The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15

HdkkGQ the tram with q brand SnatChad
from the fire. Ford stopped because
he dared not do otherwise.
Well what's wanted?" he snapped.
when the train came to a stand and
the brand swinger, backed by dozen
others, made as if he would climb to
the cab of the 1912.
Some of us fellies want to go down
to Ten Mile-the liquors out" said the
man, trying to get a fair sight OF the
strange engineman.
Get off," said Ford; and Hector made
the order effective by showing the In
truder from the step. That was easy:
but before the train had measured twice
its length pistol barked thrice and
the glass in the cab window on F0rds
side fell in splinters
Holy smoker safG Hector as
them the kind of plug uglies you've got
over here. Mr. Ford?"
Ford nodded. His eyes were on the
track again, and he was hoping fer
Vently that the three shots had ali been
aimed at the engine "A mile farther
on Penfield came sliding over the coal
TO say that the president wanted to
know what the shooting was about.
Ford turned the 1913 over to Hec-
tor. The track hazards of the noun
tain grade were safely passed.
Did any OF the shots hit the carp"
he asked Of Penield
NO"
Wen, if you have to say anything
before the ladies it might be advisable
TO make a joke Of it. Signal torpedoes
know"
Penheld nodded But to Mr.. Col
brith?'
ITO Mr. Colbrith you may say that a
gang Of drunken MacMorrogh surfacers
tagged US down, and when we wouldn't
let them have the train, made a little
gun play"
Heavens" said the clerk, whose
curiosity stopped short at the farthest
confines Of any battlefield rs that
sort of thing likely to happen again,
Mr.. Ford?"
Your guess is as good as anybody's,"
said Ford curtly. Better get back to
the car as quickly as you can, before
Mr.. Colbrith whistles Us down to find
out what has become OF you"
Below the camp of the surfacers
there were a few miles of better track,
and Hector made fair time until the
train cfrcled the mountain shoulder
at the lower end of the great loop. Be-
yond this the roughnesses began again,
and there were more of the7>skimped
rock cuttings. At Ten Mile, which
was relay station in the upper can
yon for the hating of supplies and
material for which there was no room
at the ever advancing front" they
stopped to try for track clearIngs
As Leckhard had foretold, the oper-
ator could give them little help Two
hours earlier a train of empties in
two sections had left the end of track,
coming eastward. Whether it was hung
up at one OF the intervening side
tracks, or was still coming, the op-
orator could not say; and there was
no means OF finding out. Also Mr..
Frisbie, who had reached Riley's camp
late in the afternoon, had left there
after supper and was somewhere on
the line with his light engine-prob-
ably on his way to the front, the
operator thought.
Hector removed his great weight
from the telegraph counter and the
woodwork creaked its relief. What
he said was indicative of his frame of
mind.
''Humph"' he growled IF we don't
get tangled up with Mr.. Frisbies light
engine, it's US for headender with the
string Of empties. Isn't that about It,
Mr. Ford?"
That's IT, precisely"
Which means that Jimmy Shovel
trots ahead Of us for a hundred mile
r so. carryin' a lantern like blame
Dio-geenes huntin' for an honest man."
That is the size OF it." said Ford;
but just then the sounder on the table
began to click and the operator held
up his hand for silence
Hold on a minute" he interrupted,
here's a piece of luck-its Mr. Frisbie
cutting in with his field set from Camp
Frierson He is asking Saints Rest
about YOU"
Break in and tell him we're here"
said Ford; and when 1t was done: ASK
him about that string of empties." "
The reply was apparently an
other piece Of luck. Frisbie, going
westward, had passed the first
section of the freight train at
Siding No. u. It was hung UP with a
broken drawhead on the engine, and
was safe to stay there, Frisbie
thought, until somebody came along
with a repair kit. which. it might be
assumed, would not be before morning.
At this point Ford went around the
counter and took the wire for little
personal talk with the first assistant
It ignored the stalled freight train,
and Fords rapid clickings spelled out
an order. Frisbie was to drop every
thing else, and constitute himself the
presidents avant courier to the end or
the track camp, which. at the moment,
happened to be the MacMorroghs'
headquarters at the mouth of Horse
creek All liquor selling was to be
stopped, the saloons closed, and the
strictest order maintained during the
presidents stay-this II it should take
the entire field force Of the engineering
department to bring 1t to pass.
Don't" clicked Frisbie, from the
other end Of the long wire. And then
at the risk of giving it away to every
operator on the line: You're doing
yourself up. Let the president see for
himself what he has let us in for."
Ford's reply was short and to the
point. The order stands. There are
others besides the president to be con-
sidered. Good night"
Well, we go to this here siding num-
Der u, do we?" said Hector, when they
were clambering once more to the foot
plate of the 1912.
SAFELY, 1 think" said the chief, add
ing: You can't run fast enough over
this track to get into trouble, any
way"
That was the way it appealed to
Hector for the succeeding 20 miles.
When the track was not too rough to
forbid speed, the cuts were too numer-
GUS, and the big flyer had to be bitted
mi al Il - -