The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-01-11

want to get you into trouble"
 "Oh, I'd risk the troNble," said the placing the lamp on the- floor and taking his seat beside the en- gineer. "l heard about your worry to day. It's too cursed bad. If Q 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 SC seems to have the habit of pulling herself through. sup pose you and she have been in worse fixes than that with not word said about it"
 "Oh, yes," said John. "We've been in many tight place together; but we won't be any more. It's tough, as you say. I've been fifteen years with the comnany and seven on old S6, and at first it comes mighty hard. But suppose I'll get used to it." ~' '"
 Look here, John, said the conduc- tor, lowering his voice to contiden- tial 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? If you're afraid to tackle him I'll put ill word for you in minute and tell him your side of the story"
 John Saggart shook his head.
 Ut wouldn't do," he said. "He wouldn't overrule what one of his sub ordinates had done, unless there was serious injustice in the case. It's the new manager. you know. There's always trouble with q new manager. He sweeps clean. And l 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, be- tween ourselves" said the conductor, what do you think he has done to- night? He's put new man on S6--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 for me with all the Christmas traffic nov ing, with the thermometer at zero, and the rails like glass, and l like to have a man in the front can depend on."
 Its bad enough not to know the road" said John, gloomily, but it's worse not to know old sG. She's a brute if she takes notion"
 II don't suppose there's another en- zine that could draw this train and keep her time"
 No. She'll do her work all right if you'll humor her." admitted SaSgart, who could not conceal his love for the engine, even while he blamed her.
 "Well," said the conductor, rising and picking up his lantern, "the man in front may be all right, but would feel safer if you would be further ahead on the train than the smoker. I'm sorry I can't offer you berth to- night, John, but we're full clear through to the rear lights. There isn't even a vacant upper on the train"
 "Oh, it doesn't matter" said Sag gart. ''I couldn't sleep, anyhow. I'd rather sit here and look out the win dow"
 Well, so long" said the conductor 'Tll 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 tlrs road--all the up-grades and the down-grades and the levels. He knew it even better in the darkest night than in the dearest day. Occa- sionally the black bulk of a barn or a clump of trees showed for one moment against the less black sky and Saggart would say to himself: Now he should shut off an inch of steam!' or "Now he should throw her wide open" The train made few stops, but he saw that they were losing time-s6 was sullSing, 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 moment he steps down another is ready to stand in his place The wise men in the city who had listened to his defense knew so well that an engine was merely a | com mbination of iron, steel and brass, and that a given number of pounds oi steam would get it over a given num- Der of miles in a given number ot hours, had smiled incredulously when he told them that an engine had her | tantrums and that sometimes she had to be coddled up like any other fe- male, and that even when man did ! his best there were occasions when nothing he could do would mollify her, | and then there was sure to be trouble, although, John had added, in his de- sire to be fair, that she was always sorry for it afterwards, which remark, to his confusion, had turned the smile into laugh.
 He wondered what S6 thought of the new man. Not much, evidently, fo1 she was losing time which she had no business to do on that section of the road. Still, it might be the fault of the new man not knowing when to push her for all sine was worth and when to ease up. All these things go to the making up of time. Still, it was more than likely that old S6, like Gilpin's horse, was wondering more and more what thing upon her back had got Hell have trouble" muttered John tc himself, "when she finds out"