The Topeka state journal., 1906-03-31

lead and never for a fraction OF a sec
lond took her eye OF Shoeklsy lamp
shfvering and changing and bucking
with steam and bell and air, but always
with one smoky eye on Shockley' s
lamp. until % was wrecked clean to
Z the caboose and the switch engine shot
down the main line with the battered
way car in her claws like hawk with
q prairie dog.
Then there was only the westbound
freight. 55 to make up with the Fort
RaWlins stuff and the Cherry Greek
steel, 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 clat1er
and sweeping a bank of cloud and sand
across the valley. Shockley and Chris
and the goat crew put at II like black
ants. There was releasing and setting
and kicking and splitting. and once IN
awhile a flying switch dead against the
rubrics. and al 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 en- lump
/ of coal. He recovered lightly, but the
! rnisstep sent his other foot wide, and
with a bit OF a jolt Robedo's new shoe
slipped into the frog.
Up the track he heard q roll OF
stormy coughs from the engine gather
Ing push to shove the string of fats
donw. They were coming toward him,
over the spot where he stood, on his
signal. and he quietly tried to loosen
his heel
roared q steaming oath, and Chris
could hear 1t, but he was glad, for his
i heel would not work quietly out Of the
frog; II stuck. Then the engineer. un-
rufhed. pulled at his sand lever ana
his engine snorted again. and her driv-
er tires bit and slowly she sent the
hong train of steel down on Chris'S
switch He heard the frosty f1anges
4 grinding on the face of the rails as he
tried to loosen his foot
Coolly, first. like a confident man in
a 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
stiff1y under its load, yet coming, and
4 he wrenched harder, but his foot stuck
Then he yelled for Shoekley. Shock
lev 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
turned and twisted The grip of the
frog seemed to stifle him. Half the
screeched two car lengths away. and
the switchman played his last card.
Time and time against Shockley had
told him what to do If that moment
came in the night-had told him to
throw his lamp in the air IKE a rocket
But Chris had forgotten AL that till the
fat dropped heavily on the tongue In
front of him. Then he threw his lamu
like a 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
he threw himself fiat, to lie outside the
rail to save all but a foot but the
frog held him and crying horribly he
struggled back to his feet. only to sink
again half crazy to the ground. AS his
[ / senses left him he was hardly aware OF
| a stinging pain in his foot, of a wrench
at his leg, an instant arm around his
5 neck and his yardmaster's voice in his
ears.
t Jump" screamed Shockley.
Chris scrambled frantically on the
deadly rails, unable to jump, felt him.
self picked from the ground, heard {
{ choke in the throat at his ear, and ht
} was flung like a drawbar through the
dark. Shockley had passed a knife
2 blade from vamp to sole, slit the Rus
2 SLAMS clumsy shoe, jerked his foo
from it and thrown him bodily into th'
clear.
t Chris staggered painting to his feet
Already the steel was moving slowl.
4
e pounding of the trucks on the contact
4 A lantern, burning yet, lay on its sid
: near the stand. It was ShOckley'
/ lamp. Chris looked wildly around 70
t his yardmaster, called out, callei
Shockley's name, listened. No scream
, no gFoan, no cry, no answer. no sound
e but just the steady pounding of tn
y wheels over the contact. The littl
Y sWitchman screamed again in a frenZ
? and. turning, raced stumblingly up tn
= track to the cab. He swung into it an
t by signs made the engineer shut of
e He tried to talk and only stammered
= lingo of switch pidgin and the name o
= ShOckIey. They couldn't understand /
: all. but they shut of with faces pinch
= ed, and sallow. threw open the furnac
g door and, grabbing their lanterns, ra
back. The hremen, on his knees, hei
Z. his lamp out under the fiat that span
: ned the contact. He drew, shrinking
q back and, rising, started on the run 70
: the depot to rouse Callahan
t It was Callahan who pulled the pi
a moment later, Chris shivering like
d rabbit at his side. It was Callaha
who gave the slow pull ahead orde
Y that cut the train in two at the fro
/, and Callahan who stepped, wavering
n from the gap that opened behind tn
q irecedtng hat-back from something be
blindly out for the target rod and un
steadily upon it, He heard Shockle
breathing.
Some carried the headlight back, an
n some tore the door off a box car, an
Z. they got him on. They carried him un
t evenly, stumbling, over to the depO
They laid him on Callahan's mattres
a in the waiting room, and the me
I, stood all about him. but the onl
sound was his breathing, and insid
t. under the lamp the receiver, clicking
r clicking clicking of Bucks and tn
f11r- H.1fc