Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-29

hsS hmaS5 frozen and bare. However, the engine
nav, i,aJ no more than shaken itself clear Of Bay
' lngton' and was settling down to her regular
speed, when Jarvis gazing through the win
uow % IN 'front.' saw that it was showing. The
par!IlcIes pa ~ were fine and feathery but il looked
as II it had set in for the night
Such storm does not affect the running of
tfaln, until il begins to settle on the rails
III 10 drift. A rain will cause the wheels to
steam. ~ 10 -'-N w
rrI ah;ateher saw no reason why he should not
run INTO Des Cartes on time.
Everything went well. and under the skill
n Inul pliotage of the veteran engineer '45' did
ner duty splendidly, When the whistles blew
lor brakes IN approaching Merton, the en-
tlaeer tha looked at his watch, and as he hauled
Ohe reversing lever over, called to Jarvis:
we've gained ten minutes!"
knew we were running fast" replied the
young fireman, opening the door of the fur
aaace ana beginning to shovel coal down the
naming throat OF the engine.
es; we made three of those miles inside
| OF q minute apiece. If we had the aiperin-
tendent aboard, we'd give him coed shal-
ing up"
Inc moment the train came to a rest, the
engineer leaned his head far out the cab, so
as 10 make sure Of catching the first signal
OF OF the conductor, as he moved around under
the glare OF the lamps of the station.
JARVIS hnlshed throwing in COAL and then
stood directly over the slight space between
the platform.
Thatcher. "u
u wouldn't mind it,
ump up here, then. I'll keep her full of
can get out of her."
Ihe engineer resigned his place to Jarvis
VINO had run the locomotive before-tested the
water, gauge, glanced into the blazing furnace.
kicked the door shut, raked down some coal,
70 bapA ,k.,,,
seating himself on the box on the other side.
awaited the. conductors signal, which came
the next instant in the shape of sharp clinll
OF the bell overhead.
AInost Amos simultaneously Jarvis gave the lever
slight jerk, and the engine started putting
loud and tast and faster. Within few rods
the pulls became like the shuddering notes of
an organ. Then he adjusted the "cut-off'' SO
shat the Puss were not so loud and came still
taster The steam in the cylinders was not
required to follow SO far, and conseuuently
the. pace rapidly increased
IN get out all the speed there is in her"
muttered JARVIS, ,compressing his lips, and u.s.
ing ms best Judgment in handling the ad-
mlrable piece of mechanism
III was an unusual compliment for an engi-
| neer to show confidence so soon in his fire.
man, and Jarvis knew he had his eye on him,
even when shoveling in coal, and in testing
| the little stopcocks that seemed to croD olf
| all over the front of the boiler
Having struck her gait, "45" went plunging
! INTO the darkness like a racehorse. The
parapohc headlight OF locomotive seems to
illumine the track for a long distance at night
but 1T gives far less aid than is generally sup
posed to the man who stands with his hand
on the throttle, peering into the gloom
The headlight, indeed, does far more to ap-
prise Others that the engine is coming than it
does IN the way of telling the engineer where
he is going.
/ have sat on the fireman's box of the ex-
press engine at night, and supposed the head
light was out, when it was blazing like a
meteor all the time; but the engineer knew
every rod of the track, and drove ahead with
the speed of the wind. r
Jarvis had become familiar with the road.
and the knowledge that he had Thatcher at
his .elbow gave him a sef-confdence which
otherwise ne could not have felt.
The tiny particles darted like millions of
white insects out of the gloom, and over the
engine straight at the cab. Small and light
as they were, they impinged like sand AGAINST
the window-panes in front. When opDoste
the old schoolhouse, Jarvis observed that the
ground was white, and there could be no
doubt that big snow-storm had set in
Taking out his watch, the engineer glanced
at 1t, and then, leaning over toward Jarvis
he shouted:
Good! You've gained three minutes!
Keep it up!"
glneer, he again shoveled in more coal.
JARVIS was now approaching the yicinitv of
ms nome, and, as was his custom he raised
his hand to the whistle-cor
III beat Dolly this time" he thought. as
he sent out six shrieks that sounded hi,skv
and sharp in the snowy air
but there was no answering signal
thatcher was also looking for the replv
They've got tired of waiting guess D he
sad, still gazing off across the fields
Maybe the snow shuts us from sipbt
ventured Jarvis, swallowing a lump in his
throat. " Ah'