Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-08-01
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE RELENTLESS WHEELS.

ton of falling. When he had drawn
the hammer on his superior officer, ad-
vising discretion and seat on Jimmy
Shovel's box, the 1,010 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 first
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 a
scant quarter of a mile apart; and the
operator tried to flag the second sec
ton down, as reported. This did not
happen again until several stations
had been passed, and Callahan set his
jaw and gave the 1,010 more throttle.
But at Losing, a town of some size,
the board was down and man ran out
at the crossing, swinging red light.
Callahan looked we'll to the switches,
with the steam shut off and his hand
dropping instinctively to the air; and
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.
Il suppose you know what you're
in for, if you live to get out of this!
It's 20 years, in this state, to pass
danger signal" This was not all the
superintendent said: there were fore
words and interjections, emphatic but
urprirtable
Callahan's reply was another -four
ish of the hammer, and sudden out
pulling Of the throttle-bar; and the
superintendent subsidized again.
But enforced silence and the grind
stone of conscious helplessness will
sharpen the dullest wit. The swerving
lurch of the 1,010 around the next curve
set Halllett clutching for hand-holds,
and the injector lever fell within his
grasp. What he 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 it. And without
water the Irishman would have to
stop.
Callahan heard the chuckling of the
wasting boiler feed before he had
gone a mile beyond the curve. 1t was
a discovery to excuse bad language,
but his protest was lamb-like.
mo more av that, if We place, Mis-
Their Halkett, or me an Jimmy
Shovelll have to-Ah! would yez,
now?"
Before his promotion to the super
tendency Halkett had been a ward
boss in tie metropolis of the state.
Thinking he saw his chance, he took
it, and the blow knocked Callahan
silly for the moment. Afterwar5
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 1,010 was suffered to
md her way alone. When it was
over, Callahan spat out broken tooth
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 it
came to jumping across from the rear
end OF the tender to the forward YES
tlpule OF the Naught-seven, or being
chucked across, he jumped.
Now it CHANGED 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, begrImed and breathless from
his late tussle with the two engine
men, was the first intimation OF
wrong-soing that had penetrated to
the inner sanctum of the private car.
What's that you say, Mr.. Halkett?
ON the western division? Where
abouts? demanded the governor.
Between Losing and Skipjack Sid
ing-n 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."
Il knocked him down." gritted the,
superintendent, savagely, land I'd have
beat his face in for him If there hadn't
been two OF them. It's plot of some
kind. and Callahan knows what he
= about He had me held up with a