Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-06-05
NUMBER %.

these things happen under extraOrdi-
nary pressure OH the line and some
times they lo1't; sometimes they hap
pen under pressure OH the dispatcher
himself. II was all fixed. too, for Black
burn to handle not only bis own trick.
but the first two hours Of Fred's trick.
which would carry till o'clock In the
morning. At @ Maxwell was to double
into four hour dog watch, and Gala
han was to sit In till noon.
There was nothing to hold the big fel.
lows around the depot that night, and
they began struggling home through the
rain about o'clock. Before 10 Bucks
and Callahan had left the Office, BY II
Neighbor had got away from the round
house; Doubleday had gone back to sit
with Fred Norman.
The lights In the yard were low. and
the drizzle had eased into mist; II was
nasty night, and yet one never prom
ised better for quiet. Before midnight
the switchmen were snug In the yard
shanties; In the Wickiup there were the
night ticket agent downstairs and the
night baggageman. Upstairs every door
was locked and every room was dark
except the dispatchers Office. In that
Blackburn sat Mt his key. Nearby, but
closer to the stove, sat the night caller
for the train crews, trying to starch bis
hair with n ten cent novel.
The westbound overland passenger,
No. 1, was due to leave Ames at 1910
a. m., and ordinarily would have met q
special like the Irving ut Rosebud,
which is a good bit west Of the river.
But No. Is engine had been steaming
badly all the way from McCloud, and
on her schedule, which was crazy fast
all night, she did not make Ames till
some ffty minutes late. While there
were no special orders, II was unde--
stood we were to help the Irving trail
as much as possible anyway. Bucks
had made the acquaintance Of the great
man and his fellows on the westbound
run. and, as they had paid us the par
ticular compliment Of return trip. we
were minded to give them the best Of
1t, even against No. /, which was al
ways rather sacred on the sheet. This.
say, was pretty generally understood,
for when 1t was all over there was no
criticism whatever on Blackburn's in
tention Of making a meeting point for
the two trains. as they then stood. at
O'FallOn's siding.
Between .Ames and Rosebud, twenty
miles apart. there are two sldings-
OFallon's, west Of the river. and Salt
Rocks, east. There was no operator ut
either place. The train that leaves
Ames westbound is In the open for
twenty miles, with only schedule rights
pr dispatcher's tissue between her
md the worst Of II. At ! o'clock that
morning Blackburn wired an order 10
Ames for No to hold ut O'Fallon for
Special 202. 4 minute later he sent an
order for Special 202 to run to OFallon
regardless Of No. l. At least he thought
he sent such an order. but he didnt.
He made mistake.
When lie had fixed the meeting point.
Blackburn rose from his chair and sat
down by the stove laZily watchet
him till, falling into Il doze as l eyed
him drowsily, lie began to loom up III
his chair and to curl and twist towarS
the roof like signal column. Then the
front legs Of his chair struck the hoor.
and with a start I woke just Us he
stepped huriedly back to his table and
picked up the order book.
The first suspicion ! had that any
thing was wrong was an exclamation
from Blackburn as he stared at the
book. Putting It down almost at once
and holding the page open with his
left hand, he plugged Callahans house
wire and began drumming his call.
Callahan's AYE, aye" came back in
side Of minute, and Blackburn tap
ped right ut him, Come down. Aud
| began to wonder what was up.
There wa; an interval; then Gala
hIn asked, whats the mat!erY
got up and walked over to The wa
ter tank for drink. Blackburn again
pressed the key and repeated to Gala
han precisely the words he had used
before, Come down."
His face was drawn into the very
shape Of fear. and his eyes, bent hard
on me, were looking through me and
through the shivering window know
It now-and through the storming night.
horror set. into the canyon Of the Peace
river.
The sOunder broke, and he turned
back, listened a moment, but II was
stray stuff about time freight. lie
pushed the chair from behind him,
still, like man. listening. listening;
then with an effort plain even to me
he walked across the office, pushed
open the door Of Callahan's private
room and stood with his hand Oh the
knob, looking back at the lamp. 1t
was as II he still seemed to listen, for
he stood undecided moment; then he
stepped into the dark room and closed
the door behind him, leaving me alone
and dumb with fear.
fro sE ooxzDsuEDl