The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17

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were full of soda, his ears full of sand,
his mustache of burrs, and his whiskers
1ull or tumble-weedS. The conductor and
the brakemen climbed sullenly down, and
the baggageman showed open his door and
slamed trunk out on the platform with
out a pretense of sympathy. Then the
outgoing crew climbed aboard, and in
hurry. The conductor-elect ran down stairs
from the register and pulled his cap down
hard before he pushed ahead against the
wind TO give the engineer his copy of the
orders as the new engine was coupled
up. The fireman pulled the canvas jealous
ly around the cab end. The brakeman ran
hurriedly back to examine the air connec-
tions, and gave his signal to the conductor;
the conductor gave his to the engineer,
There were two short, choppy snorts from
the 1O1, and 80 moved out steaIthiIy, evenly,
resistlessly into the teeth of the night.
In another minute, only her red lamps
cleaned up the yard. One man still on
the platform watched them recede; it
Bucks
He came UP to the dispatcher's Office
he didn't go home and TO bed; but Gala
han was too good railroad man to ask
questions Of a superior. Bucks might have
stood on his head on the stove. and it red
hot without being pursued with inquiries
from Callahan. If Bucks chose to sit up
out there on the frozen prairies in a nimsy
barn of station and with the wind bowling
murder at u o'clock past. and that on
Chrf- ha txxyap Nv If ~
was Bucks own business.
81 kind of looked for my mother tonight"
said he. after Callahan got his orders out
of the way for minute. 'Wrote she was
coming out pretty soon for little visit"
where does your mother live?"
Chicago. l sent her transportation two
weeks ago. Reckon she thought she'd bet
ter stay at home for Christmas. Back in
Gods country they have Christmas just
about this time of year. Watch out to-
night. Jim, I'm going home. It's wind
for your life
Callahan was making a meeting-point for
two freights when the door closed behind
Bucks; he didn't even sing out Good
night" And as for Merry Chri-well. that
had no place on the West End anyhow.
"D-i. d--i. ID. d-i." came clicking into
the room. Callahan wasn't asleep. Once
he did sleep over the key. When he
told Bucks. he made sure of his time; only
he thought Bucks ought TO know.
Bucks shook his head pretty hard that
time. Its awful business, Jim. It's muir
der, you know. It's the penitentiary, IL
they should convict you. But it's worse
than that. If anything happened because
you went to sleep over the key. you'd have
them on your mind all your life, don't you
know-forever. Men-and - and - children.
That's what 1 always think about-the
children Manned and scalded and burned.
Jim, if it ever happens to you, quit dis
patching; get commercial work; mistakes
don't cost life there: don't try to handle
trains. If it ever happens with you, you'll
kill yourself"
That was all he said; it was enough. And
no wonder Callahan loved him.
The wind tore frantically around the
station, but everything else was so still.
1t was / o'clock now, and not a soul about
but Callahan. Dill, ID. j. clicked sharp
and fast. Twelve or fourteen cars passed
here-just-now east-running a-a-a-" Cal
lahan sprang up like a iash-listened.
What? "R-u-n-n-i-n-g AWAY"
1t was the Jackson operator calling; Cal
lahan jumped to the key. whats that?'
he asked quick as lightning could dash it,
Twelve or fourteen cars coal passed
here, fully forty miles an hour, passed east
driven by the wi
That was all Jackson could send, fol-
Ogalalla broke in. Ogalalla is the station
just west of jackson. And with Galatians
copper hair raising higher at every letter
this came from Ogalalla: Heavy gust
caught twelve coal cars on sldetrack, sent
them on main line off down the grade"
They were already past Jackson, eight
miles away, headed east, running down
hill. Callahan's eyes turned like hares to
the train sheet. No. 50, going west was
due that minute to leave Calendar. From
Calendar to Griffin is a twenty-miles' run
There is station between, but in those
days no night operator. The runaway Goa
train was less than thirty miles west OF
Griffin, coming down a forty-mile grade like
cannon ball. If 50 could be stopped al
Calendar, she could be laid by in five
minutes. out of the way of certain destruc.
ton ahead of her on the main line. Gala
han seized the key and began calling "Cn.'
He pounded until the call burned his
fingers. 1t was an age before Calendar
answered; then Callahan's order flew
Hold SO. Answer quick
And Calendar answered.: mo. 50 just
pulling out of upper yard. Too late to stoI
her. What's the matter?"
Callahan struck the table with his
clinched fist, looked wildly about him, theI
sprang from the chair ran TO the win.
dow and threw up the sash. The moor
shone bit through the storm of sand bu
there was not a soul in sight. There were
lights in the roundhouse, a hundred yard.
across the track. He pulled his revolver
every railroad man out there carried one
those days-and. covering one Of the round
houce windows. began firing. 1t was
risk There was one chance. maybe, e
a thousand of his killing a night man. But
there were a thousand chances to one that
whole trainload Of men and womeI
would be killed inside of thirty minutes II
he couldn't get help. He chose a window
An the machinists' section. where he knew