The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-03
The Hid Engineer...A Railroad Story
By Frank II. spearman

as mute as the Sphinx. When McNeal was
shining: but IL the pale face of his engineer
had any effect on him, he kept 1t 10 him
self.
AS they ratified down the line with a long
stock train that night neither of them re-
ferred 10 the break in their run Coming
back next night the same silence hung over
the cab. The only words that passed over
the boilerhead were 'strickly business as
Dad would say.
At Oxford they were laid out by a Pull
man special. 1t was 3 o'clock in the morning
and raining hard. Under such circum-
stances an hour seems all night. At last
Dad himself broke the unsuppOrtable 81
Ience.
He'd have waited a good bit longer if he
had waited for me To talk" said the boy,
telling Foley afterwards.
Heard you got. licked, groWied Dad
after tinkering with the fire for the TWEEN
tieth time.
Il didn't get licked" retorted George; Il
got dubbed. 1 never had a chance to fight"
These fellows hate TO see a boy come out
and take a mans job. Can't blame 'em
much, neither"
Whose job did I take?" demanded Geor-
gle, angrily. WAS any one OF those cow
ards that jumped on me in the dark look
ing for work on this engineer
There was nothing to say to that. Dad
You talk about men, continued the
young fellow. If L am not more of a man
than to slug a fellow from behind, the way
they slugged me. I'll get off this engine and
stay of. If that's what you call men out
here don't want to be a man. III go back
TO Pennsylvania"
why didn't you stay there?' growied
Dad.
why didn't you?'
Without attempting to return the shot,
Dad pulled nervOusly at the chain.
IF l hadn't been fool enough TO go out on
a strike | might have been running there
yet continued George.
Ought To have kept away from the post
Office grumbled Dad. after a pause.
Il get a letter twice a week that / think
more of than 1 do of this whole road, and |
propose TO go to the pOstOfice and get it
without ansking anybody's permission
They'll pound you again.
George looked out into the storm.
We'll. why shouldn't they? I've got no
friends"
Got a girl back in Pennsylvania? p
Yes, I've got a girl there" replied the
boy, as the rain tore at the cab window.
I've had a girl there a good while. She's
grayheaded and sixty years Old-that's my
girl-and if she can write letters to me, L
can get them out of the pOstofhce without a
guardian"
There she comes said Dad. as the head
light Of the Pullman special shone faint
ahead through the mist.
I'm mighty glad of it, said George,
looking at his watch. Give me steam now,
Dad, and I'll get you home in time for a
nap before breakfast"
A minute later the special shot over the
switch, and the young runner, crowding
the piStOnS a bit, started off the siding.
When Dad, looking back for the hind brake
AANA " ~ NAG Il 0Aib VIII Nhf NtAANN
all clear. George pulled her out another
notch, and the long train slowly gathered
Roadway up the slippery track.
AS the speed increased the young man
and the old relapsed into their usual silence.
The pa was always a free steamer. but
George put her through her PAGES without
any apology, and it took lots of coal to
square the account.
In a few minutes they were pounding
along up through the Narrows The track
there follows the high bench between the
bluffs, which sheer up on one side, and the
river bed. thirty feet below the grade, on
the other.
1t is not an inviting stretch al any time
with a big string of gondOlas behind. But
on a wet night it is the last place on the di-
vision where an engineer would want a
side-rod to go wrong; and just there and
then Georges rod went very wrong indeed
Halfway between centers the big steel
bar on his side, dipping then so fast that
snapped like a stick of licorice. The hind
end ripped I'D into the cab like the nose OF
a swordfsh, tearing and smashing with
appalling force and fury.
George McNeaIS seat burst under him as
If a stick of giant powder had exploded. He
was damned against the cab roof like a
iink-pin and fell ~sprawling, while the mons
ter steel HAIL threshed and tore through the
cab with every lightning revolution of the
great driver from which it swung.
1t was a frightful moment. Anything
thought or done must be thought and done
at once. 1t was either to stop that train
and quickly-Or to pound along until the IA
jumped the track and lit into the river,
with thirty cars of coal TO cover il.
InStantly-SO Dad Hamilton afterwards
told me-instantly the boy, scrambling to
his feet, reached for his throttle-reached
for it through a rain of iron blows, and
staggered back with his right arm hanging
like a broken wing from his shoulder. And
\ back again after it-after the throttle with
his left; slipping and creeping carefully this
time up to the throttle lever until, straining
and twisting and lodging, he caught the
latch and pushed it tightly home, Dad
Whistling vigorously the while for brakes.
Relieved of the tremendous head on the
cylinder the old engine Gained down enough
to let the two men collect themselves. Rap
idly as the brakes could do it, the long train
was brought up standing, and George,
helped by his fireman, dropped out of the
cab. and they set about disconnecting-the
engineer with his one arm-the formidable
ends of the broken rod.
1t was a slow, difficult piece of work to
do. In spite of their most active efforts the
rain chilled them to the marrow. The train
hands could, which wasn't much; but by
every man doing something they got things
fixed, called in their fiagmen just before
daybreak and started home. When the sun
rose. George, grim and silent. the throttle
in his left hand, was urging the old engine
along on a dog trot across the Blackwood
fats; and so, limping in on one side, the
kid brought his train into the GAINESVILLE
himself helpful enough. unable to show his
appreciation of the skill and the grit that
the night had disclosed in the kid engineer.
The hOstler, waiting in the yard, Sprang
into the cab with amaZement on his face,
and was just in time TO lift a limp boy out
of the old fireman's arms and help Dad get
him 10 the grOund-fOr George had tainted.
When the PA reached the shops a few
minutes later they photographed that cab.
1t was the worst case OF rod-smashing we