CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1906-03-29

and spit shower of sparks and SCOT
aud cinders up iuto the Christmas air.
She darted and lodged and jerked .ina
backed up and down and across the
lead and never for ii fraction f II sec
ond took her eve Off Shocklcy's lamp
shivering and changing and buckins
with steam and bell and air. but al
ways with one smoky eye on Shockley>
lamp, until % was wrecked clean TO the
caboose. and the switch engine shot
down the main line with the BATTERIES,
way car In her claws like a hawk with
a prairie dog.
Then there was only the westbound
freight, So, to make up with the Fort
Rawlins stuff and the Cherry Creek
steel, which was rush." and few
cars of ties flung on behind OH general
principles 1t was quick work now
sorting and moving the bridge steel
half an hour for an hours work. with
the north wind waking at the clatter
and sweeping bank of cloud and sand
across the valley. Shockley and Chris
and the goat crew put at it like black
ants. There was releasing and setting
and kicking and splitting. and once in
awhile flying switch dead against the
rubrics, and at last the whole train of
steel was in line, clean as the links of
a sprocket and ready to run in on the
house track for the caboose.
For that run Chris set the east house
track switch, crossed the track and
swung great circle with his lamp for
the back To get over to the switch
again he started to recross the track
In the dark his ankle turned on a lump
of coal. He recovered lightly, but the
misstep sent his other foot wide, and
with bit of jolt Rubedo's new shoe
slipped into the frog.
Up the track he heard roll of
stormy coughs from the engine gather
ing push 10 shove the string of fats
down. They We're coming toward him.
over the spot where he stood, ON his
signal. and he quietly tried TO loosen
his heel.
The engines drivers let go. and she
roared steaming oath, and Chris
could hear it. but he was glad, for his
heel would not work quietly out of the
frog: it stuck. Then the engineer, un-
ruffied, pulled at his sand lever. and
lis euEint dSdlu, anu utT uTlN-
er tires bit. and slowly she sent the
long train of steel down on Chris
switch. He heard the frosty fianges
grinding on the face of the rails as he
tried to loosen his foot.
Coolly. first like confident man in a
Quicksand. soon with alarm running
into fright; but there was time enough.
The head ear was four or five lengths
above the switch and coming very.
very slowly, heavylike and squeaking
stiffiy under its load. yet coming. and
he wrenched harder. but his foot stuck
Then he yelled for Shockley. Shock
ley had gone over to open the caboose
switch. Sbocklcy couldn't hear, and he
knew il. and he yelled again.
The sweat broke over him as he turn
ed and twisted. The grip of the frog
seemed TO stife him Half the time
was gone. The near truck wheels
screeched two car lengths away, and
the switchman played his last card.
Time and time again Shockley had told
him what TO do if that moment came i'll
the nighi-had told him to throw his
lamp in the air like a rocket. But Chris
u i'i sot'si al 'i'' ''ii ''e A"' Ni"P
pea heaNiiy on the tongue IN front OF
MN lhen ne threw MS lamp IKE
rocket high INTO the night
No help came. He raised his arms
frantically above his head. and his
cries cut the wind. Desperate at last.
he threw himself fiat, to lie outside the
rail TO save all but a foot. but the frog
held him and crying horribly he strug-
gled back to his feet. only TO sink again
half crazy to the ground. As his senses
left him he was hardly aware of
stinging pain in his foot. of wrench
at his leg. an instant arm around his