Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-03-19


had him under their feet in minute.
Jumped down, and Ben Buckley. tile
conductor. came running up. Between
us we gave the little fellow life. He
squirmed out like cat and backed IN.
stantly up against the tender.
Zone at time. and come on! he
criel hotly. IF it's ten to one and Oh
q mans back at that. We'll do 1t differ
ent." With quick. pecu lar movement
of his arm lie drew pistol and, point
ing 1t squarely at Cameron. cried. "Get
backw
l caught fash of his eye through
tile blood that str2amed down his face.
l wouldn't have given switch key for
the life of the man who crowded. him
at that minute But just then Lancas-
ter came up. and before the crowd real
lied it we had Foley. protesting an.
gr!ly. back In the cab again.
"F0r heavens sake. pull out Of this
before there's bloo,sled. Foley"
cried. and. nodding TO B"ck!ey. Foley
opened the ch,kcr.
Il was Il night run and new track
to him. tried to fire and pilot both,
hut after Foley suggested once or twice
that If would tend to the coal he
would tend to the curves ] let him find
them. ana he found them all,
thought. before we got to Athens. He
topk big chances In bis running. but
there was superb confidence in his
bursts of speed which marked the fast
runner and the experienced one.
At Athens we had barely two hours
to rest before douiln: back. | was
never tired In my life till struck the
pillow that night. but before ! got IT
warm the caller routed NE out again.
The eastbound fler was on time. or
nearly so, and when l got into the cab
for the run back Foley was just cot-
pling on.
did you get n nap?' asked as we
pulled out.
mo: we slipped an eccentric coming
up, and I've been under the engine
ever since. Say. she's Il bird. isn't
she? She's all right. couldn't run
her coming up. hut I've touched up
her valve motion a bit. and I'll get ac'
tion on her as soon as It's daylight"
"Don't mind getting action on m!
account. Foley; I'm shy on life insur'
ance."
He laughed.
"Youre safe with me- never killed
man. woman or child In my life.
When | do. ! quit the cab. Give her
plenty Of diamonds. II you please." he
added. letting her out full.
He gave ne the ride Of my life. but
hated to show scare, he was 30 coolly
audacIous himself. We had but one
stop--for water-and after that all
down grade. We bowled along as easy
rs nlnepIns. but the pace was hair
raiser. After we passed Arickaree we
never touched thing but the high
Joints. The long. heavy train behind
us few rouni the bluffs once in awhile
like the tail OF very capriclous kite.
vet somehow. and that's an engineers
magic. she always VT on the steel.
Day broke ahead, and between
breaths I caught the glory Of sun
rise on the plains from locomotive
cab window. When the smoke Of the
McCloud shops stained the horizon. re-
membering the ugly threats Of the
strikers. 1 left my seat to speak to
Foley.
T think you'd better swing on
when you slow up for the yards and
leys shoulder. "you don't want to take
this tain out. do you! You wouldn't
| beat hoa,st working Een OFT OF job:
"I'm not beating ANYBODY out OF q
Job. II yoa want to take ont this train.
take It out. II you don't, get out Of ta.s
cab"
Cameron was nOnplused. Nicholson,
a surly brute, raised his fist men,
acingy.
"Se, here. boss" he growled, "wc
won't stand no scabs Oh this line."
"Get out Of this cab"
"Ill promise you you'll never get out
| Of II alive, my buck. II you ever get
into It againT cried Cameron. swing
| ing down. Nicholson followed, mutter-
ing ans'iIy. hoped we were out OF
the scrape: but. to my CONSERVATION.
Foley. picking up his oil can. got right
down behind them and began filling his
cups without the least attention to
anybody.
Nicholson sprang on him like tiger.
The onslaught was SO sudden that they