The San Francisco call., 1908-11-08

vironment which. TO put it mildly. could
hardly be congenial to-to the ladies OF
the party. You know, or ought to
know. the MacMorroghs their camps
are not exactly models OF propriety.
Mr.. COlbrith.
This was merely waving a red flag
at an already exasperated bull. The
president got upon his feet. and his
shrill falsetto cut the air like a knife.
Mr.. Ford. when I wish to be told
what is or is not proper for me to do,
III ask you for an opinion. sir But
this is quite beside the mark. Will you
order this car out, or shall To-
Ford looked at his watch imperturb-
ably. Now that the president was thor
oughly angry. he could afford to be
cool
1T is now o'clock. and our end OF
track is fully 110 miles beyond the
summit of the pass. Do / understand
that you wish to take the added risk
OF night run. Mr.. Colbrith? If so.
III give the order and Wen pull out"
I desire to go nowt' was the iras-
chile reply. rs that sufficiently ex-
plicit?"
1T is" said Ford. and he left the
presence to go forward TO the cab of
the waiting engine.
You are 10 take the car over the
mountain. Hector" he said briefly to
the beetle browed giant in blue den
i'm when he had climbed to the foot
plate I'll pilot for YOU"
How far?' inquired the engineer.
Something like 10 miles"
Holy smoker over a construction
track-in the night?
It's the presidents .orders-none OF
mine Let's get move"
The big man got down from his box
and made room for Ford 'rH be pilin'
'em into the ditch. somewhere. as sure
as my names Bill Hector" he said.
But Well go all the same, If he says
so. I'ye pulled Mr.. Colbrith before
Down with you, Jimmy Shovel and set
the switch for u.s."
The fireman swung off and stood by
the switch. and Hector backed his one
car train from the siding. When he
had picked up his, fireman and was
ready to assault the mountain Ford
thrust a query in between
Hold on minute; how's the wa
ter?" he asked
Jimmy Shovel climbed over the coal
to see. and reported less than half
tankful.
THAT settles it," said the chief 10
Hector. You'll have to back down TO
Saints Rest and fill up. You'll get no
more this side Of Pannfkin upper can
yon. We haven't had time to build
tanks yet"
reverse gear and began to drop the train.
down the grade on the air A dozen
wheel turns brought a shriI1 shrek
from the air signal whistle. Mr. Col
BIRTH evidently wished to know why
his train was going in the wrong
direction. Hector applied the brakes
and stopped in obedience to the signal
do we send back?'' he asked.
No said Ford sourly. Let him
send forward
Penfeld was the bearer of the presi-
dents question. Would it be necessary
to discharge somebody in order TO have
his commands obeyed?
Ford answered the petulant demand
as one bears with spoiled child They
were returning to Saints Rest for wa
ter. Let the president be assured that
his orders would be obeyed in due
course. Hes piker. the old man is"
said the big engineer. once more giving
the 1912 the needful inch Of release to
send 1T grinding down the hill. I'D
rather pull freight SO hours on end
than run his car for a hundred miles"
There was trouble getting at the
water tank in the Saints Rest yard
Ieckhard, acting as division engineer.
telegraph superintendent. material for
warder and yard master. found it diff
hcult at times to bring order out
of chaos in the forwarding yard It
material trains could be shunted and
switched and juggled to permit the
1912 to drop down TO the water tank;
and four times during the hour Pen
field climbed dutifully over the coal to
tell Ford and the engineer what the
president thought of them.
"Durn mel but you can take punish
ment like a man. FOrdY' said Hec-
tor. on the heels Of the fourth sending.
sinking rank distinctions in his admi-
ration for a cool fighter. These here
polite cuSsin's-out are what L can't
stand Reckon we'll get away from
here before the old man throws a sure
enough fit?"
That's entirely with the yard
crew." said Ford, calmly making him
self comfortable on the fireman's box
Well go when we can get water; and
we'll get water when the tank track is
cleared. That's all there is to It,"
Whereupon he found his cigar case.
passed it to Hector, lighted up. and
waited patiently for another second
hand wigging from the Nadia
As 1T CHANGED the tank track was
cleared few minutes later; the 1912
was backed down and supplied. and
Ford instructed Leckhard to do what
he could with the single, poorly manned
construction wire toward giving the
presidents special clear track
That won't be much" said the hard
worked base of supplies man. We've
got our own operator at Ten Mile, and
Brissac and Frisbie have each a set of
instruments which they cut In on the
line with wherever they happen to be-
/ don't know where Brissac is but
Frisbie Is down about Riley's tonight,
L think After you pass him you'll
have no help from the wires"
III have what / can get" asserted
Ford. Now tell me what we're likely
to meet"
Leckhard laughed. Anything on top
Of earth, from Brissac or Jack Benson
or Frisbie chasing somewhere on a
light engine to Gallagher or Folsom
coming out with a string of empties.
oh, you're not likely to find much dead
track anywhere after you get over the
mountain"
Ford swung up beside Hector. who
had been listening. You see what
were in for. Hector. Start your head
light dynamo and let's GO" he said: and
five minutes farther on. just as Penfield
was about to make his fifth scramble
over the coal in the tender. the 1912
took the upward road with a deafenina.
whistle Shrek as its farevraII 70