The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-05-06
t. arose. smiled. bowed and walked

Always after that the manager car rled about with hlm a haunting dread Of the wind crank. He would turn a corner ln crowded street and meet him face to face, and for the briefest moment the man would search the soul of the manager. once in the city that was headquarters for the company they held a great exhibition, and the general manager was chosen to wei come the president of the United States. The moment nc came to the edge of the platform and faced the waiting multitude. waiting not to hear the railroad man, but the president, he became embarrassed. "Ladles and gen tlemen," be began. "I sec before me-
 Here the speaker paused awkwardly' like Q schoolboy who has forgotten hls lines. Before him rose the gaunt face ot the wind crank. who stood in the front row. towering above his neigh bors.
 Pulling himself together, the railroad man went on His friends began to tremble for him. What he said had nothing to do with the exhibition, the president or the people there assem- blcd. "The company has always en- deavored to keep abreast of the times. We have adopted every safety apph- nnce that has been invented, but 80 bong as human hands. guided by the brain Of man.
 At that point a man who was lntelli- gent when he was sober broke in on the orator. "Oh. come offen tn perch an let som'ou' talk at can talk senseT
 Blunhlng to the very roots of hls hair, this local orator. the man who had been called "the Chauncey of the west" stumbled from the stage.
 At last the long winter came to m end. and the Inventor went away with the snow. At all events. the manager had been rid of him for long while when one day his special stood upon short spur near the mountain top walt Ing for the castbound overland express. Presently the party were made aware of the approach of the opposing train. but Instead of the low singing of the rnll. for which they had been listening. they heard suddenly the roar of a run nway train and the frantic cry of a To- comotlve for brakes. The hagman who had opened the switch to let the spe- cial back In on the spur stood there waiting to let them out again when the express should pass. All the people had climbed down from the waiting traln to stretch themselves. The engineer was olllng hls engine. The fireman had climbed up a bank to gather some wild flowers that grew where a little stream of clear cold water gurgled from the rocks. Seeing the hagman stlll holding to the switch. the general manager ran toward him. calling to hlm Co let go and stand back.
 What might have happened If the manager had remained quiet no man knoweth. but when the nagman saw him coming and heard him shouting without understanding what he was saying he glanced nervously In the d. rectlon of the approaching train. The wild engine at that moment rounded a curve and headed down a short tan gent straight for the switch. The flag man was seen Co glance back again at bis own train. which stood well ln the clear. then throw his weight on the switch lever. Over went the rail for the spur. and across lt came the flying train.
 An air hose had blown on Just as they tipped over the top of the hill (thiS was before the days of the self acting, selC adjusting automatic alr brake). and the few hand brakes at the crew's command had served only to steady the train. They could not hold the biz mountain engine. and now she shot in on the spur. wide open, splitting fire and screaming like a wild aend. She hit the special with a crash that shook the very hills. The special train. with It's lighter locomotive. was driven back three cars or more and crushed like an eggshell against the rock cliff that rose perpendlcularly at the far end of the spur. The heavy sleepers crushed the mall and express cars against the wrecked locomotives. There were the old familiar shrieks of the broken en- zines, the moans of the mangled and the excited shouts of the rescuers. The general manager had succeeded In dragging a man from the ruins and placing him In an easy position. The man appeared to be quite dead. As the manager was about to turn away some thing tugged feebly at hls sleeve. The manager stopped down, put his car to the mans breast. peered Into his face and then stepped back with a startled expression. Now. with the superhu man strength that sometimes comes to dying men. the wreck lifted his head and looked with strange, wild eyes in- to the face of the manager.
 "Oh, you murdererl Do you still ar que that you can hold a train with mountain air? Now. with a system of air plpes-runnlng up from the valley all this k-and-death"-
 The general manager put his car down again. but the troubled heart was hushed.