Evening star., 1909-06-05
CHAPTER VII-Continued.

'Yes,'' he was saying. as. cigar in
mouth, he lounged above the transmitter
on his desk, "Tll be OF in three minutes.
So listen hard, for you are liable to have
a wakeful day before you. I've gave or
ders to sidetrack everything on the C. G..
& x. between here an Mcintyre juno
ton. That'll give US room for a sixty
fve-mile- -anhour trip as far as the juno
ton. After that I'll be of the C. G. & X.
tracks and I'll have to take my chances
of gettin the right Of way. But guess
a couple Of tergrams I've sent will loosen
things UP on the other road. Remember
I'm a comm as fast as steam will
carry me- Since you say the starke bill
amt come up yet. there's a show Of my
gettin' there on time. after all. I've JUS
phoned Bourke, the assemblyman from
my districk. to hold the crowd together
as well as he can till I land. What? No
don't you bother over that. He know:
anyhow. Motion to adjourn's always ir
order. He'll hop up an move to adjourn
ev'ry five minutes and then demand q
poll on the vote. Good of-fashioned fl
busterin'. That an a few other cunnin
little stunts that I've taught him is liable
to delay business pretty much In the as
sembly today. My crowds got all their
orders. But Blacarda was q roarin' fool
not to push the bill through early this
mornin'. l s'pose he figgered out he had
settle our score later. So long! My en-
gine'S ready"
Clambering aboard the locomotive cab
the moment the last oiler scuttled to safe
ty from underneath the driving wheels.
Conover lighted fresh cigar. and with a
grim smile leaned back to enjoy the whirl-
wind fight through the rain. He was hap
pier than he had been in weeks. Not only
through the quick lifting of the horror
that had so engulfed him. but from the
JOY Of q hard fight against heavy odds.
In spite Of his CHEEKY tone toward Caine
he knew II was problematical whether or
not his henchman, Bourke, could retard
the vote on the Starke bill until his ar
rival. But 1t was a chance well worth
the taking. His anxiety for Desiree ban
ished. the fighter turned with more than
wonted zeal to the battle before him.
The engine thundered over the miles OF
sodden land, the cab windows aWash with
rain; the great bulk swaying perilously
from it's own reckless speed; the twisting
of sharp curves more than once hurting
Caleb headlong from his seat. Past long
lines Of sidetracked freight and passenger
trains they whizZed. Every switch along
the line bore its burden of cars hustled
off the main line by Caleb's commands.
The entire C. G. & x. system was for
the time tied up. that its ruler might
travel over its rails as no man had be-
fore traversed them.
''At this rate unused Caleb. TN make
it. with any sort Of luck. II can be
sure of speed on the other line
Toward the latest of many brown wooden
stations they flashed. The engineer threw
over a lever. The wheels shrieked ear
splitting protest as they .gripped and
shaved the rails in the shock Of the
what's up?" beloved conover. wrath
fully. "Is-?
Station agents tagging US. sir. with
the danger signal" replied the engineer.
scared. shirtseeved man who ran to-
ward them. nag in hand. along the track.
Conover pulled the engineer to one side
and thrust his own head from the cab
window. just as the painting station agent
came up.
what dye mean by stoppin' us?' de-
manded the fighter.
"Trackwalker r t s-bridge-m e
above-unsafe-from washout! pulled the
agent.
He does, hey?" sneered conover. An
why in blazes didn't you telegraph the
next station below?"
II was just going to. SIR" faltered the
agent but as there wasn't any train
due for an half an hour"
rs the bridge still standin?' de-
Yes, sir. But the trackwalker
Il don't pay him to think. I'm doin'
the thinkin' this trip. Davis.'' wheeling
on the engineer. I'm goin' over this
IT for you. Want to come? Speak up
quick"
Tiff it's not safe" hesitated the
man. This is the heaviest engine on the
road and"
Get out Of here. them yelled Con-
over. ejecting him bodily from the cab
The engineer missed the step and tumbled
prone in a blasphemous heap. to the
wet track side. Conover did not waste
a second look at him. but slipped into
the drivers place and threw of the brake.
He had served his term as engineer dur
ing his upward flight through the vari-
Gus grades of railroad achievement. and
was as comfortably at home at the throt-
tie as in his private car.
The wheels caught the track and the
great mass OF metal sprang into motion
rs there anything else I can do, sir? ?"
piped the obsequious agent.
Nor snarled Caleb, glowering back at
him through the open window. IT there
was you wouldn't be a measly thirty
dollar a month station roustabout."
Settling into his place, Conover knit his
red brows and peered forward through
the downpour and mist along the shining
track He could not afford the time he
had lost. To make 1t up every notch Of
speed must be crowded on. There was a
fierce exhilaration in Caleb's alert light
eyes as he set himself to his new task.