The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-12

1876 But soon confused voices began
TO ring from where men were crowd
ing around the dlspatchers' table.
Ihey echoed IN to where the doctors
worked over the raving chief And
young Giddings, helping. began, TOO,
10 hear strange things from the otner
room.
The moon
THE moon?n
What"
Barnes Tracy was trying to make
himself heard:
The moon! Moon! That's Eng
lish, amt it? Moon
who's talking at Rat River % de-
manded Benedict Morgan hoarsely.
Chick Nea1e, conductor of third
eighty. Their train is back at Rat
River. God bless than man." STAN
mered Barnes Tracy, wiping his fore
or. He says Bob Duffy is missing. Tell
Martin, quick, there isn't any wreck
quick.''
Tracy thought he had told them, but
he hadn't He says his engineer. be
Monsoon, was scared by the moon ris-
ing just as they cleared Kennel Butte
explained Tracy unsteadily. He took
it for the headlight of Special 326 and
jumped from his engine. The fireman
backed the train to Rat River See ~
While Tracy talked, Mallers at the
key was getting it all. Look here"
he exclaimed. did you ever hear of
such a mixup in your life? The head
brakeman of the freight was in the
cab, Neale says. He and the engineer
were talking about the last conclave
train, wondering where they were 90
ing 70 meet it. when the brakeman
spied the moon coming UP around
Kennel Butte curve. There's the 326
! special" he yelled and lighted out the
gangway Monsoon reversed and
jumped off after him SO quick he
knocked the fireman over in the coal.
When the fremen got up-he hadn't
heard a word of it all=he couldn't
see anything ahead but the moon So
he stops the train and backs up for the
two guys. When Neale and he picked
them I'D they ran right back to Rat
River for orders. They never gat to
Rock Point at all-why, they never got
two miles east of Rat River"
And where's Special 1862" cried
Doubleday.
AT Rock Point, you loco. She must
be there and waiting vet for third
eighty. The stopping Of the freight
gave her plenty of time to make the
meeting point. don't you see, and there
she is sweating, yet. Neale is an old
operator. By heaven, give me a man
of the key against the world! Praise
God from whom all blessings fowl
Then there Isn't to be any wreck ?"
ventured a shy little lady HON eopathic
physician, who had been crimped into
the fray to help do uD the mangled
opportunity.
mot tonight" announced. Tracy,
with the dignity of man temporarily
in charge of the entire division
A yell went out Of the room like a
tidal wave. Doubleday and Benedict
Morgan had not spoken to each other
since the night Of the roundhouse fire
that was two years. They turned Won
der struck at each other. Doubleday
impulSively put out his hand and, be
fore he could pull it in again, the
wrecking boss grabbed It like a pay
check Carhart, who was catching the
news from the rattle Of young Cid
| dings, went wild trying to repeat it to
Duffy without losing It in his throat.
The chief was opening his eyes, trying
to understand
Medical men of violently differing
schools allopaths. homeopathic, osteo-
paths, tics=nnade their peace with
a WhoOD. A redheaded druggist. who
the horror. threw his en- ergency. pack
cts into the middle of the floor The
doctoEsF caught the impulse. Instru-
ment eases were laid with solemn ten
derness on the heap, and dozen crazy
men, joining hands around the pyred
saws and >auze, struck I'D "Old Hun
dred"
Engineer Monsoon was a new man,
who had been over the division only
twice before In his life. both times in
daylight. For that emergency Abe
because 1t takes more than an ordinary
moon to scare a thoroughbred West
End engineer. But Monsoon and his
moon headlight had between them
saved De Molay Four from the scrap.