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

He pulled his revolver, and covering on
no one usually went at night. He poured
bullets into the unlucky easement as fast
as powder could carry them. Reloading
rapidly, he watched the roundhouse door;
sure enough, almost at once, 1t was eau
tiously opened. Then he fired into the air
one, two three, four, five, six-and then he
saw a man start for the station the
dead run. He knew, too, by the tremendous
sweep of his legs that 1t ole Ander-
son, the night foreman, the man of all
others he wanted.
''Ole," cried the dispatcher, waving his
arms frantically as the giant Swede looked
up from the platform below. "go get
Bucks. I've got a runaway train going
against So For your life, ole, rum"
The big fellow was into the wind with
the word. Bucks boarded four blocks
away. Callahan, slamming down the win
dow, took the key, calling Rowe. Rowe is
the first station east Of Jackson; it was
now the first point at which the runaway
coal train could be headed.
"R-o, TO" he ratified The operator
must have been sitting on the wire, for
he answered at once AS fast as Gala
nan cOulu IdlKs ne tOlQ howe the
story and gave him orders to get the night
agent, who he knew must be down to sell
tickets for SO, and pile all the ties they could
gather across the track to derail the run
away train. Then he began humping for
Kolar, the next station east of Rowe, and
the second ahead of the runaways. He
pounded and he pounded. and when the man
at Kolar answered, Callahan could have
sworn he had been asleep-just from the
way he talked. Does Ii seem strange?
There are many strange things about a dis
patcher's senses. Send your night man TO
west switchhouse track and open for runa-
way train. Do anything and everything to
keep them from getting by you. Work
quick
Behind Kolar's o, o. came a frantic call
from Rowe "Runaways passed here like
streak. Knocked the ties into tooth
picks. Couldn't head them"
Callahan didn't wait to hear any more.
He only wiped the sweat from his face
II seemed forever before Kolar spoke again
Then it was only TO say: "'Runaways went
by here before night man could get to
switch to open it
Would Bucks never come? And IL he did
come, what earth could stop the runa-
way train now? They were heading into
the worst grade on the West End 1t aver
ages 1 per cent. from Kolar to Griffin and
there we get down off the Cheyenne hills
with long reverse curve. and drop into
the canyon of the Blackwood with a per
cent. grade. Callahan, almost beside him
self, threw open a north window to look
for Bucks Two men were flying down
Main street towards the station. He knew
them: it was ole and Bucks
But Bucks Never before or since was
seen a street of McCloud such a figure
as Bucks was. in his trousers and slippers
with his nightshirt free he sailed down
the wind. In another infant he was bound
ing up the stairs. Callahan told him
What have you done?" he painted, throw
ing himself into the chair. Callahan told
him. Bucks held his head in his hands
while the boy talked. He turned to the
sheet-asked quickly for So
She's out OF Calendar. I tried hard TO
stop her. / didn't lose a second: she was
gone
Barely an instant Bucks studied the sheet.
Routed out of a sound sleep after an
eight-hour trick and such night by
such a message-the marvel was he could
think at all, much less set a trap which
should save SO. In twenty minutes from
the time Bucks took the key the two trains
would be together-could he save the pas
senger? Callahan didn't believe IT,
sharp. quick call brought Griffin We
had one of the brightest lads on the whole
division at Griffin. How the heart bangs
on the faint, uncertain tick OF a sounder
when human lives hang on it,
Where are your section men?" asked
Bucks.
'In bed at the section house"
who's with your
might agent Sheriff with two cowboy
prisoners waiting to take So"
Before the last word came Bucks was
back at him:
ITO Operator:-Ask sheriff release his
prisoners TO save passenger train. Go to-
gether TO west switchhouse-track curve,
cut the rails and point them to send runa-
way train from ogalalla over the BLUM into
the river.-Bucks."
The words flew off his fingers like sparks,
and another message crowded the wire be-
hind IL:
''To Agent:-Go to east switch. open, and
set for passing track. Flag 50, and run
her on siding. III can't get SO into the
clear, ditch the runa ways.-Bucks
They look old now. The ink is faded,
and the paper is smoked with the fire of