Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-06
CHAPTER I,

ing sunbeams beat upon the grimy roofs of the train and threw dis Sorted shadows over the sand and - sage brush that stretched to the far horizon Dense and choking, from beneath the whirring wheels, the dust clouds rose in tawny pillows that enveloped the rearmost coaches and, mingling with the black smoke pf the "double-header" engines, rolled away in the dreary wake. East and west, north and south, far ns the eye could reach, henmed by low. dun-colored ridges or sharply outlined crests of remote mountain range, in lifeless desolation, the landscape lay outspread to the view. Southward, streaked with white fringe of alkali, the flat monotone of sand and ashes blended with the flat ter, hawless surface of widespread Ing, ash-colored inland lake, it's shores dotted at intervals with the bleaching bones of cattle and scanned with ancient wagon tracks unwashed by not as much as a single drop from the cloudless heavens since their first impress on the sinking soil Here and there along the right of way-a right no human being would care to dispute were the way ten times its width-some drowsing lizards, eprawling in the sunshine along the ties, reused at the sound and tremor of the coming train to squirm off in- to the sage brush. But no sign of animation had been seen since the crossing of the big divide near Prom ontory- The long, winding train, made up of mail, express, baggage. emigrant, and smoking cars, tour fists coaches" and huge sleepers at the rear, with a 'sdinern midway in the chain, was packed with gasping humanity westward bound for the far Pacifc-the long, long, tortuous climb to the snow-capped Sierras ahead, the parched and baking valley of the Great Salt lake long, dreary miles behind. It was early June of the year '9s, and the war with Spain Has on.
 There had been some delay at Og- den- The trains from the east over the Union Pacific and the Denver 6 Rio Grande came in crowded, and the resources of the Southern Pa- cifc were suddenly taxed beyond the expectation of its officials. Troops he'd been whirling westward through out the week, absorbing much of the roliing stock, and the empty cars were being rushed east again from Oakland Pier; but the nearest were still some hundreds Eof miles from this point of transfer when a car load of recruits was dumped upon the broad platform, and the superin- tendent scratched his head, and screwed up the corner of his mouth, and asked an assistant how in a hot ter place than even Salt Lake valley the road could expect him to forward troops without delay ''vhen the road tos>k- away the last car in the yard getting those Iowa boys out"
 'sThere ain't nuthin' left 'cept that old tourist that's been rustin' and kiln-dryin' up 1ongside the shops since last winter" said the junior helplessly. sShan we have her out ?''
 Guess you'll have to- was the an- swer. ''It's that or nothin';" and the boss turned on his heel and slammed the office door behind him. "Ten to one," said, he, "there'n be Q kick comin' when the boys see what they've got to ride in, an I'llslet Jim take the kick"
 The kick had come, as predicted, but availed nothing. A score of lusty young patriots were the performers, but, being destined for service in the regulars, they. had neither senator nor stare official to wire" to in wrathful protest, as was usual on such occasions. The superintendent would have thought twice befors ever suggesting that car as 8 component part of the trair bearing the volun-
 CTS from Nebraska, Colorado or Iowa, ssps recently shipped over the road sEhey could have made it hot for the management" said he. But these fellows, these waifs, were from
 state or place in particular They hadn't even an officer with them, but 4 were hurrying on to their destination under command of veteran gunner, rlanced" for the purpose at the re- eruiting station. He had done his best for his men. Ruefully they looked through the dust-covered in- terior and inspected the muddy trucks and brake gear. "She wheezes like she had bronchitis,'' said the eorporal, f'and the inside's cross be- tween a hencoop and coal bin. You ain't going to run that old rookery for a car, are you?"
 sBestywe've got,a was the curt re- ply Yet the yardman shook his head as he heard the squeak of the rusty journals, and ordered his men to pack in fresh waste and "touch 'em up somehow" Any man who had spent a week about railway could have prophesied "hot boxes'' before that coach had run more than Its own length, but it wouldn't do for an employe to say so. The corporal looked appeahngly at his fellow pas sengers of the Rio Grande train. There were dozens of them stretch ing their legs and strolling about the platform, after getting their hand luggage transferred and seats se-