The Greeley tribune., 1907-03-28

aiI. HOW II you run them? Give them
plenty Of sea room. They'll have to
gallnr to make it."
Cool and reckless planning. taking
the daring chances. straining the flesh
and blood, driving the steel loaded to
the swapping point-that was what 1t
meant. But the company wanted re-
suits. wanted the prestige and the pre-
MUM too. To gain them we were ex-
pected to stretch our little resources to
the uttermost.
l studied q minute, then turned to
the dispatcher.
"Tell Norman to send them out as
second 4. That gives the right of way
over every wheel against them. II
they can't make it on that kind Of
schedule, it isn't in the track"
1t was extraordinary business, rath-
er sending train Of wheat through
on passenger schedule. practically as
the second section of our eastbound
flier, but we took hair lifting chances
on the plains.
It was noon when the orders were
flashed. At 3 o'clock No. was due to
leave GAINESVILLE. For three hours
kept the wires busy warning all op-
orators and trainmen, even switch en-
gines and yardmasters, Of the wheat
special, second 4.
The fier, the first section and regu-
lar passenger train. was checked out
of GAINESVILLE on time. Second 4. which
meant George McNeal. Dad, the sky
scraper and fifty loads Of wheat, re-
ported out at $40. While we worked
on our time card Neighhor In the dis
patcher's office across the hall figured
out that the wheat train would enrich
the company just S11.0O0, tolls and
premium. "if 1t doesn't break in two
on Beverly HILL" growled Neighbor.
with qualm.
On the dlspatcher's sheet. which is
sort OF panorama, I watched the big
train whrl past station after station.
drawing steadily nearer to lis. and do
ing it, the marvel on full passenger
time. 1t was n great feat. and George
McNeal, whose nerve and brain We're
guiding the tremendous load, was
breaking records with every milestone.
They were due in Harvard at 8
o'clock. The first A. our tier. pulled in
and out on time. meeting 55, the west
bound overland freight, at the second
station east of Harvard-Redbud.
Neighbor and l sat with the dis
patchers up in their office. smoking.
The wheat train was now due from the
west and, looking at my watch, I
ct fo hn Y.
most Immediately heard the long, pc
culiarly hollow blast of the skyscraper
whistling for the upper yard.
"She's coming" exclaimed.
The boys crowded to the window.
but Neighbor happened to glance to
the east.
"What's that coming in from the
Junction, Bailey?" he exclaimed, turn
ing to the local dispatcher. We looked
and saw headlight in the east.
That's 90"
"where do they meet?'
.Fifty-f five takes ,the long siding in
from the Junction"-which was two
miles east-"and she ought to be on 1t
right now" added the dispatcher anx-
iously, looking over the master mechan-
les shoulder. Neighbor jumped as IL n
bullet had struck him. She'll never
take n siding tonight. She's coming
down the main track. What's her or
ders?" he demanded furiously.
Meeting orders for first 4 at Red
bud, second here, 70 at Glencoe
Great Jupiter" cried the dispatcher,
and his face went sick and scared.
they've forgotten second AZ
They'll think of her long time
dead" roared the master mechanic saw
agely, jumping to the west window.
"Throw your red lights! There's the
skyscraper now"
Her head shot that instant around
the coal chutes less than a mile away,
and 55 going dead against her stood
like one palsied, my eyes glued on the
burning eye of the big engine. As she
whipped past street arc light caught
"A glimpse of George McNeal's head out
bareheaded II the night was warm, and
l knew it was he; but suddenly, like
flash, his head went In. l knew why as
well as II my eyes were his eyes and
my thoughts his thoughts. He had seen
red signals where he had every right
to look for white.
But red signals now-to stop her-to
pull her fiat on her launches like q
broncho? Shake a weather dag at q
cyclone!
L saw the fire stream from her driv
ers. 1 knew they were churning in
the sand knew he had twenty air
oor> hotlnd him SLIDING What of it7
Two thousand tons were sweeping
forward like an avalanche. What did
brains or pluck count for now with So
dancing along like a schoolgirl right
into the teeth Of 1t?
don't know how the other men felt.
AS for me, my breath choked in my