Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-05

man at the throttle. Amos was Il New
Hampshire man of the Cool-blooded variety,
and Il born manhandler of machinery. t3i
time the 1919 firted with him coyly'
dropped a link-block nut on one trip. slip
ped an eccentric on the next. and broke a
sprnghanger the third. Then, after a
few days of good behavior to lure him on,
she Sma shed his record in a rear-end col
Iision. Amos was man of few words, 3nd
he took his medicine-thirty days vacation
without pay-With' true New England
stoicism. But to us in the round mouse ne
confided the facts in the case, facts Wnlch
he had not thought it worth while to men
ton in the carpet session with OLD man
Bence.
See 'eu?-in broad daylight, with moth
in in the way? OF course, stw EN-. But
| couldn't choke that big - OFF more n
/ cd fly Throttle damned tighter
the bark to tree; and when l hoSsed ler
over, she jes' growled back at me ana silo;
into 'em as if the track d been creased
a-purpOse.
Gilman's lay-off. and the 1o19s second
rebuilding. were accomplished IN the SAINT
thirty days; but when the unluck! engine
was ready to go out the men were shy.
No good man cared to risk his record on
her and tramp engineers, with everything
To gain and nothing to lose, were not plen-
tiful on the c. and G. X. in old man i'ellce
time The superintendent made MS ngnt
against superstition. like the stubborn old
industry colonel that he was, but he was
fairly beaten Given a chance to redeem
himself and the ltl3 al one anu lHt SsLiiic
time Amos Gilman promptly asked for ms
time check; and when three other good men
chose a like hard alternative the 1919 was
run N on the "deadpit' and her fire was
banked.
II was at this stage of the battle that
Harry Spencer came to old man Bence's
rescue Harry was pulling the Lone Pine
accommodation with the 100 Baldwin
too light for the work and of his own mo-
ton he went to the superintendent. asked
for the 1913, and got her. Thereupon the
big flyer seemed to turn over new leaf.
1t was as if she had felt the degradation
of the freight pulling, and had revenged
herself accordingly. That was what Harry
said when the men joked him. and asked
him if he had ordered his coffin. laughing.
as he laughed at everything. But Anne
Gilman shook his head and prophesied.
You walt" he said She's lyin' off to
fool round till you amt watchin' her; then
she'll up and do ye"
Whereat Harry laughed again and swung
up to the cab to move the big engine slowly
across the fitting turntable.
when she smashes me- I'll smash her."
he said leaning from the high cab window
when you hear she's killed me, you
needn't get out the wreck train; there
won't be enough of her left TO make scrap
out Of
'Begorry, thin. I'm bettin' a tin spot we
don't" retorted Carnahan. who was just
getting out after the scalping episode.
''Whin she gets good an ready she'll make
'taty hash " We. an nivver turn wan hair"
We'll see about that" laughed Harry;
and in the fullness Of time they did see.
Notwithstanding the prophecies of evil 1t
seemed for a time as If the 1019s demon
had been safely exercised: and when Harry
had paced the big flyer on the accommoda-
ton for a month or more without mishap
of any kind the powers began to talk Of
putting her on the mail run. for which she
had been purchased. AS to this, Harry had
nothing to say, as a matter Of course; but
when IL leaked out that the 1019s engineer
was likely to be transferred with his en-
CINE to the run with the fast mail he took
occasion to call upon old man Bence in the
latters private office.
Just j minute when you get time, Mr..
Hardy. he said. and when the superinten-
dent wheeled around in his pivot chair:
It's talked around among the boys that
m going to get a chance to pull the mail.
II it's so. don't want it."
Now, Mr. Benson Hardy was a true toro
of the Spanish fighting breed in the sense
that he had his particular red rag of en-
ragement. and this red rag was the slight
est indication on the part of an engineer
that his nerve" was failing. Wherefore he
bent his heavy brows on this reluctant
youngster and scowled and rasped out his
disapproyal.
What's the matter with you, Spencer?
Losing your nerve?'
mo, l guess not But I'm pretty well
satisfied with the accommodation run"
"Oh. you are. are you? Well, so long as
you work for the G. and G. R you'll go
where you're sent"
OF course. Harry laughed. He was one of
those who would laugh and offer to shake
hands with death at the narrowest pass
But there was defiance in his rejoinder.
Il guess / don't have to work for the c.
and G. X. when you get through with me-"
he said. And SO 1t ended for the time.
Since railroad Office Is leaky as any
sieve. 1t soon came to be whispered about
that Harry had natly refused the mail run.
and the why was small mystery. In the