The evening Republican., 1902-06-16
KNOWING
HIS BUSINESS.
BY A. d. SAVER.

enough to blow the triangle OF red
lights on the rear sleeper.
At Sadler, Tom Burns had taken
the train to haul up grade to Casa
Grande and thence down to Los Pi-
nos, the end of his run. Tom had
taken trains through the mountains
for years, but SO far he had not met
that terror of the roailroad and ex-
press company, the train r0bber Of
the Sierras.
At Mogolian, the engine stood
hard breathingunde the water tank
while Pease, the express messenger,
came forward and watched Tom oil
ing his engine.
Hello, Sam!" said the engineer
as he poked the long nose of his oil
can among the frames of No. At,
"Carryip' any coin with your boxes
tonights"
DRY up, Tom" returned the ex-
press messenger ilritably. Its none
OF your business what you haul, Is
it?'
Got some aboard then, eh!'
laughed Tom, well, l reckon
there'll be few of them mountain
GERS a-lookin' for us some of these
trips"
II haven't got much tonight, but
somehow l feel queer. Don't know
why l should. I've gone through
with more plenty of times"
Big Tom finished oiling and put
the cap on his oil can.
Don't you hev no presentiments.
SAM" he remarked, looking around
at the lovely country about the wa
ter tank.
"All ready thar, Jnn?"
The fireman on the tender nodded
and swung back the spout.
Keep your eye open, Tom, on
the mountains" said the express
messenger as he started back to his
car!
Two hours later the heavy train
was pounding the grade within u
few miles Of the divide.
When he sighted the signal lamps
of the siding where the east bound
No. 5 should pass him Tom sent the
air to tie wheels to hold hcruntil the
switch was opened and lie could pull
into the siding. Here and there q
passenger dropped off the steps OF the
rullmans to look up at the fantastic
cliffs above them.
The conductor went into little
shanty serving as u telegraph Office
! for the use of passing trains. There
| was no operator at that point, but
most conductors cold make shift to
to report their trains.
After a tine he came out and went
along to the engineer.
'Ilcre S q train order, Tom. Funny.
but they were calling when | wenti in.
Usually have to spend 10 minutes
getting the dispatcher to take my re-
port"
Burns took the rough stratch of
copy that was handed him and read:
Division Headquarters, Now 6, lSo-,
| Tr. No. one hour late. Tr. No .
will pass ) at Sandsde I. IA.
Il. p. Div. Dispatcher.
| Burns climbed into his cab and
read the order again. Then he
pushed back his cap with a grimy
hand and pondered. Finally he
hailed the conductor, Say, Bill.
What's the matter Tome The
engineer did not reply, and the con.
ductor hurried forward into the
gloom.
Bill' reckon we'd better not
leave
What's wrong with itr asked the
conductor.
We'll, l don't like that ORDER
What's wrong with it,
1T amt like 4. p. to say why an
orders changed. Usually it's just
an order on'-Burns hesitated u mo-
ment and then said: We'll, Bill,
you know we're carrying something
thin tonight
Tom, you've lost your nerve.
That order is all right.
NO, | amt lost my nerve either.
There's somethin' about that order
that don't seem natural. | call it a
forgery
I'll go over and call up r. P. He
will know whether he sent his or
der or not
While the conductor was gone sew.
eral passengers came forward to learn
the cause of the delay.
The conductor came running back.
II got Il. p. easily enough. He
repeated the order, and here it is"
The new massage ran:
Cert. Orders all right. sComc along
quick. II. p.
Burns eyed the scratch with a sus-
picious eye. Then be picked up his
lantern and oil can and started to
work on the engine again. "
Hurry up, Tom cried the con-
ductor. 1--WE can't lay here all night
Wen tie up the road. "
II amt goin',' growled Burns.
"Man, your crazy! There's the
order and the order repeated
give been runnin' on this road
long before you fellows knew Tonic
from a toads.ool," said the engineer,
"an' / know old r. P'S orders. lie
never sent no such message as that,
an here's where l stay Till No. 8
comes along.
~ order you to pull out. said the
conductor
Tom Burns made no reply. A
| - NJ
CINE urging upon its members the
advisability OF pulling him from
the place and letting the fireman