Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1907-01-23

uOSet pdlluluS tne gldSS Sklll1ully SO
BarIes Tracy couldn't see it even if he
did Interrupt his eruption, and waited
for Bob Duffy, the Rat River night
mani to come back at him with third
eighE's signature. Under Giddings'
eye hs he sat licked Martin Duffy's
chrohometer, the watch that split the
secohds and chimed the quarters and
stopped and started so impossibly and
ran ito second a month-the watch
that Bucks, who never did things by
halves, had given little Martin Duffy
with the order that made him chief.
1t lhy at Giddings' fingers, and the
minpte hand wiped from the enameled
,iall o'clock fifty-five, fifty-six, seven,
tight-nine. Young Giddings turned to
his order book and inspected his en-
tries like methodical bookkeeper, and
Martin Duffy's chronometer chmed the
fourth quarter, 8 o'clock. One entry he
had still to make. Book in hand, he
called Rat River.
Get third eighty's signature to Or
der 20 and hurry them out" he tapped
impatiently at Bob Duffy.
There was a wait. Giddings lighted
his pipe the way Callahan always light
ed bis pipe-putting out his lips to
catch all the perfume and blowing the
first cloud away wearily, as Callahan
always did wearily. Then he twirled
the match meditatively and listened
and got suddenly this from Bob Duffy,
at Rat River:
II forgot Order TO-" came Bob Duffy's
message. 81 let third eighty go with
out it. They left here at 7:50'-fifty
something, Giddings never heard fifty
what. The match went into the ink
the pipe into the water pail, and Gid
dings, before Bob Duffy finished, like
a drowning man, was calling Elcho
with the life and death, the 10 call.
Hold Special 326v' he cried over the
wire the instant Elcho replied.
But Elcho, steadily, answered this:
"Special-326-left- 90"
Giddings, with both hands on the ta-
BILE, raised up like drunken man. The
West End was against it. Third eighty
in the open and going against the De
Molay -Four! Bucks, Callahan, wife
everybody-and Rock Point blind sid
ing that no word from anybody on
earth could reach ahead of third eighty.
Giddings sprang to the open window
and shouted to anybody and everybody
to call Martin Duffy. But Martin Duff
fly spoke behind him.
"What do you want?" he asked. 1t
came terribly quick on Giddings as he
turned.
"What's the matterY exclaimed Mar
tin, looking into the boys face. Speak,
can't you? What's the matter, Gid
dingsY
bob forgot Order 70 and let third
eighty go without it-and Special 1926
is out Of Elcho," choked Giddings.
"WhatY
"Bob at-Rat River-gave third eighty
a clearance without the Order TO-"
Martin Duffy sprang straight up in
the air. Once he shut his-ifted hands;
once he looked at Gliding 'taggering
again through the frightful news, then
he dropped into the chair, looked wild
ly around, seized his key like hunted
mshsp. stared ut his train sheet. grak ed
the order book and listened to Giddings
cutting off one hope after another of
stopping Special 326. His fingers set
mechanically, and he made the Rat Riv-
er call; but Rat River was silent. With
Barnes Tracy tiptoeing in behind on the
instinct of trouble and young Giddings
shaking like a leaf, the chief called
Rat River. Then he called Elcho, asked
for Special 1926, and Elcho again repeat
ed steadily:
Observation-Disclosures
79-at-7:55 p. M"
Martin Duffy bent before the mes
sage; young Giddings, who had been
whispering to Tracy, dropped on a
stool and covered his face.
"Don't cry, Giddings." 1t was Duffy
who spoke, dry and parched his voice.
"Its nothing you-could help" He
looked around and saw Tracy at his
elbow. Barnes" he said, but he tried
twice before his voice would carry.
"Barnes-they will meet in the CHINA
mon cut. Giddings told you? Bob
forgot-forgot my order. Run, Gid
dings, for Benedict Morgan and Dou-
bleday and Carhart-quick"
Giddings ran, the Rat River call echo
ing again down the hall behind him.
Rat River was closest to Rock Point
would get the first news of the wreck,
and Martin Duffy was calling his
recreant brother at the River, but the
River was silent.
Doubleday and the company sur
geon, DR.. Carhart rushed into the room
almost together. Then came with a
storm the wrecking boss, Benedict Nor
gan. 1t was only an evil hour that
brought Benedict Morgan into the dis
patcher's office. STOPPED and silent,
Martin Duffy, holding the chair, was
calling Rat River. Carhart watched
him just moment, then he took Barnes
Tracy aside and whispered, and, going
back, bent over Duffy. The chief pull
ed himself up.