Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-04-21

down the grade behind him, struck
Bullhead as a grizzly would a gnat.
hurled him. doubling fifty feet out on
the spur and storQed on into the east
without a culver out or the ordinary.
One fatality followed another. The en-
gineer OF the short llne train did not
see the man he had hit. ard with the
nightman lying unconscious In the ditch
the local freight pulled out for Sackley.
Bullhead never knew Just how kong
he lay under the stars. When his head
began to whlrl the wind was blowing
cool and strong on him and the a1kali
dust was eddying into his open mouth.
10 was only a matter OF seconds. though
II seemed hours. TO pull himself togeth-
er and TO put up his hand unsteadtly
to feel what it was soaking warm and
sticky into bis hair. then to realize that
he had been struck by a short line train,
TO think OF what a failure he had lately
acknowledged himself TO be and OF
what Il was he was clutchIng so tightly
In his right hand-the holding order FOR
No. 30. He raised his reeling head.
There was drift OF starlight through
the dust cloud. but no train In sight:
No. 80 was gone. With that conscious
ness came a recollection had forgot
ten TO put out his red light
His red light wasn't out He kept
repeating that to himself TO put the
picture OF what Il meant before him.
He had started 10 deliver an order
without putting out his light. and No.
30 was gone-aguiust No. !, a head
end collision staring the freight and
the belated passenger in the face. No.
30. running hard on her order 70 make
Sackiey for the meeting. and No. /
running furiously as She always ran
tonight worse than ever
He lifted his head. enraged with
himself. euraccG IIc thought about
the rules. ana he grow cnraged. Only
himself he blamed. nobody else-study-
ing the rules for lifetime. and Just
when Il would mean the death OF a
tralniood Of people forgetting his red
signal He lifted DIS head. 70 was sick.
deadly sick. but ur 10 must come. No
| 30 gone and IL vvahhIcd. swoonlng sick
and groggv as hc stared around and
tried TO locate himself one thing ne
could sec. the faint outline OF the sta
| ton and his lamp blazing smoky i'm the
window. Bulhcal figured a second:
then be began to crawl. IN ne could
reach the lamp before his head went
or again. before Doe went completely
| silly. he might set save himself and
No. l.
II wasn't I'm Dim 90 crawl TN he
thought OF his own rnistalxe but there
was sDur I'm tho swoen ~ that
through his head MS brain. he knew
was wabblinr. brt he could crawl and
he stuck. falntinr to that one idea and
crawled for the I..ht OF his la1nn.
IL Is a hare hundred feet across IN
the Y. Rullhead taped every foot OF
the hundred with blood There was
! no one to call ON for holm. he fust
stuck TO the crawl grinding his tee,h
I'm bitter self reDroach They traced
him. next morning when he was mast
the telling OF II. aud his struggle look
Ell the track OF a wounded bear Drag
| Ing along one crushed leg and half
/ craZcd by the crack on his forehead
Bulihead climbed 20 the platform.
across and dragged himself to the
door. He can tell yet about rolling his
broken leg under him and raising him
sell 20 grasp the thumb latch. Not IN
III he tried 20 open it did he remember
II was a spring lock and that he was
keys-but his kovs were cone
There were no rules In consult tben
i No way on earth OF getting into the
| Office I'M time ro do ANYTHING. IN drag
himself to the Iunch room twice furtl.
| or than the station. WINS ont M the
| question. Rut There WIS wov ia
| reach the Key in spite of an bad things
and Buheal knew the way. lie strug
gled fast arosud 20 the window Rails.
ing himself with a frightful twinge on
| one knee he boat 40 the glass with his
/ fist. CIutchns the sash. lie drew him.
! self up with hand and with the other
tore away the muntin. stuck his head
1 and shoulders throuph the oneninp 90,
his hand ON the key and called the first
| station east BlaisdeU with the 10
| Life and death that coU meant. tho 10