may be imagined how much of mans affection goes out to a machine that he thoroughly understands and ikes-a machine that is his daily companion for years, in danger and out of it. No. S6 and John had been in many a close pinch together and at this moment Saggart seemed to have forgotten that often the pinch was caused by the pure cussedness of s6 herself, and he remembered only that she had bravely done her part sev- eral times when the situation was ex- ceedingly serious,
 The cry of "all aboardr' rang out and was echoed down from the high arched roof of the great terminus, and John, with sigh, turned from his contemplation of the engine and went to take his place on the train. It was long train, with many sleeping cars at the end of it, for the heavy Christ mas traffic was on, and the people were getting out of town by the hundreds. The engineer had put away h oil can and Lad taken his place on the engine, standing ready to begin the long jour neY the moment the signal was given.
 John Saggart climbed into the smok- ing 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 uneasiuess 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 flick cred swiftly past the brilliant cOnstel- iation of city windows, showing that the town had not yet gone to bed. At last the flying train plunged into the dark country and Saggart pressed his face against the cold glass of the win dow, 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 curt re- quest Tickets, please"
 lie pulled out of his pocket a pass and turned to hand it to the conductor, who stood there with a glittering plated and crystal lantern on his arm.
 Hello, John, is that you?" cried the conductor as soon as he saw the face turned toward him. Hang it, man, you didn't need pass travelling with the