The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1907-05-24

down to GAINESVILLE this morning my
self, and thought I'd ride with you.
Is 1t all right?"
ooh, yes, sir, If Neighbor doesn't
care"
smiled. He didn't know who
Neighbor to,ss orders from, but he
thought evidently not from me.
"Then run her down to the oranges,
Bartholomew, and couple on, and We'll
order ourselves out. Sect"
The A really looked like baby car
rage when we got her in front of the
refrigerators. However, after the nee
essary preliminaries we gave very
sporty toot and pulled out. In few
minutes we were sailing down the
valley.
For fifty miles we bobbed along with
our cargo of iced silk as easy as old
shoes, for I need hardly explain that
we had packed the silk into the re-
frigerators to confuse the strikers. The
great risk was that they would try to
ditch us.
I was watching the track as a mouse
would cat, looking every minute for
trouble. We cleared the gumbO cut
west of the Beaver at pretty good
clip in order to make the grade on the
other side. The bridge there is hidden
in summer by grove of hackberries.
/ had just pulled open to cool her Il bit
when I noticed how high the back
water was on each side of the track.
Suddenly felt the fill going soft under
the drivers-felt the A wabb]e and
slew. Bartholomew shut off hard and
threw the air as I sprang to the Win
dow. The peaceful little creek ahead
looked as angry as the Platte in April
water, and the bottoms We're lake.
Somewhere up the valley there had
been cloudburst, for overhead the
sun was bright. The Beaver was roar
ing over it's banks, and the bridge was
out Bartholomew screamed for brakes.
It looked as if we We're against 1t, and
hard.
A soft track to stop on, torrent of
storm water ahead and 100000
worth of silk behind, not to mention
equipment!
I yelled at Bartholomew and mo-
toned for him to jump. My con-
science is clear on that point. The
a was stumbling along, trying, like
drunken man, to hang to the rotten
track.
bartholomew" I yelled. But he
was head out and looking back at his
train, while he jerked frantically at
the air lever. I understood. The air
wouldn't work. 1t never will on those
old tubs when you need it. The sweat
pushed out on me. I was thinking
Of how much the silk would bring us
after a bath in the Beaver. Bartholo-
signal tower but every second
brought us closer to open water.
Watching him, intent only on saving
his first train, needless Of saving his
life, I was really a bit ashamed to
jump. While hesitated he somehow
got the brakes to set. The old A
bucked like broncho.
It wasn't too soon. She checked her
train nobly at the last, but saw moth
ing could keep her from the drink.
caught Bartholomew terrific slap,
and again I yelled; then, turning to
the gangWay, I dropped into the soft
mud on my side. The A hung low,
and it was easy lighting.
Bartholomew sprang from his seat
second later, but his blouse caught
In the teeth of the quadrant He
stopped quick as thought and peeled
the thing over his head. But then he
was caught with his hands in the
wristbands, and the ponies of A
tipped over the broken abutment.
Pull as he would, he couldn't get
free. The pilot dipped into the torrent
SLOWLY. hut losing her balance the