The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-02-09

The head car was four or five lengths
above the switch and coming very,
very slowly, heavylike and sqEeaking
sti1lly 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. Shockley couldn't hear, and he
knew it, 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 in
the night-had told him to throw his
lamp in the air like a rocket But Chris
had forgotten all that till the fiat drop
ped heavily on the tongue in front of
him. Then he threw his lamp like
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,
IL,
! rail to save all but Il 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
singing pain in his foot, of a wrench
at his leg, an instant arm around his
neck and his yardmaster's voice in his
| ear
! Jump screamed Shockley
Chris scrambled frantieally on the
deadly rails, unable to jump. felt him
self picked from the ground, heard a
choke in the throat ut his ear, and he
was flung like a drawbar through the
dark. Shockley had passed knife
blade from vamp to sole. slit the Rus
slams clumsy shoe, jerked his foot
from it and thrown him bodily into the
clear.
Chris staggered painting to his feet
Already the steel was moving slowly
over the switch. He heard the Sullen
pounding of the trucks on the contact
A lantern, burning yet, lay ON its side
near the stand 1t was Shocllleys
lamp. Chris looked wildly around for
his yardmaSter. called out, called
Shockley's name. listened. No scream,
no groan. no cry. no answer, no sound
but just the steady pounding of the
wheels over the contact The little
Switchman screamed again in Il frenzy
and. turning. raced stumbling up the
track to the cab. He swung into it and
by signs made the engineer shut off
He tried to talk and only stammered Il
lingo of switch pidgin and the name of
Shockley. They couldn't understand it
all. but they shut off with faces pinch
ed and sallow. threw open the furnace
door and, grabbing their lanterns, ran
back. The fireman, on his knees. held
his lamp out under the fat that SPAN
ned the contact. lie drew. shrinking
back and. rising. started on the run
for the depot to rouse Callahan.
1t was Callahan who pulled the pin
a moment later, Chris Shvering like a
rabbit at his side. 1t was Callahan
who gave the slow pull ahead order
that cut the train in two at the frog
and Callahan who stepped wavering
from the gap that opened behind the
receding fat-back from something be-
tween the railS-bacli to put his hands
blindly out for the target rod AMI un.
steadily upon it. lie heard Shockley
breathing.
Some carried the headlight back. and
some tore the door off box car. and
they got him on. They carried him I'M
evenly, stumbling, over to the depot.
They laid him on Callahan's mattress
IN the waiting room, and the men
stood all about him. but the only
sound was his breathing. and inside
under the lamp the receiver. clicking.
clicking, clicking, of Bucks and the
company surgeon coming on a special
ahead of 50
They twisted tourniquets into his
luiyering flesh. and with the light dy-
ing in his eyes they put whisky to his
lips. But he turned his head and spit it
from his mouth. Then he looked from
face to face about hinl-to the engineer
and to the fireman and to little Chris
and to Callahan-and his lips moved.
Chris bent over him, but try as he
would he could not catch the words.
"BlOck-blocl," said Shockley's lips.
And Shockley died.
They lifted the mattress into the bag
gage room. Callahan drew over it a
crumpled sheet A lantern left burned
on the checking desk, but the men. eX-
cept Chris went their ways. Chris
hung irresolute around the open door,
The special pulled in. and with the
shoes wringing fire from her heels as
she slowed Bucks and man following
close sprang from the step of the coach.
Callahan met them shook his head.
Twenty minutes later 50 whistled for
The yard, but in the yard all was dark