The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-11

perquisltes. either
EVERY train that runs the Moose Is
double headed both ways. and now-th!s
was oeforc-thcy add, 10 keen tradnmen
OF the relief scrap. pusher.
| . Inat Gay there vas no pusher behind
| the OTerla nd freight. and Number Two s
| crew, as they pulled out OF Toltec TO
climb the loop, could plainly see. above
and across. the storming struggling,
| choking engines OF the tea train as they
neared with their load the summit OF
! Eagle Pass.
The wind bore down TO them IN break
ing waves the sucking roaring cut OF the
qulvering furnaces Pat Francis stood in
the open door of the baggage car, old
slde MIN. locking together at the freight
| WIN the absorbed air OF men a the bot
tom OF a well who watch the loaded
! bucket near the TOP
Through the thin. clear mountain air
| they could almost read the numbers on
engine tenders. They could sec the
freight conductor start over his train
FOR the head-end. and as they looked
they saw his train break in two behind
nun and the rear end. parting like a
snakes tall, slough off. lose headway.
end brakeman. dartng from the caboose.
ran up the ladder Ike a cat and began
setting brakes. The passenger crew
saw The brake-shoes clutch in a flame
at the slipping trucks, but the draw
bars couldn't stand Il. From one OF the
| nig tea cars A drawhead parted like a
tooth. The tea train again broke in
| two. this time behind the rear brake
man. and the caboose With five so. 000-
| pound cars shot down the grade and
| Number TWO was now climbing above
| Toltec.
A voley of danger signals curled white
| from the freight engine across the gulf
Fat Francis sprang for the bell cord, but
II was needless: his engineers at the
air on the wheels
1t caught the cards off the whist ia
bles, and swept baked potatoes into the
bosoms OF astonished diners. 1t spoiled
tedium OF stupid stories. II upset
roysterers and staggered sober men, II
basted the cooks with gravy and the
walters with fruit il sent the blood to
the hearts and a chill to the brains, II
was an emergency stop and severe
one-Number Two was against it. Be-
the vestlbules the passenger engines
were working In the back motion. and
Number Two was scuttling down the
Moose to get away from impending dis
the baggage car door, with their eyes
glued on the runaways: the Moose Is sc
perfect curve that every foot OF their
flight could be seen. 1t WAS a race back
| for every mile they could crowd into Its
wheels the rluna ways were making two
Pat Francis saw 1t first-Nw It before
| they had covered half the distance back
Hill west Of the Moose It wasn't in steam
TO beat gravity; moreover, II they crowd
ed Number Two. too hard she might fly
an elevation, and go into the gulf. 1t Is
one thing to run down hill. and another
thing to fall down hill. The tea train
was railing down hill.
Parker. and handed him his watch and
| his money.
What do you mean?" John Parker
choked the words out. because he knew
Turn , this s stun in t. t.. Bucks. * John; Il
| money"
The brakeman, greenish and dazed
steadled himself with a hand on the
jamb: the baggageman stared Wild eyed
through his rusty lenses. Pat" he
faitered; tiers what do you mean mHanT - -
maybe I can open 1t to catch that string
we'll never. make 1t this way, John. in
Gods world
into the canyon; youn never live to use
a switch key, Pat-we're crowding a
mile minute
Francis looked at him steadily as he
They're crowding TWO. John"
The car slued under them. John
PaTFsT Fs '2TS % of EsteF S sPeGaGleIh nan than you
give me the swltcn key he cried. grip
| ping the conductors shoulder as he fol-
lowed him out the door TO the plat
form.
Your children are younger than
mine, Pat Give me the key"
This is my train. John. ASK BUCKS
| to look after my insurance
| With these words. Francis tore the old
mans hand roughly away. When min
ute Is mile, action is quick. Sixty,
seventy seconds more meant the Toltec
switch, and the conductor already hung
| from the bottom step OF the baggage
car
Pat Francis was built like a gorilla
He swung with his long arms In and out
from the reeling train into rhythm
and cinders. the other braclng lightly
against the step tread. Then, with the
switch key in his mouth. with Parkers
thin hair streaming over him, and
him. with Number Twos drivers racing
above him and hundred passengers
staring below him, Pat Francis let go.
Men in the sleepers. only half under
standing, saw a he disappeared a burst
of alkali along the track. Only old John
Parker's gray eye could see that his con-
ductor. though losing his feet. had rolled
clear OF the trucks and drivers. and was
porcupine. Above him the tea cars were
lurchjng down the grade. Old John,
straining saw Francis stagger 10 his feet
and double back like Jack-kDife on the
Eageman's throat but F'rancis'ss head
rose again out the dust; he raised again
on his hands, and dragging after him
one leg like a dead thing, crawled
heavily towards the switch, He reached
the stand and caught at IT. He pulled
himself up on one leg. and fumbled an
instant at the lock. then he jerlfed the
target.
AS it fell, clutched in both his hands,
$500.