The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-03-31
The T~rainmrster's Story,
Continued from First Page)

S"" Il "OIdS Ill the reverse For Val
our, and looked again at me.
'Where'd you get thIs?" he asked. in
dicating the Victoria.
In the Soudan, sir
Dave Hawk kept right on looking out
lhe window. Neither my conductor nor
the operator seemed to know Just what
the row was. Nobody spoke.
What are you doing here?o Rocksby
went on.
Il came out to learn the cattle bust
ness. His broWs went up EASY like.
Then I went bad with mountain fever"
and he looked decent at me.
You say you had your head out the
cupola and saw the white signal?" Ii.
asked, sort Of puzzled.
Il saw the white signal. Rocksbv
looked at the operator, Morrison.
We'll adjourn this thing" said he at
last, "till I look into it a little further.
For the present, go back to your runs"
We never heard any more of it. Allberg
got out quick. ] wanted to pick up my
stuff and turned to thank Dave Hawk.
He was gone.
1t wasn't the first time Dave had pulled
me out of the water. About two weeks
before that l had crawIed one night up
on the front platform of the baggage at
Peace River to steal a ride to Medicine
Bend on No. /. 1t was Dawes train. |
had been kicked out of the McCloud
Hospital two days before without a cent
(r a friend on earth outside OF the old
country, and l hadn't mind to bother the
folks at home any more, come Conan or
the devil.
The night was bitter bad, black as a
Fuzzy, and sleeting out OF the foothills
like manSiaughter. When the train
stopped at Rosebud for water, what with
gripping the icy hand rail and trying to
keep my teeth steady on my knees l
must have been a hard sight. Just as
train was ready to pull out Dave came
by and poked his lantern full in my
face.
He was an older mar than T, a good bit
older. for | was hardly more than a kid
then, only ~spindling tall, and so thin l
couldn't tell a stomachache from a back
ache. AS l sat huddled down on the lee
step with my cap pulled over my head
and ears he poked his light full into my
face and snapped, Get out!'
If it had been a headlight I couldn't
have been worse scared, and l found af-
terward he carried the brightest lamp on
ltlt d1N IoiCH L dp lIiIo HIS ldCt
and he looked into mine. l wonder if
this life isn't mostly in the face, after
all? I couldn't say anything, 1 was
shaking in a chill as 1 pulled myself to-
gether and climbed down into the storm.
Yet | never saw . "~oo harder in some
ways than Dave Hawks His visor hid
his forehead and a black beard covered
his face till it left only his straight
cold nose and a dash of olive white an
der the eyes. His WhiskerS doomed hig
as q COSsacf's and his eyes We're onyx
with just such a glitter. He knew it
was no better than murder to put me
off i'll that storm at a mountain siding.
| knew it but l didn't much care, for |
knew before very long l should fall off
anyway. After 1 crawled down he stood
looking at me, and, with nothing better
CT, I stood looking at him.
"If you get up there again I'd break
your neck" he promised, holding up his
lantern. I was quiet; the nerve was out
of me.
shortly.
Where are you going?" he asked
shortly.
medicine Ben
Get into the smoker, you damn fool.
How it galvanized me. For twenty
four hours | hadn't eaten. I was just GU
of a hospital bed and six weeks Of noun
tain fever, but | braced II his words Xix
q Sioux buck. I hurried back ahead O
him to the smoking car, drenched wet
and tough, l know. l looked so tough
that the brakemen grabbed me tn
minute l opened the front door and triet
to kick me out. | turned, snarllng then
crazy as a wolf al in a seconrd, anc
somehow backed the brakeman gains
the water cooler with his windpipe twist
ed in my bony fingers like a corkscreW
The train was moving out. I had beer
cuffed and kicked till l would rattle
kill somebody than not; this seemed
fair chance for a homicide. When tn
poor fellows wind went off-he WASH
) much of a scrapper, l fancy-he whipped
around in the aisle like a dying rooster
!, AS he struggled in my grip there benin
= him in the doorway stood Dave, lanter.
in hand. looking on with a new face
t This time he was ~smiling-Dave's smll
; meant Just the parting OF his lips over
: row of glistening teeth, perfectly eve
? teeth. and under his black mustach
whittier than worry. 1t appeared to anus
i him to see me killing the brakeman. tn
:. instant saw Dave / let go and he watch
K ed the crestfalien trainman pull hlmsel
together.
Guess you'll let him alone now, won
. you?" said Dave, pleasantly to my rat
}tIod assailant. sit down." he growle
Iharshly at me, stringing his lantern o
his arm. He walked unconcernedly dow
the aisle, and l dropped exhausted int
the front seat facing the Bake heate
It was heavenly hot; red hot. | haV
loved a car heater ever since, and Bake
to me, is hardly lower than the angel
IS NV toys began to steam, my Dlood DC
il gan to flow. The train boy gave NE
wormy apple, an Irishman with q bott
IL of rank whiskey gave me a singer an
wanted to live again. l curled up
the seat and in five minutes | was roas
ing. oh. such a heavenly roast; and doi
ing Lord, what a heavenly doze, p'
# fore that Baker heater. All night u
forward truck beat and pounded und'
me: all night l woke and slept IN u
ID steaming. sinking air OF the not ca
And whenever | opened my eyes L sa
4 always the same thing, a topping ia