Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-06-13

sight of Barney and replied quickly:
There's Barney Mcdonald. Why not
give him a chance? He used to be able
to turn them fast enough
The conductor glanced m Barney's
direction. Its worth try he said.
1t took but moment to call Barney
to the engine. The conductor hurriedly
explained the situation, winding up by
saying: Nov, get up here and take the
train in. I'll he responsible for every
thing, but I'll guarantee that you never
need worry if you only get there on
time
Barney's railroad training came to
the front on the instant He knew
there was no time for llaggling or ex-
PLANTATION. He merely said. All right;
I'll do it." and swung himself up into
the cab. A CLEAN of his old time spirit
came to his eye as his feet touched the
deck, and it was with almost childish
eagerness that he picked up an oil carl.
Jumped down and began to s'oil round. =
He hurried from one side to the other,
feeling her boxes, touching up her
links, dropping splash or two on her
guides, and in an instant was back in
the cab, and they were started.
''She's a bird" he remarked to him.
self as they began to leave the town
drivers must be at least seven feet
high, and that tank holds over 1000
gallons. We've lost twelve minutes =
he continued as he hooked her up
notch and gave her little more steam,
"but unless I'm4 mistaken this is just
the sort of mill that will make it up.
We've got coal enough, and we've only
got one stop to make for water. It's a
good seventy miles, but an hour and a
half ought to get us there easy"
That he had forgotten nothing Of his
former skill was soon evident from the
way the train was handled. He knew
every foot of the road from one end of
the division to the other, and as each
familiar landmark was reached and
passed his every move clearly showed
that he was still the Barney of old.
The curves We're approached with just
enough. caution to keep her inside the
limit; the holloys were gagged to q
nicely; she was held up at just the
proper instant on the falls and dropped
to her place at the right spot on the
hills until her speed became something
terrific. The fences seemed to be van
fishing into the earth, the telegraph
poles went by like wisps of straw, the
trees that lined the right Of way blend
ed together until they resembled a
moving sheet shaken by the wind, an
occasional horse or COW flashed by like
a dancing dot on moving screen, and
one town after another was reached
and passed like pictures on a revolving
panorama. But on the engine there
was little opportunity to put in any
time admiring the scenery. The fire
man kept his place in the middle of
the deck and only let go of the shovel
long enough to shake a CRATE or work
an injector. The brakeman, for once
without kicking, was. cracking coal
mile after mile without SO much as
looking up, and, as for Barney. he
simply sat tight, one hand on the
throttle, the other lingering the brake
valve and his eyes glued to the strips
of steel that seemed to be hurled at
him like two streal1s of gray colored
lightning.
Eve ought to catch sight of them at
b." he remarked as he looked at his
watch. They'll have to stop there for
water, too, and it's whoever gets away
from there first that wins out At this
rate wen have that twelve minu rs
made up by that time, and if they don't
get their water first our chances are as
good as theirs"
AZ L.
B. things looked black for their chances.
The town was in the midst of a level
stretch where the two roads ran par
allel and in sight of one another for
more. than two miles. The two water