The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-05-02
SELECTED STORY.
A Jump for Life.

man. as he opened the furnace door and
shovclcd in the coal, stood out like q red
Rembrandt picture in the cab against the
darkness beyond. John knew every Joint
and bolt i'm that contrary old engine-thc
most cantankcruus iron brute on the road,
and yet, if rightly managed, one of the
swiltcst and most powerful engines the
company had, notwithstanding the many
improvements that had been put upon To-
comotivcs 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 a vague
feeling of uncasncss at being inside a
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 flickcrcd swiftly past the brilliant
constellation of city windows, showing
that the town had not yet gone to bed. At
last the lying train plunged into the dark
country, and Saggart pressed his face
against the cold glass of the window, I'M
able to shake off his feeling of responsible
ity, although he knew that there was an
other man at the throttle.
He was aroused from his reverie by
touch on his shoulder and a curt request,
'Tickets, please"
''Hello, John, is this your" cried the
conductor as soon as he saw the face turn
ed toward him. Hang it, man, you did
not need IA pass travelling with me-"
VI know it, said the engineer, "but
they gave it to me to take me home, and
may as well use it as not l don't want
to get you into trouble"
"Oh, I'd risk the trouble said the con
ductor, placing his lamp on the floor and
taking his seat beside the engineer 81
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 happened.
Old So seems to have the habit of pulling
herself through. l suppose you and she
have been in worse fixes than that with
not Il word said about it,"
sob, 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 10 years with the company and seven
on old So, and at first it comes mighty
hard. But | suppose IL get used to it. "
Look here, John, said the conductor
lowering his voice to a confidential tone
"the president of the road is with us to-
night. 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,
III put in word for you in a minute and
tell him your side of the story"
John Saggart shook his head.
at wouldn't do, D." he said. Gle would
not override what one of his subordinates
I'm IN; inc.
tice in the case. It's the new manager,
you know. There always trouble with
new manager. He sweeps clean. And
suppose he thinks by bouncing one of the
Oldest engineers on the road he II scare the
rest -
well, / don't think much of him, be-
tween ourselves, p" said the conductor
what do you think he has done to-
nightS He's put Il 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 moving with the Their
mometer at zero and the rails like glass,
and like to have Il man in front that
can depend on.
Its bad enough not to know the road"
said John gloomily, but it's worse not to
know old So. She's brute if she takes a
notion.
Il don't suppose there's another engine
that could draw this train and keep her
time"
"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 "thc man in front
may be all right, but I'd feel safer if you
We're further ahead on this train than the
smoker. I'm sorry l 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 Saggart
Il couldn't sleep anyhow. I'd rather sit
here and look out the window"
swell, so long" said the conductor
IN drop in and see you as the night
passes ON.
Saggrt 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. Occasionally the black hulk
of barn or IA clump of trees showed for
moment against the less black sky, and
h"7SS"AN NpuiA say w lliIlStll, NOW nc
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 We're losing timc-S6 was sulk-
Ing very likely. The thought of the en-
gine 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 combination of iron, steel
and brass, and that IA given number of
pounds of steam would get it over given
number of miles in given number of
hours and had smiled inCrcdulously when
he told them an engine had her tantrums,
and that sometimes she had to be coddlcd
up like any other female, and that even
when man did his best there were occa-
sions when nothing he could do would
mollify her, and there was sure to be trou.
BILE, although John had added, in his de-
sire to be fair, that she was always sorry
for it afterward, which remark, to his con
fusion, had turned the smile into n laugh.
He wondered what So thought of tho
new man. Not much evidently, for she
was losing time, which she had no bust