Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-11-16

E
where the track swcrvrd to right or
left around the hills the pursuing
smoke trail rose above the Intervening
Hill shoulders near and threatening,
lidgerwood left his chair and went
again to consult the time table, \
brief comparison OF miles with min
utes explained the effect without OK
cusing the cause Train 2Ors schcd.
ulc from the summit station to the
desert level was very fast, and VIII.
lhms, nursing his hot box, either
could not or would not increase his
/ lead,
! Williams and Bradford might be de.
lihcrately trying the nerve OF the new
boss. The presumption did not breed
fear: 1t bred wrath, hot and vindic.
/ tive, Two sharp tugs at the signal
/ cord brought Bradford from the en-
/ CINE.
/ "Do you call this railroading?"
Lidgerwood rasped, pointing backward
to the menace, Don't you know that
we are on 201's timer"
1 Bradford scowled In surly antago-
nism
THAT blamed hot box he began,
but Lidgerwood cut him OFT short
1.-THE hot box has nothing to do with
/ the case. You are not hired to take
chances or to hold out regular trains,
/ Go forward and tell your engineer to
speed up and get out OF the way"
81 got my clearance Mt the summit.
and | amt dispatchin' trains on this
jerkwater railroad" observed the con
ductor coolly. Then he added. with.
shade less OF the belligerent dis
/ interest: civilians can't speed up.
That housin' under the tender Is about
ready to blaze up and set the woods
! aflre again right now"
Once more Iidgerwood turned to the
/ time card, 1t was twenty miles far
ther along to the next telegraph sta
ton. and he heaped up wrath against
the day OF wrath In store for dis
patcher who would recklessly turn
two trains loose and out OF his reach
under such critical conditions FOR thir.
ty hazardous mountain miles.
Bradford. looking on sullenly, mis-
Aoth iiit INV btSF lIuNh lUi iluIt w
follow, with himself for tho target.
and was moving away. Lidgerwood
/ pointed to chair with curt "Sit
| DOWN. and the conductor obeyed re-
mctantly.
! you say you have your clearance
card and that you are not dispatching
/ trains" he went on evenly, but mel.
Their fact relieves you Of your respon.
slbillty. It was your duty to make
sure that the dispatcher fully under
stood the situation Mt Crosswatcr and
! to refuse to pull out ahead OF the pas.
senger without something more def
mite than n formal permit Weren't
| to run trainsT
1t was an opening for hard words.
but the conductor let II pass. Some
thing In the steady businesslike tone
or in the shrewdy appraisive eyes
/ turned Bradford the potential mutineer
into Bradford the possible partisan.
II reckon we are needing roundup
over here on this jerkwater mighty
bad, Mr. Lidgerwood." he said. half
| humorously. but. Lord love you.
| that's the old 210 chasin' us with the
| passenger. and she can't catch Bat
1 Williams and the '6G In month o
/ Sundays If we didn't hive that dog.
goned spawned leg under the tender.
/ She sure couldn't"
| Lidgerwood smiled in spite OF his nm.
noyance but It isn't rallroading." he
/ insisted, meeting his first pupil half
/ way and ms man to man. you might
do this thing ninety nine tines
/ The sentence was never finished.
/ The special, tagging little now In def
/ erence to the smoking hot box. was
rounding one OF the long hill curves
/ to the left Suddenly the air brakes
ground sharply upon the wheels. snrill
/ whlstlings from the 2GG sounded the
stop signal. and past the end OF the
slowing service car trackman ran
/ frantically up the line toward the fol.
I lowing passenger. yelling and swing
( ing his striped coat like mailman.
Lldgerwood caught Heeting glimpse
/ Of a section gangs green SLOW" flag
1 lying toppled over between the rails
/ 100 feet to the rear. He called to
/ Bradford to jump and then ran for
ward to drag the japanese cook out OF
+ his galley.
+ II was all over In II moment There
was time enough for Lidgcrwood to
rush the little Tadasu to the forward
vestibule. to ding him into space and
to make his own dying leap for safety
before the crisis came Happily there
was no wreck. though the margin OF
escape was the narrOwest, Williams
stuck to his post in the cab OF the
2G6. applying and releasing the brakes
and running as far ahead as he dared
upon the loosened timbers Of the cul-
vert. for which the section gangs slow
nag was out Carter. the engineer on
the passenger train. jumped, but his
fireman was Of better mettle and stay
ed with the machine up 10 the moment
when the shuddering mass OF Iron and
steel thrust it's pilot under the trucks