The Dickinson press., 1896-04-25
was not sure that he was sane him.

was not sure that he was sane him
self.
The driver. having finished his laugh
and still feeling no shock, looked
ahead. The track was clear!. He I'M
latched the reverse lever and threw
the engine in the forward motion and
the speed OF the train, which had been
but little checked, carried them away
down among the sand hills. The driv-
er looked over at the fireman and
asked: Did you see anything"
No" said the fireman. did you?'
and the driver said no, tried his water
and opened the throttle and the EN-
CINE whirled away, while the fireman
returned to his place at the furnace
door.
The two men scarcely glanced at
each other again until they stopped
for water at Green River, but each in
his own mind was recalling all the
wild tales Of "ghost trains be had
ever heard. Each was firm in the be-
lief that he had seen q ghost" but
he would never tell it-not for his job.
The official in the special train felt
the resistance of the engine when the
engineer shut her of and reversed, and
the general manager, turning to the
superintendent, asked, with a surprise:
when did you put in that siding"
"What, back there, that's Coyote
spur, and it has been there for six
MONTHS" was the reply.
II know very WE'LL" said the man.
ager, ''where Coyote spur is. for we
waited there fifteen minutes for No. =
going down the other day, but we Just
passed q siding on the north"
The superintendent was inclined to
be funny, but the colonel, stroking his
long gray PETERS, remarked that he
had seen a locomotive standing at the
point mentioned, and "as trains are
not in the habit of meeting and pass
Ing between stations I take it that
there must be a siding there" There
was just q twinkle of mirth in the col
oncl's eyes, which, despite the finger
marks left about them by the touch of
time, are still bright with the sparkle
of youth, but the superintendent was
utterly unable to understand the gen
cral manager.
but the general manager was by no
ton and when the black porter como in
~ w LIN yOu ou SAASAA oU -
siding back aWays, George?"
mo, sab, I haven't saw no engine,
d'aint no sidin' 'cept Ci-ote spur, an
dat wus clear"
"Send the conductor to mc,'' said the
official, and when the conductor came
in the manager asked to be allowed to
look at the running orders.
run special to Grand Junction,
nvnfdfnN oil Ys0Ds,Inv %.nS~~ TA-k~1 D~
CINE 81 has until five fifty-five $3.50 to
make Coyote spur against you"
"What time did yOu pass the Spury"
demanded the colonel.
Precisely at 5:55," said the conduc-
tor, nov somewhat alarmed at the
managers air.
'Is there a siding between here and
'Coyote?" asked the colonel, and the ST.
perintendent being at q loss to make
out what the manager was driving at
started to leave the car, but his supe-
rior officer called him bAck.
There is not" was the conductors
reply. Perhaps" said the colonel,
there was not when we went down,
but there is now, for l saw n locolno-
tive standing there"
The conductor laughed as the SUPER
intendent hNd done, but the colonel Of
ferel to risk a a se of champagne lie
had e no "ghost" train, and the su-
perintendent took the bet as the east
est way of settling ar argument which
was about to become embarrassing.
When the special reached Green
River the party went into the eating
house where supper had been ordered,
and, as was his habit, the colonel sat
at the same table with the train and
engine crew.
"What did you shut off for just this
side of Coyote spur, Sam?" asked the
colonel, looking the engineer in the
eye, and instantly the eyes of the
whole party were upon the drivers
dusky face. The engineer was speech
less. Not that the circumstance had
escaped his mind, for as q matter Of
fact he had thought of little else, but
he knew not how to answer.
"Did Sou think that engine was on
the main line" asked the general man.
agGr, noticing the embarrassment Of
the engine crew.
what engine!" asked the engi leer,
trying to look and speak naturally.
There was only one engine there be-
side you own" was the c%olOncls re-
Spouse. Twill you nc good enough to
answer my question"
"Well," thought the driver, elf I've
got 'em the G. MS got em," and he
answered: 81 did think she was on
the main STEM"
"What did you think, Harry" asked
the superintendent of the fireman, who
was staring at the engineer. The fire.
man only closed his eyes and shook
his head slowly as though he consid-
cred them oil crazy, and his long lash
e., dark with coal dust, lay upon his
newly washed face like the lashes Of q
chorus girl.
did you see anything on your side?'
asked the colonel, who was determin-
ed to unlock the lips of the fireman.
"Not a thing" said Harry. II don't
believe in ghosts"
ut will not be necessary for you to
take out GO ian accident report, but ]
wish you would tell me what you saw
and how it affected you." said the gen.
eral manager, addressing the en-
gineer."
"May 1 ask you first If you saw any.
thing, colonel?' said the driver.
II saw a locomotive standing on q
spur or siding just east of Coyote"
"When I see her frst," said Sam
taking courage from the %colonels con
fession, "she was bang in front of us
coming out of a cut like a ball out OF
q cannon. l saw it was all up with
us, but l naturally shut o%ff-mechani
cally, so to speak. l think l hooked
her over, but l didn't whistle, open
the sand valve nor set the air-they
want no use-no time-but just then
thought of little Sammie as l saw him
last, hangin' on the fence by the seat
Nv his pants, an it seemed to me that
I never see anything quite so funny
and l laughed that hard that the tears
came in my eyes and blinded me
Then the thought came to me that We
were a long time coming together; sc
I looks ahead an there want a thing