The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1907-04-05
and slack, but the stack was hardly

and slack, but the stack was hardly
bruised.
The minute they struck George Sin
clair, making fast and leaping from
his cab, ran forward i'll the dark, pant
ing with rage and excitement Burns
torch in hand, was himself just jump
ing down to get forward. His face
wore its usual grin, even when Geor-
gle assailed him with a torrent OF
abuse.
"What do you mean, you red heaued
lubber:" he shouted with much the
lungs of his father. '.What are you
doing switching coal here on the main
liner
In fact George called the astonished
fireman everything he could think OF
until his father, who was laundering
forward on his side Of the engine, hear
ing the voice, turned and ran around
behind the tender to take hand him.
self.
"AIean?' he roared above the blow
Of his safety. "Mean? he beloved IN
the teeth Of the wind. "Mean? Why,
you imDudent, empty headed, migrate
full rapscallion. what do you mean COM
ing around here to abuse a man that's
saved you and your train from the
scrap"
And big Dick Burns, standing by
with lis torch, burst into an Irish
laugh, fairly doubled up before the
nonplused boy and listened with great
relish to the excited father and ex-
cited son. 1t was not hard to under
| stand GeOrgie's Amusement and anger
/ at finding Soda Water Sal behind three
cars Of coal halfway between stations
on the main line and on his time-and
that the fastest time on the division.
/ But what amused Burns most was to
see the imperturbable old Dad pitching
into his boy with as much spirit as the
young man himself showed
It was because both men were scared
out of their wits; scared over their
narrow escape from a frightful wreck;
from having each killed the other,
maybe-the son the father, and the IA
ther the son.
For brave men do get scared. Don't
believe anything else. But between
the fright of coward and the fright
of a brave man there is this difference
the towards scare is apparent before
the danger, that Of the brave man after
it has passed, and Burns laughed with
q tremendous mirth Eat tn two O thin
ajawin'," as he expressed it.
No man on the West End could turn
on his pins quicker than George Sin
clair, though, if his hastiness misled
him. When it all came clear he climb
ed into the old cab-the cab he himself
had once gone against death inland
with stumbling words tried to thank
the tall Irishman, who still laughed in
the excitement Of having won.
And when Neighbor next day,
thoughtful and taciturn, heard it all,
he very carefully looked Soda Water
Sal all over again.
Dad" said he, when the boys got
through telling it for the last time,
"shes better machine than thought
she was"
'There isn't better pulling your
coaches" maintained Dad Sinclair
stoutly.
j
and give you the 1913 for the cut Off
HIM."
) 'The 16S will suit me, Neighbor. ANY
; old tub-eh, Foley?" said Dad, turning
to the cheeky engineer, who had come
} up in time to hear most Of the talk
The old fellow had not forgotten Fo
ley's sheer at Soda Water Sal when h
: rechristened her. But Foley, too, hat
changed his mind and was ready t.
Z give in.
"That's quite right, Dad" he &C
knowledged. "You can get more Oh
r Of any old tub on the division than tn
? rest Of us fellows can get out Of
, Baldwin consolidated. I mean it toe
, It's the best thing I ever heard OF
What are you going to do for Burns
r Neighbour" asked Foley, with his usu
: al assurance.
81 was thinking l would give hin
, Soda Water Sal and put him on tn
right side of the cab for a freight rur
I reckon he earned it last night
In few minutes Foley started off t
. hunt up Burns.
"See here, Irish," said he in his Of
hand way, next time you catch
string of runaways just remember t
+ climb up the ladder and set you
: brakes before you couple. 1t will say
5 good deal Of wear and tear on tn
= pilot bar, see? I hear you're going t
get run. Don't fall out the windo'
when you get over on the right"
: And that's how Burns was made a
s engineer and how Soda Water Sal wa
rescued from the disgrace Of runnin
V on the trolley.