Evening star., 1901-02-16
CARNEY YOU'RE ALL RIGHT

ing, Now get up here and take the train
in. I'll be responsible for everything, but
I'll guarantee that you never need worry
if you only get there on time"
Barneys railroad training came to the
front on the instant. He knew there was
no time for haggling or explanation. He
merely said, 'An right. I'll do 1t, ana
swung himself up into the cab. A gleam
of his old-time spirit came to his eye as
his feet touched the deck, and 1t was with
almost childish eagerness that he picked
u2 an oil can, jumped down and began to
"oil round" He hurried from one side
to the other, feeling her boxes touchlns
up her links dropping splash or TWO
on her guides, and in an instant was PACK
in the cab, and they were started shes
a bird he remarked to himself as they
"and brand new. Her drivers must be
at least seven feet high and that tank
holds over 1000 gallons. We've lost twelve
minutes" he continued as he hooked her
up notch and gave her little more
steam, but unless I'm mistaken this Is
just the sort of mill that will make 1t
up. We've got coal enough and We've
only got one stop to make for water It's
good seventy miles. but an hour and
half ought to get us there easy
That he had forgotten nothing Of his
former skill was evident from the
way the train was handled. He knew
every foot of the road from one end of
| the division to the other, and as each ia
miliar landmark was reached and passed
| his every move clearly showed that he
was still the Barney of old. The curves
were approached with just enough caution
| to keep her inside the limit, the hollows
were gauged to nicely. she was held up
at just the proper instant on the falls and
| dropped to her place at the right spot on
/ the hills, until her speed became something
| terrific.
| The fences seemed to be vanishing into
| the earth. the telegraph poles went by like
| wisps of straw. the trees that lined the
| right of way blended together until they
resembled a moving sheet shaken by the
| wind, an occasional horse or cow flashed
| by like so many dancing dots moving
| screen, and one town after another was
| reached and passed like pictures on a re-
| volving panorama. But on the engine there
| was little opportunity TO put in any time
| admiring the scenery. The fireman kept
| his place in the middle of the deck and
| only let go of the shovel long enough to
| shake a CRATE or work an injector. The
| brakenan-for once without kicking-was
| cracking coal mile after mile, without
| much looking up: and as for Barney. he
| simply sat tight, one hand on the throttle,
| the other lingering the brake valve and
| his eyes glued to the strips of steel that
| seemed to be hurled at him like two streaks
| of gray-colored lightning.
| I'VE ought to catch sight of them at
| B" he remarked. as he looked at his
| watch: they'll have to stop there for wa
| ter, too. and it's whoever gets away from
| there first that wins out. At this rate we'll
| have that twelve minutes made up by that
| time, and if they don't get their water
| first our chances are as good as theirs"
| But as they approached the town of B
| things looked black for their chances. The
| town was In the midst of level stretch
| where the two roads ran parallel. and in
| sight of another for more than two
| miles. The two water tanks were scarcely
| more than 100 feet apart. AS Barney's en-
| gne came into the town limits he could
| see the Midland standing at the water tank,
| the fireman up on the back of the engine
| tank with his hands on the spout, ready
| to throw it free the instant the tank was
| full.
For one instant Barney hesitated then
shut off to make the stop. "Only twenty
| miles in," he muttered, "and this stop
| means ten minutes; l guess we're up the
tree" But the next instant he turned to
| the fireman for the first time since they
| had started.
Hey, Billy" he called out sharply. run
| back and see how much water We've got"
Billy needed no second bidding, but grab
bed the broom on the instant back
over the coal, jerked off the manhole plate,
reached down and touched the bottom OF
| the tank with the end of the broom handle,
| and then. holding It up so that Barney
| could see how much of IL was wet, he called
| ont:
"Only about thirteen inches. Well never
be able to make it with that
| But Barney appeared to be satisfied, for
| he turned around, gave the throttle a jerk
that brought an angry snort from the en-
| CINE, and in another moment they had
| passed the water tdnh anu were HylHS on
through the town, leaving the Midland
| crew gaping at them in open-mounted as
| constituent
| How In the h began the fireman as
| he got back to the deck but Barney inter
| rupted him with, Here. take her minute
| and don't ease her up, either. We've got
one chance. and only one, and we're going
| to take it,"
AS he stepped down from the seat he
| picked up the coal order book. scribbled
| hurriedly on 1t for moment with the stut
| of a pencil he found in ii, tore out the
page. and handed it the fireman with the
, | remark, Drop that to the operator at H.
, Then he turned, picked up the end gate
; and coal pick and started back over tht
coal.
Still at a loss to account for MS move
| ments, the fireman glanced at the mes
. sage he held in his hands, but 1t brough
: | no light to his mind. All he could make
out was, "Wire headquarters to have tht
; | south yard section gang on the lookout fol
a-. ,,,t ha track and have the Ice hnlIsf