Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-04-07

uFy anu nara ana OLD out OF his hands
Get up an engineer
''Not-you're not going down there
tonightf" stammered Bucks.
Yes; now-right OF. Peeto. get out
your crew.
The foreman jumped for the door
Bucks hesitated barely an instant;
then. turning where he sat, cut tele-
phone plug into the roundhOuse. Gala
han saw him act and. leaning forward,
spoke low to Duffy. The dispatcher,
snatching the train sheet. began in
stantly clearing track for bridge spe-
cial.
In twenty minutes twenty men were
running twenty ways through the
storm, and live engine doomed under
the Wickiup windows
"IG1, l want you to be carefulv' II
was Bucks standing by the roadmas-
ter's side at the window as they looked
out into the storm. It's a bad night"
HALEY made no answer. "A wicked
night" muttered Bucks as the light
ming shot the yards in a blaze and a
crash rolled down the gorge But
wicked as it was, he could not bring
himself 10 ccunternand. Something
forbade it, Evans. the conductor Of
the special, ran in.
Here's your Ordersr' exclaimed Duff
fy. Evans, pulling down his storm
cap. nodded as he took the tissue.
HALEY buttoned his leather jacket and
turned 10 Bucks.
'GOOdby."
"Mind your track" said Bucks warn
frrr1Fr tftrnr- hr u
hand. What's your permit"
Forty miles an hour"
Don't stretch il. Goodby. Phil" he
added. speaking TO HALEY. "I'n see
you i'm the morning"
In the morniug" repeated HALEY.
"GOodby Nothing more in DumyF"
Nothing more"
Come ON" With the words he push
ca the conductor through the door and
was gone. The switch engine pulled
up with the cuboosc Ahead OF il Ed
Peeto had coupled I'm the pile driver.
At the last minute Callahan asked to
so. and as the bridge gang tumbled
into the cahoosc the assistant superin-
tcudent. ia reeto and HALEY climbed
into the engine Denis NulleniN sat
ON the right. and with William burden.
fireman. they pulled out. i've in the
cab. for the Spider water
From Medicine Bend 20 the Spider
water is ninety mile rum Down the
gorge. through thc foothills and into the
Painted desert that fills the jaw OF the
spur we utersect again west of Peace
river From thc Peace 90 the Spider
the crow dios twenty miles. but we
take thirty for it. there BIS hardly a
tangent between Their orders set
speed limit but from the beginning
they crowded &c. HALEY. moody at
first. began joking and laughing tho
minute they got away. Tie SAT- behind
Denis NulepiX or tho right and poked
at his ribs and taunted him with his
heavy heels. After blt Dee got down
and throw coal for burden. mile after
mile. and crowded the boiler tim The
safety screamed when burden took
the shovel HALEY put his hand on tho
shoulder ~ Callahan. who was trying
20 hang % big FL Peeto ou the fire
mans seat.
callahan" he yelled tn h!s ear. ~
mani bsttor 90 And callahan
though hc couldn't in The pound and
the roar. catch the words. nodded and
laughed because HALEY nercely LAUGH
Cd. Then going around to the right tho
roadmoster covered Denis NIuuenix's
hngers on the throttle latch and the air
With his big hands and good naturally
roaXed them loose. pushed the engineer
back and got the whip and the rcins
INTO his own Keeping. It was what he
wanted, for he smiled as he drew out
the bar notch and settled himself for
the run across the fiat country. They
were leaving the foothills. and when
the lightning opened the night they
could see behind through the blasting
rain the great hulking Pile driver nod
and reel out into the Painted desert like
drunken man, FOR Hailey-s schedule
was the wind and his limit the wide
throttle
Notch after notch HALEY drew. heed
less OF lurch and jump. needless OF bed
or curve. Needless Of track or storm
and with every spur nc her cylinders
the engine shook like a frantic horse.
Men and monster alike lost thought OF
care and drunk a frenzy In the deafen-
Ing whirl that HALEY opened across
the swimming plain.
The Peace river hills doomed into the
headlight like moving pictures; before
they could think II the desert was be-
hind them. Callahan. white faced.
climbed down and. passed from hand
TO hand by burden and Mullenix. got
his hands on Hailey's shoulders and
his lips to his ear
For Gods sake. Phil, let upP'
HALEY nodded and chokcd the steam
a little. threw a hatful Of air on the
III (gZ.//Z#lzA |