Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-30
XVII-Contiuued.


Safely. I think" said the chief. add
ing: You can't run fast enough over
this track to ge. into trouble. anyway"
That was the way it appealed to Hec-
tor for the succeeding twenty miles.
When the track was net too rough to for
bid speed. the cuts were too numerous.
and the big flyer had TO be bitted and
held down until some OF Hectors i'm
patience began to get into the machinery
This shall account as it may for what
happened. A mile or two below Rileys.
where the ligh.s were all out and the
turmoil of the day of strikes had ap-
parently subsidized. the canyon opened cut
into winding. valley. and when Ford
called across to Hector: There are no
rock cuts on this section and we are part
ly surfaced. You can let her out little
for few miles" the engineer took the
permission for all il was worth and sent
the eight wheeler flying down the newly
ballasted stretch.
Two long curves were rounded in safety.
and the special was approachin a third.
when to Ford. track watching even more
anXiously than Hector. a dull red spot ap-
peared in the exact center of the white
field of the electric. For moment it
puzzled. him, but the explanation came
WIFI a vigorous SHOCK an instant T.
1t was the oil-lamp headlight Of the
freight,
Hector was huge enough to be slow. If
bigness were a bar 10 celebrity. But no
drill master of the foot plates could have
brought the flying train to a stand with
the loss of fewer seconds. Happily. too.
the l0l2's electric headlight served a
danger signal seen from afar by the en-
gineer Of the freight So /; CHANGED that
the two great engines merely put their
md hx-f
came scrambling over the coal with the
inevitable query from the president. the
jol:ing stop was thing OF the past, and
the train was in motion again, following
the freight. which was backing. at Ford 4
order. to the nearest siding.
NO more hurry fer us tonight. Hec-
tor was the boss dictum. when the OBJ
structing string OF empties was safely
passed. I'VE take II slow and sure from
this on. with your fireman to flag us
around the curves and through the cuts.
This was only the first section of the
train that left Horse creek at o clock
the section that was broken down at sid
ing II. We're due to pick up the second
section anywhere between here and the
end of track"
SLOW it is said Hector. I'm no hog.
if do take a little swill now and then;
know when I've got enough
This was at ten-forty. while the night
was still young. And for seven other
hours the one-car special inched its way
cautiously toward the goal. with Ford
scanning every mile of the hazardous
way as il swung into the beam of tine
headlight arc. with Hector's left hand
stiffening on the brake cock. and with a
weary fireman dropping from his gang
way at every curve approach to flag for
safety.
1t was not until 3 o'clock in the morning
that they met and passed the second sec
ton of empties. and the dawn of a new
day was fully come when the shacks and
storehouses of the MacMorroghs' head
quarters at the mouth of Horse creek
came in sight. Ford got down from his
seat on the fireman's side and stretched
himself. as one relaxing after mighty
strain.
That's the end of it for a little while,
Billy he said. addressing the big en-
gineer as man and a brother. Crawl
in on the first siding you come to and GO
hunt you bed. 1 don't think the presi-
dent will be perniciously active today
after such night as we've had.
But in this. as In other instances when
Mr.. Colbrith's activities had figured as a
factor. he reckoned without his hos..