The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-25

Bucks might have stood on his head
on the stove, and it red hot, without
being pursued with inquiries from Cal
lahan. If Bucks chose to sit up out
there on the frozen prairies, in finn
sy barn of a station, and with the wind
howling murder at IL O'Clock past,
and that on Chri-the twenty-fourth
OF December, it was Bucks Is own busl-
ness,
"I kind Of looked for my mother to-
night said he. after Callahan got his
orders out Of the way for minute
"Wrote she was coming out pretty
soon for little visit
HWhere does your mother hveG'
"Chicago. / sent her transportation
two weeks ago Reckon she thought
Back in Gods country they have
Christmas just about this time Of year.
Watch out tonight, Jim. [ IN going
home, It's a tough wind
Callahan was making meeting
point for two freights when the door
closed behind Bucks; he didn't even
sing out "Good- night" And as for
Merry Chri-well, that had no place
on the West End anyhow
into the room. Callahan WASH It asleep.
Once he did sleep over the key. When
he told Bucks, he made sure Of his
time; only he thought Bucks ought to
know.
Bucks shook his head pretty hard
that time, "It's awful business, Jim.
II g murder, you know. It's the peni-
tentiary. if they should convict you.
But it's worse than that. II any
thing happened because You went to
sleep over the key, you'd have them
on your, mind all .your life, don't you
know-forever Men-and-and chill
Jim, II it ever happens again, quit
dispatching; get into commercial work;
mistakes don It cost life there; don t
try to handle trains. If it ever hap
pens with you, you'll kill yourself -
That was all he said; it was enough.
And no wonder Callahan loved him.
The wind tore frantically around the
station: but everything else was so
still It was ! o'clock now, and not
a soul about but Callahan. D-i, D-i,
J, clicked sharp and fast "Twelve
now east-running a,a-a' Callahan
sprang up like fash-listened. What7
R-u mining away?
Tt was the Jackson operator calling;
Callahan jumped to the key. "What's
that?" he asked quick as lightning
could dash it.
"Twelve OF fourteen cars coal passed
here, fully forty miles an hour, headed
east, driven by the VII
That was all J could send, for OgaI-
lala broke in Ogallala is the station
lahan's copper hair rising higher at
every letter. this came from Ogallala:
Heavy gust caught twelve coal cars
on side track and sent them out on
main line and off down the grade -
They were already past Jackson,
eight miles, headed east, and running
down hill. Callahan S eyes turned like
hares to the train sheet. Fifty nine,
going west, was due that minute TO
leave Callendar, From Calendar to
Griffin is a twenty-miles run There
night operator in those days The
runaway coal train was less than thlr-
~ miles west Of Griffin, coming down
fortymile grade like q cannon ball.
IF Fifty-nine could be stopped at Cal
lendar. she could be laid by in FIVE
minutes, out of the way Of the certain
destruction ahead of her on the main
line. Callahan seized the KEY and be-
gan calling "Cu,' He pounded until
an age before Calendar answered.;
then Callahan g order few: "Hold
Fifty-nine. Answer quick.
And Calendar answered: "Fifty~nine
Just pulling out Of upper ward Too
late TO stop her. What s the mat.
ter7''
Callahan ran TO the window, aud
threw up tho sash. The moon shone
a bit through the storm of sand but
there was not soul in sight. There
we're lights in the roundhouse, a hun
dred yards across the track. Callahan
pulled o revolver from his pocket-ey.
cry railroad man out there carried
ono those days-aud. covering one of
the roundhouse windows, began firing
1t was risk. There was one chance.
maybe, in thousand OF his killing
night man. But there were a thon.
sand chances 10 one that whole train
load Of men and women would be
killed inside of thirty minutes II he
couldu Z get help. He chose a window
N the machinists section. where ne