Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-06-06
CHAPTER XVIII.
HE RELENTLESS WHEELS.

tiOn OF falling. Wnen ne udu uLa"n
the hammer on his superior oficer, ad'
vising discretion and a seat on Jimmy
Shovels box, the 1,01O was racking out
over the switches in the Western d.
vision yards. Three minutes later the
electric beam of .Tischer's following
headlight sought and found the nrse
section on the long tangent leading
up to the high plains, and the race
was in full swing.
At Morning Dew, the first night tele-
graph station out Of the capital the
two sections were no more than =
scant quarter of mile apart; and the
operator tried to flag the second sec
tion down, as reported. This did not
happen again until several stations
had been passed, and Callahan set his
law and gave the 1,010 more throttle
But at Losing, town Of some size'
the board was down and man ran out
at the crossing, swinging a red light.
Callahan looked we'll to the switches,
with the steam shut Of and his hand
dropping instinctively to the air; ana
the superintendent shrank into his
corner and gripped the window ledge
when the special roared past the warn
ing signals and on through the town
beyond. He had maintained dazed
silence since the episode of the -four
ished hammer, but now he was moved
to yell across the cab.
81 suppose you know what you're
in for, if you live to get out OF this!
It's 90 years, in this state, TO pass a
danger signal!" This was not all the
superintendent said: there were lore
words and intcrjections, emphatic but
unprintable.
Callahan's reply was another -four
ish of the hammer. and sudden out
pulling OF the throttle-bar; and the
superintendent subsided again.
But enforced silence and the grind
stone of conscious helplessness Will
sharpen the dullest wit. The swerVlng
lurch of the ! .0lO around the next curve
set Halkett clutching for hand-holds,
and the injector lever fell within his
grasp. What ne did not know about
the working parts Of modern locomo-
tive was very considerable; but he did
know that an injector. half opened
will waste water as fast as an inch
pipe will discharge II. And without
water the lrishman would have TO
stop
Callahan heard the chuckling OF the
wasting boiler feed before he had
gone a mile beyond the curve. II was
discovery to excuse bad language,
but his protest was lamb-like.
mo more av that. il ye plaze, Mis-
ther Halkett. or me an Jimmy
Shovern have .to--Ah! would yez.
now?"
Before his promotion to the super
tendency Halkett had been a ward
boss in the metropolis OF the state.
Thinking he saw his chance, he took
1t, and the blow Knocked Callahan
silly for the moment. Afterward
there was a small free-for-all buffet
ing match in the narrow cab in which
the fireman took hand, and during
which the racing l.0l0 was suffered to
find her way alone. When 1t was
over, Callahan spat out broken tootl
and gave his orders concisely.
up wild him over the coal. an we'll
put him back in the car where he be-
longs. Now, thin"
Halkett had to go, and he went, not
altogether unwillingly. And when 1t
came to jumping across from the rear
end of the tender to the forward Ves-
tibule of the Naught-seven, or being
chucked across, he jumped.
Now it chanced that the governor
and his first lieutenant In the great
railway steal had weighty matters TO
discuss, and they had not missed the
superintendent or the lawyer. suppos-
ing them to be still out on the rear
platform enjoying the scenery. Where
fore Halkett's sudden appearance,
mauled, begrlmed and breathless from
his late tussle with the two engine
men, was the first intimation OF
wrong-going that had penetrated to
the inner sanctum of the private car.
Whats that you say. Mr.. Halkett?
ON the western division? Where
abouts?" demanded the governor.
Between Losing and Skipjack sid
ing-if we haven't passed the siding
in the last two or three minutes. I've
been too busy to notice" was the re-
ply.
"And you say you were on the en-
CINE? Why the devil didn't you call
your man down."
81 knocked him down." grjtted the
superintendent, savagely, land Id have
beat his face in for him II there hadn't
been two of them. It's plot of some
kind, and Callahan knows what he
is about. He had Inc held up with a
hammer till just few minutes ago
and he's running past stop-signals and
over red lights like a madman!
Bucks and Guilford exchanged con-
yictions by the road of the eye, and
the governor said:
This is pretty serious. Major. Have
you anything to suggest?" And with
out waiting for a reply he turned upon
Halkett: Where is Mr.. Hawk
II don't know. l supposed he was
in here with you. Or maybe he's ou'
on the rear platform.
The three of them went TO the rear
passing the private secretary comfort
ably asleep in his wicker chair. Wher
they stepped out upon the recessed
observation platform they found II
empty.
He must have suspected something
and dropped of in the yard or at the
shops" said Halkett. And at the say
ing of it he shrank back inyoluntarily
and added: "Ah! Look at that. will
you?"
The car had just thundered past an
other station, and Callahan had un'
derrun one more stop-signal at full
speed. At the same instant Tischer's
headlight swung into view, half blind
ing them with it's glare.
What is that following us?" asked
Bucks.
"It's the fast mail" said Halkett.
Guilford turned livid and caught al
the hand-rail.
"S-s-say-are you sure Of that?" he