Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-04-02

The GHOST Of H
ROUNDHOUSE.


copyright, 1907, by c. H. Sutcliffe.l
The conductor and engineer of a
train may not even be a~cuuaintances.
and yet all goes well. The conductor
may take out three or four different
nglneer in a week, and yet no trou-
Bile arises. 1t is different when you
come to the cab. The engineer must
have his own fireman.
For three years Engineer Simpson
and Fireman Davis had occupied a
cab together on the run of the noun
tain division. At Butler the engineer
had a family and home, and the fire
man boarded with him. They were
not related in any way, and yet the
two looked so much alike that railroad
men nicknamed them the twins. In
every two men thrown together one is
the stronger. In this case it was the
engineer. He intuitively led the way
in all things. and his fireman followed.
Brothers could not have been greater
chums. Davis might have had an en-
CINE In front of a freight train after a
couple OF years. as he had thoroughly
mastered the mechanism of the steam
monster. but he would not take it. He
preferred the subordinate position for
two reasons. First, it kept him beside
his friend, and, second, Simpson had
whispered to him one day:
Jim, don't try it. You haven't got
the nerve. If a pinch came you'd lose
your head and bring about some awful
disaster. I'm not saying that you
wouldn't stand up to your work. in a
row with any man, but keep clear Of
the throttle. I've watched you, and I
tell you that a dark night, a heavy
train and a down grade makes you
tremble like Il girl, while I poke my
head out of the window and whistle
defiance to danger"
"Thats it. l can't get over being
scared" replied Jim. when it's thir-
ty-tve an hour and a moonlight night,
l can whistle, too. but the darkness
and the speed to make up lost time
take it all out of me. When we were
six minutes behind in making the sid
ing at Grand Blur the other night
and found the express booming down
upon us, l prayed to God and jumped
the cab. You haven't said a word to
me about it, and I'm hoping you never
will. 1t was the fear. Tom-such fear
as | never have outside the cab and
the fear that l never can control.
Keep me on With you. l want no en-
CINE for myself"
Tom and Jim had been pards for
nearly four years, when there came an
accident that killed the engineer and
so injured the fireman that he lost an
arm. The engineer was buried and
forgotten by all but a few, and the
cripple was given a place in the rail
road roundhouse as night Waterman.
He had held the place only a single
month when strange reports began to
be circulated. He had seen the ghost
of his dead engineer in the cab of his
old engine as she stood over the Gin
der pit. He saw again and again and
whispered the news with white lips,
and then he was called to the office Of
the master mechanic, and the official
asked him in a blunt, unfeeling way:
Jim. do you think l put you down
III llc GOuUulOuSC W IluhG Il lOOl vi
~yourself?"
mo, Sir"
"Then don't see Tom Simpsons
ghost again. If you do, l shall think
you have taken to drink"
"And nothing but water eve passes
my lips"
"But this ghost business is all non
arcn II, cI1TnTicn1 tIat q cnpcih1n
man like you would tell such a yarn"
"Mr. White" said Jim, as he moved
a step nearer and dropped his voice to
a whisper, ''the ghost comes two or
three times a week and sits in the cab
Of old 800 and looks at me, and that's
Gods. truth, but from now on I'll say
nothing about it. Why shouldn't it
come? Tom was the best friend Il
man ever had"
1t was a month after his interview
with his boss that the ghost came
earlier than usual one night. 1t was
a night of darkness and stornl-a night
to try the nerves of every engineer
due to go out or come in. The watch
man had gone his rounds, and old 900
was kissing over the cinder pit after
a long u when the ghost appeared in
the cab and said:
"Jim. it's a bad night outside"
at is that, Tom," was the reply.
81 told you once that | doubted your
nerve. Perhaps I was wrong"
"No, pard. You hit the truth"
81 wouldn't do you wrong for the
world, Jim. | want to see YOU at the
throttle and outside on such a night
as this. That will test your nerve. 1t
may be that the accident has made a
change. Take her out and see.''
And why not?" asked the watch
man Of himself. 1.-THE old feeling has
gone, and perhaps it won't come back.
If it don't 1 could run an engine with
the arm that's left me. Thankee. Tom
-Tll try it."