West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-06-14

Loup crock falling -clcar-gool night.
Ana Ed Pocto struck tho table heavily
and sworo II was well In tho west.
Then from thy east came Prairie Port
age all the way round, with a north.
west rain, rising river nnd anchor ice
pounding the piers badly. track In fair
Shape midland
The wirc went wrong. As DUFFY knit
his eyes aud tuggcd and cussod little
the wind outside took up the message
and whllcd u bucket OF rain against
the windows. But the wires wouldn't
right ana stun that no mau could get
tumbied In Ike n dictionary upside
down. And Bucks and Callahan and
HALEY aud Pccto smoked, silent. aud
listened 10 the deepening drum OF tho
rain ON the roof
Then Duffy wrcstlcd nightly yet
once more, and the long way camo
word OF trouble In the Omaha yards
with tho river at twenty-five feet and
cutting; rising nj Bismarck one foot am
hour.
Hell 10 pay on tho Missouri OF
course" growled the foreman, staring
single eyed at the inofgcnsivo bulletin.
"Well, she don't rln our way; let hor
boilr
Keep stlll" exclaimed Dufly, leaning
heavily on the key, "IIcrcs something
from tho Spider"
Only the hum of the rain and tho nor.
vous break OF the sounder cut tho
smoke that curled from the pipes.
pumy snntchod pen and ran II across
clip, and Bucks leaning over read
aloud from his shoulder:
Omaha.
j. t. Bucks - Trainmon from No. 70
stalled woat of Rapid City--traclt aflont IN
simpaon's cut-roport Spider bridge out
send
And the current broke.
Callahan's hand closed rlgldly over
his pipe; Peeto sat spocchlcss; Bucks
read ngaln at the broken message, but
HALEY sprang like II man wounded and
snatched the clip from the supcrin-
tendents hand.
lie stared nt tho running words tlll
they burnt his eyes, and then. with nm
oath frightful ns the thunder thut broke
down the mountains, lac dashed the clip
70 the floor. Ills eyes snapped greenlsh
with fury, and he cursed omahn,
cursed its messages aud everything
that came out of lt-slow nt first, but
bitter. then fast and faster until all
the sting that poisoned his heart I'm his
unjust discharge poured from his lips.
lt Hooded the room like n spilling
stream, and no man put n word against
IL, for they knew he stood wronged
man. out IL cnmc-all the rage, all tho
heart burning all the bitterness
he dropped, bent, Into chair and GOV
cred his face with his hands; only the
ooundcr clicking iron Jnrgon and tho
thunder shaking the Wicklup like a
reed filled the ears about him. They
watched him slowly knot his fingers
and loosen them and saw his face rise
dry and hard and old out of his hands.
Get up an eDgIneT'
"Not--you'rc not going down there
tOnighti" stammorcd Bucks.
Yes; now-right of. Pccto, get out
your crew"
The foreman jumped for tho door.
Bucks hesitatod barely M instant;
then, turning where he sat, cut telo-
DAAblt Dluk lllip Allf lOuuilOuSts ANilu=
han saw him act and. leaning forward,
spoke low TO Duffy. The dispatcher,
snntchlng the train sheet, began In
stantly clearing trncl for bridge spe-
cial.
In twenty minutes twenty men were
running twenty ways through tho
storm. and IA live engine doomed under
the Wickiup windows.
"Thll, ! want you 10 bc cnrefulw II
was Bucks standing by the roadmas-
tcr's side at the window as they looked
out Into the storm. ITS bad night"
HALEY made no answer. "a wicked
night" muttered Bucks as the light
ming shot the yards In n blaze and
crash rolled down tie gorge. But,
wicked as 1t was, lie could not bring
himself 20 countermand. Something
forbade IT, Evans, the conductor Of
the special. ran lu
Here's your ordersp exclaimed DUFF
IS. Evans pulling down his storm
cap. nonle1 as he took the tissue.
HALEY buItoned his leather jacket and
turned to Bucks.
"Goodby."
Mind your track" said Bucks warn
ingly to Evans as he took Hailey's
hand. WHATS your permitT"
''FOrty miles an hour"
Don't stretch t. Goodby. Phil" he
| added. speaking 10 HALEY. "Ill see
| you Ia the morning"
"ln the morning" repeated HALEY.
"GOO1by. Nothing more IN. Dumy77
Nothing more"
"COmc on!' With tie words lac push
c1 the conductor through the door and
was gone. Tho switch engine puffed
up with the caboose. Ahead OF Il Ed
Peeto had coupled I'm the pile driver.
/ At the last minute Callahan asked 90
/ 60, aud as the bridge gang tumbled
! lltO the cabO0se the assistant superin-
tcndcnt Ed Feeto and HALEY climbed
/ Into the engine. Denis Mullenix sat
on the right and with William burden,
/ fireman, they pulled out, Eve in the
/ cab. for the Spider water
From Medicine Bend TO the Spider
I water Is q ninety mile run Down the
| gorge through the foothills and into tho
/ Painted desert that fills the jaw Of the
/ spur we intersoct again west OF Peace
river From the Peace 10 tie Spider
the CROW flies twenty miles. but we
take thirty for Il; there is hardly a
/ tangent between. Their orders set a
| speed limit but from the beginning
/ they crowded a. HALEY. moody at
first began Joking and laughing tho
minute they got away lie sat behind
Denis Mullcnlx on the right and poked
az his ribs and touuted him with his
heavy heels. After q bit he got down
and throw coal for burden. mile after
mile. and crowded the boiler tlll tho
safety screamed When burden took
lIlD .Iln.nI TIuLln.. ~ LII. lnr.I -. ~.