The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-09-11

morning brought the door OF wet
greasewood and tropic blossoms 10 his
nostrils as he stepped out to speak
with the guards, and as he stood there
waiting for the full daylight the mas.
ter mechanic joined him.
He was full-blooded, round-headed
little man with determined views ON
life, and he began the day, as usual.
with his private opinion of Mexicans.
They were the same uncomplimentary
remarks to which he had given voice
on the day before, for the rebels had
captured one of his engines and he
knew 1t would come to some harm.
"a fine bunch of hombres, yes" he
ended, "and may the devil fly away
with them! They took No. 9 at the
summit yesterday and I've been lis
tening ever since. Her pans are all
burned out and we've been feeding
her bran like cow to keep her from
leaking steam. If some ignorant Mex
gets hold of her you'll hear big noise
-thatll be the last of No. 9-her
boiler will burst like wet bag.
IF was running this road "thered
be no more bran-not since what saw
over at Aguascalientes on the Cen
trail. One of those bum, renegade en-
CINE drivers had burned out No. TAB.
but the rebels had ditched four Of our
best and we had to send her out Day
after day the boys had been feeding
her bran until she smelled like dis
tillery. The mash was oozing out OF
her as Ben Tyrrell pulled up to the
station, and friend of his that had
come down from the north took one
sniff and swung up into the cab.
ben came down at the word he
whispered-for they'd two of 'em
bowed up in the north-and they sent
out another man. Hadn't got up the
hill when the engine exploded and
blew the poor devil to hell! I asked
Tyrrell what his friend had told him.
but he kept it to himself until he could
get his time. It's the fumes, boy
they blow up like brandy-and old No.
is sour!
0uo IL 1lhSiy UlO" NY, wv. ouS IN"
can we fix her with these ignorant
Mexican mechanics? You should have
been over at Aguas the day they fired
| the Americans.
emo more Americanos,' says Ma
| dero, let 'em all out and hire Mexi-
cans! The national railroads Of Mex
| leo must not be in the hands of for
eigners.'
so they fired us all in day and
put Mexican wood-passer up in the
cab of old No. 313. He started to pull
a string of empties down the track.
threw on the air by mistake, and
stopped her on dead-center. Pulled
out the throttle and she wouldn't go,
so he gave it up and quit.
Called in the master mechanic then
"a Mexican. He tinkered with her
for an hour, right there on the track,
until she went dead on their hands.
Then they ran down switch engine
and took back the cars and called ON
the roadmaster-a Mex. He cracked
the nut-built shoo-fly around No.
313 and they left her right there on
the main track. Two days later an
American hobo came by and set down
and laughed at 'em. Then he throws
off the brakes, gives No. 313 a boost
past the center with crowbar, and
runs her to the roundhouse by gravity.
When we left Aguas on a handcar that
hobo was running the road.
"Ignorantest hombres in the world
these Mexicans. Shooting a gun or
running an engine, it's all the same
they've got nothing above the eye
brows."
That's right" agreed Bud, who had
been craning his neck; "but what's
that noise up the track?"
The master mechanic listened, and
when his ears, dulled by the clangor Of
the shops, caught the distant roar he
turned and ran for the house.
cit up, Ed" he called to the road
master, they're sending a wild car
| down the canyon-and she may be
| loaded with dynamite!"
Dynamite or not" mumbled The.
| grizzled roadmaster, as he reused
| from his couch, there's derailer II
put in up at kilometer seventy the first
thing yesterday morning. Thatll send
her into the ditch"
| Nevertheless he listened intently,
cooking his head to guess by the
sound when it came to kilometer
seventy.
| "Now she strikes it," he announced,
as the rumble turned into roar; but
the roar grew louder, there was a
| crash as the trucks struck curve,
and then great metal ore-car swung
round the point, rode up high as it
hit the reverse and, speeding by as If
shot from a catapult swept through
the yard; smashed into freight car,
and leaped, car and all, into the creek.
They've sneaked my derailer!" said
the roadmaster, starting on a run for
the shops. Who'll 60 with me to put
in another one? Or we'll loosen rail
on the curve--that1l call for no more