The San Francisco call., 1905-06-18

common plane. But do you notice we
have come to our observation wall?
Howe noticed with surprise the familiar
low wall, then said laughingly: All
right; II seems we are fated TO be spies
upon the land, but there are lots OF worse
things than overlooking a great yard un-
der nightfall."
And he was right. The shower OF red
up-pouring cinders, the crossing or inter-
weaving darting lights. the roar of flying
unseen trains arising out of the cavern
Gus blackness blending with clashing
bells and shrieking whistles. They sat 81
lently surveying the animated, forceful
life--the throbbing dI dIagon-eyed crash or
a nations pulse. Suddenly Howe leaned
forward. peering intently down along the
track. A cutting swing of swaylng lamps,
a fierce roar from an unseen stack. then
an inverted Niagara of fire pours against
the smoke-curtained night. Then silence
three white lights gather in close
cluster, to be joined In moment by
couple of torches.
Something wrong down there, let's go
down. said Howe eagerly.
They stumbled quickly down the em-
bankment and after-a swift run along the
tracks came to place where motley,
swiftly absorbing crowd collected, vul-
ture-like, around a yard engine On its
outskirts a dark, foreign-looking woman
with black, streaming hair was endeavor-
ing to quiet frightened, sobbing girl OF
about 6 years.
what lis the natter" asked Howe of a
man who with craning neck stood on the
pilot beam.
"A switchman has got both legs cut off
undertook to throw that Dago kid there
off the track, and slipped
The human wall surged. Through rift
In the crowding forms Howe caught
brief view of Scranton's strong face
leaning over a ghastly, shortened thing,
seemingly only a quivering mass of ago.
nizing muscles and nerves. The tortured
head rolls upon Scranton's supporting
arm; the flare of a torch falls upon it
Howe grasps Grays arm In fesh-tear-
ing clutch.
..oh, John, help me to break through
the crowd-its Grille"
CHAPTER VIII.
There was the sad journey to the
hospital, and there "Girlie' died-and
Scranton" breaking mis- habit of si-
lence for the first time. told his own
strange story to Howe and Gray.
TT was a thing like this-that was
responsible for--that gave the twist TO
my life-the collision that killed
Ward"
II remember" said Howe.
"Then you know what 1 went
through: how 1 remembered the
changed order too late. and how wait
ed for what I knew would happen, with
Ward sending his engine along, sure
that L had done the thing I was told
to do.
Then to think of the sight that would
flash into Wards eyes. The gloom of the
: tunne1-like kei curved shed suddenly lined by
8 two faint silver streaks, then dull
fash against the left wall, to burst,
whilst the heart only loses two beats,
xl,< u; r~l, Of r1ltr rrria d-
Iight-two evil red eyes glowing beneath
God help him if in the realized horror his
brain numbed more chill than did mine.
We'll. what l did next is only con-
fused recollection. i can only remember
an insane idea to go somewhere, where
no one would ever see me again. What
possessed me to collect these kilograms
know mot. Turning down the light I left
the office. The rest is tumble of wide
stretching sage. dotted plain and the
dash of sleet against my face When
morning broke l was out Of sight of Hal
lam-out over the bleak desert toward the
distant white-capped range
1T must have been about noon when
came to little ranch Before the door
sat a man. rough and unkempt-he was
very true to his type, a type into which
enters the solemnity of wide space, the
freedom: of great winds and the boundlesS
instructive sympathy of nature.
''In trouble. stranger he said simply,
as i approached
MY answer must have satisfied him,
for L next remember him removing my
boots and carefully tucking me into his
bed. 1t was morning when 1 awoke- My
host prepared breakfast, then said:
Set up, partner. there. is your place
as long as YOU choose TO stay; there is
lots of chuck and plenty of room. Lord!
/ was afraid I'd have to bunk alone this
winter, sure.
mo questions were asked. In my pos
session was the master key to all West
ern hearts. / was in trouble.
"A few days after he went to Hallam
for winter supplies. returning in few
6ays with two laden horses That night
as we sat befoer the fire he extended a
copy of the Hallam News. Taking it,
found portion of the local page torn
off
..'Dick. 1 said. where is the rest Of
the paper?'
...Well. boy he answered. you don't
really want to see it,, do your
Upon my insisting he took this from
his inside pocket"
Here Lawrence unfolded a strip OF
newspaper adding, Read IL" The boys
glanced over the lurid recital of the
Kane collision; the CHASTITY narrative Of
the horror and tragedy was very COM
plete The little paper possessed in its
editor practical descriptive writer,
and the details were shaded with the
Intensity of a hugo. The awful death
of Ward-pinned against his boiler
head amid the lfiendish shrek of broken
steam pipes and the debris OF the col
Iapsed snowshed-his agonized appeals
growing faint into the silence from the
scething white hell. The crushed fire.
man and brakemen. and the Dathos of
the broken homes were graphically
portrayed In its closing sentence the
article said:
LAS to the man on whose shoulders
rests the awful responsibility of this
sickening tragedy, we find 1t a matter
of common comment that he had long
voluntarily placed himself in a position
by habits of dissipation TO invite the
occurrence of the fateful event of Oc-
tober 49, His presence In the barroom
, in a semi-intoxicated condition at the
precise moment when his drunken
brain had launched the first number l
against the f1l-fated 33. and his pur-
chase of pint of whisky are all known
to our citizens. The vindictive unan-
imftv of expressed public opinion is for