Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-03-05

six-;,n; ne saw man start for the
station on the Cead run. He knew, too,
BY the tremendous sweep Of his legs
that 1t was Ole Anderson. the night
foreman. the man Of all others be
wanted.
"Ole." cried the dispatcher. waving
his arms frantically as the giant Swede
leaped across the track and looked up
from the platform below, "go get
Bucks. I've got runaway train 60
ing against SO. For your life. Ole.
runr'
The big fellow was into the wind
with the word. Bucks boarded four
blocks away. Callahan. slamming
down the window. took the key and
began calling Rowe. Rowe is the first
station east of jackson. 1t was now
the first point ut which the runaway
coal train could be headed.
"R-o. R-o." he ratified. The operator
must have been sitting on the wire,
for he answered Mt once. As fast as
CG!lahan's fingers could talk he told
Rowe the story and gave him orders to
get the night agent, who. he knew,
must be down to sell tickets for SO.
and pile all the ties they could gather
across the track to derail the runaway
train. Then lie began humping for
Kol.:r. the next station east Of Rowe
and the second ahead Of the runaways.
He pounded and he pounded, and when
the man at Kolar answered Callahan
could have sworn he had been asleep
Just from the way he talked. Does 1t
seem strange? There are many strange
things about -dlspatcher's senses.
'Sead your night man to west switch
house track and open for runaway
train. Set brakes hard on your empties
on siding to spill runaways II possible.
Do anything and everything to keep
them from getting by you. Work
quick"
Behind Kolar's o. X. came a frantic
call from Rowe. "Runaways passed
here like streak. Knocked the ties
into toothpicks. Couldn't head them"
Callahan didn't wait to lear any
more. He only wiped the sweat from
his face. 1t seemed forever before
Kolar spoke again. Then 1t was only
to say, "Runaways went by here be-
fore night man could get to switch and
open It,"
Would Bucks never come? And II
he did come, what OH earth could stop
the runaway train now? They were
heading into the worst grade OIL the
West End. 1t averages 1 per cent
from Kolar to Griffin, and there we get
down off the Cheyenne hills with long
reverse curve and drop into the canyon
of the Blackwood with a per cent
grade. Callahan. almost beside him
self, threw open north window to
look for Bucks. Two men were flying
down Main street toward the station.
He knew them; it was Ole and Bucks.
But Bucks! Never before or since
was seen on a street Of McCloud such
figure as Bucks, In his trousers and
slippers, with his nightshirt free as he
sailed down the wind. In another in
slant he was bounding up the stairs.
"What have you done?" lie painted,
throwing himself into the chair. Cal
lahan told him. Bucks held his head
In his hands while the boy talked. He
turned to the sheet-asked quick for SO.
"She's out of Calendar. tried
hard to stop her. I didn't lose Sec
ond; she was gone"
Barely an instant Bucks studied the
sheet. Routed out Of sound sleep
after an eight hour trick and on such
night by such message. the mar
vel was he could think at all, much
less set a trap which should save
so. In twenty minutes from the time
Bucks took the key the two trains
would be together. Could he save the
passenger? Callahan didn't believe 1t.
A sharp. quick call brought Griffin.
We had one Of the brightest lads OH
the whole division Mt Griffin. Gala
han. listening. heard Griffin answer.
Bucks ratified n question. How the
heart hangs Oh the faint, uncertain
tick of S. sounder when human lives
hang OH It.!
where are Your section men? ask.
ed Bucks.
"In bed at the section house"
"Who's with you?"
"Night agent; sheriff with two cow
boy prisoners waiting to take So"
Before the last word came Bucks
was back ut him:
To Opr.
| Ask sheriff release his prisoners to save
passenger train. Co together to west
| switch house track, open ard set II.
| Smash In section tool house. get tools.
| Go to point Of house track curve. cut
the rails and point them to send run
away train from Ogalal.a over the blum
| into the river. BUCKS.
The words few of his fingers like
sparks. and ano her message crowded
the wire behind 1t:
To Agt.:
Go to east switch. open and set for
passing track. Flag 50 and run her on
siding. II can't get 50 into the clear
ditch the runaways. BUCKS.
They look old now. The ink is faded
and the paper is smoked with the fire
of the fifteen winters and b!encied
with the sun of fifteen summers, but
to this cay they hang there In their
walnut frames. the original orders. just
as Buck, scratched tl:en off. They
hang tl.e"e in the di patc!.es' offices In
the new depot But In their present
swell surroundings Eucks wouldn't
know them. 1t was Harvey Reynolds
who took them off the other end Of the
wire-a boy in thousand for that
night and that minute. The Instant the
words flashed into the room he In
structed the agent, grabbed an az and
dashed out into the waiting room.
where tile sheriff, Ell Banks, sat viii,
his prisoners, the cowboys.
ed" cried Harvey. there's run
away train from Ogalalla coming down
the line in the wind. II we can't trap
1t Lere it'll knock so into klndling
wool. Turn the boys loose, Ed, and
cave the passenger train. Boys. show
the man and square yourselves right
now. don't know what you're here
for, but l believe It's to save 80. VIII
you heip?"
The three men sprang to their feet
Ed Banks slipped the handouts off In
a trice. "Nevcr mind the rest Of 1t.
Save the passenger train first" he
roared. Everybody from Ogalalla to
/ On,ot,o l.poxv IT, n,utc