Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-06-19
rcUNrINuED.l

When the conductor Of the No. 80
train opened the station door the wind
followed him like catamOunt. The
stove puffed open with a down draft
and shot the room full Of stinging
smoke. The lamp blaze few up the
chimney-out-and left the nightman
and the conductor in darkness. The
trainman with swear showed to the
door, and Bullhead. the patient. turn
ed over his letter of resignation quick
in the dark. felt for match and re-
lighted his lamp. Swearing again at
Bullhead, the freight conductor swag.
gered over to his table, felt In all the
operators pockets for cigar, tumbled
nll the papers around and once more,
on general principles, swore.
Bullhead took things accomplishing
ly, but he watched close and was de-
termined to fight II the brute discover
ed his letter Of resignation. When the
trainman could think of no further In
dignities he took his orders. to meet
No. at Sackley. the second station
east of Goose River. After he had sign
ed Bullhead asked him about the depot
fire at Bear Dance that had been go
ing over the wires for two hours, re-
minded him of the slow order for the
No. 0 culvert and as the rude visitor
slammed the door behind him held his
hand over the lamp. Then he sat down
again and turned over his letter of res
ignatiun.
TO make it binding it lacked only his
signature - James Gillespie Blaine
Lyons-now himself Of the opinion OF
every one else OH the West End that he
was just natural born blooming fool.
He lifted his pen to sign of the as
pirations Of young lifetime when the
sOunder began to snap and sputter bis
call. 1t was the dispatcher, and he
asked hurriedly II No. 80 was there.
mo. 80 Is on the Y" answered Bull
head.
Then came a train order. Hold No.
80 till No. arrives"
Bulihead repeated the order and got
back the o. X. He grabbed his hat
and hurried out Of the door to deliver
the r,w order to the local freight be-
fore 1t should pull out.
To reach the train Bullhead had to
cross the short line tracks. The wind
was securing the fats, and as he tack
ed up the platform the dust swept dead
into him. At the switch he sprang
across the rails. thinking Of nothing but
reaching the engine cab Of the local,
forgetting about the track he was cross
ing. Before he could think or see or
jump q through freight on the short
line, wild. from the west, stormtng
down the grade behind him. struck
Bullhead as u grizzly would a gnat,
hurled him. doubling, fifty feet out ON
the spur and stOrmed on into the east
without a culver out Of the ordinary.
One fatality followed another. The en-
gineer of the short line train did not
see the man he had hit, and with the
nightman lying unconscious In the ditch
the local freight pulled out for Sackley.
Bullhead never knew just how long
he lay under the stars. When bis head
began to whirl the wind was blowing
cool and strong on him and the alkali
dust was eddying into his open mouth.
1t was only a matter Of seconds, though
1t seemed hours. to pull himself togeth-
er ana to put up his hand unsteadily
to feel what it was soaking warm and
sticky into his hair; then to realize that
he had been struck by short line train,
to think Of,what failure he had lately
acknowledged himself to be and Of
what it was he was clutchlng SO tightly
In his right hand-the holding order for
No. 80. He raised his reeling head.
There was drift Of starlight through
the dust cloud, but no train in sight;
No. 30 was gone With that conscious
ness came recollsctiOn-he 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 It meant before him.
He had started to deliver an order
without putting out his light, and No.
80 was gone-against No. /, head
end collision staring the freight and
the belated passenger In the face. No.
30. running hard OH her order to make
Sackley for the meeting. and No.
running furiOusly, us she always ran
tonight worse than ever.
He lifted his head, enraged with
himself, enraged. He thought about
the rules, and he grew enraged. Only
himself he blamed. nobody else-study-
ing the rules for lifetime, and just
when It would mean the death Of
trainload of people forgetting his red
signal. He lifted his head; 1t was sick.
deadly sick, but up 1t must come. No.
80 gone, and 1t wabbled, swooning sick
and groggy as he stared around and
tried to locate himself. One thing he
could see, the faint outline Of the sta
ton and his lamp blazing smoky In the
window. Bullhead figured second;
then he began to crawl. II he could
reach the lamp before his head went
of again. before he went completely
silly, he might yet save himself and
No. !.
1t wasn't In him to crawl till ne
thought Of his own mistake, but there
was spur In the sweep of that
through his head. His brain, he knew,
was wabbling. but he could crawl, and
he stuck, faint.ng. to that one Idea and
crawled for the light Of his lamp.
It Is bare hundred feet across to
the Y. Bullhead taped every foot OF
the hundred with blood. There was
no one to call on for help; he just
stuck to the crawl, grinding his teeth
In bitter self reproach. They traced
him, next morning when he was past
the telling Of 1t, and his struggle look
ed the track of q wounded bear. Drag
Ing along one crushed leg and half
erased by the crack on bis forehead,
Bullhead climbed to the platform.
across and dragged himself to the
eepAfllIa