Morris tribune., 1906-03-03


the tough connected, smut faced, blear
eyed yard engine coughed and snorted
and spit a shower of sparks and SCOT
and cinders up into the Christmas air.
She darted and lodged and ierked and
backed up and down and across the
| lead and never for fraction of sec
ond took her eye off Shockley's lamp
| shiyering and changing and bucking
| with steam and bell and air, but al
ways with one smoky eye on Shockley's
| lamp, until % was wrecked clean to the
caboose, and the switch engine shot
| down the main line with the battered
| way car in her claws like a hawk with
| prairie dog.
Then there was only the westbound
| freight, So, to make up with the Fort
Rawlins stuff and the Cherry Creek
sseel, which was rush" and a few
cars of ties flung on behind on general
principles. It 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 a 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 a jolt Rubedo's new shoe
slipped into the frog.
Up the track he heard a roll of
stormy coughs from the engine gather
ing push to shove the string of fats
down They were 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
could hear it, but he was glad for his
heel would not work quietly out Of the
frog; it stuck. Then the engineer, I'M
rufied, pulled ut his. sand lever. and
his engine snorted again, and her driv-
er tires bit, and slowly she sent the
long train of steel down on Chris
switch. He heard the frosty fanges
cpys;71 iiTC l1n for 81 +ho :Ic,
tried to loosen his foot.
Coolly, first like confident man in
quicksand, soon with alarm running
into fright; but there was time enough.
The head car was four or five lengths
above the switch and coming very,
very slowly, heavylike and squeaking
stifiy under it's load, yet coming, and
he wrenched harder, but his foot stuck.
Then he yelled for ShockIey. 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 fat 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
franticaliy above his head. and his
cries cut the wind. Desperate at last,
he threw hiGlsc:f fat, to lie outside the
rail to save all but a foot. but the frog
held him ana crying horribly he strug-
glel back to lis 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 franticaIly on the
deadly rails unable to jump, felt him
self picked from the ground. heard a
choke in the throat at his ear, and he
was flung like a >drawbar through the
dark Shockley had passed knife
blade from yamp 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 suilen
pounding Of the trucks on the contact.
A lantern, burning yet, lay on it's side
near the stand. 1t was Shockley's
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 a frenzy
and, turning, raced stumbling up the
A. - IL ~