The Washburn leader., 1915-07-09
.But will it1'' Barcus doubted.

Somewhere far back along the line
locomotive hooted mournfully.
"It's rot to!" Alan replied, helping
Rose aboard. IF we can only get OUT
Of sight before they get here
Don't worry," Barcus advised:
"that's a freight whistle"
| "Maybe you can distinguish the
whistle of a freight from that OF pas
senger train-1 don't say you can't
but I'll take no chances on your 5ude.
ment being good. Hop aboard here II
you're coming with u.s."
Slowly the hand car stirred on lts
grease-hungry and complaining axles:
slowly it gathered momentum ana
surged noisily up the track as Alan
and Barcus, on opposite sides OF the
handlebar, alternately rose and fell
back: slowly it mounted the slight
grade to the bend in the track, rounded
Il. lost sight Of the stalled Pullman
on the siding and began to move more
swiftly on moderate down grade.
Behind it the thunder of an ap'
preaching train grew momentarily In
volume, lending color to the theory OF
Mr.. Barcus that what they had heard
had been the whistle of a freighter
rather than Of the light engine. But
Just as Alan was about to advocate
leaving the tracks and taking the hand
car with them, to clear the way for the
train, it's rumble began to diminish,
grew less and beautifully less, and was
stilled.
"What do you make Of that?" Alan
painted across the racking bar.
"The obvious" Barcus returned.
"The freight has taken the siding to
wait for some other through train to
pass. Well have to look sharp and be
ready to Jump"
The grade became a trace more
steep; the car moved with less reluc'
tance.
"Let co." Alan advised: "it'll coast
down the balance of this incline-and
we'd better save our strength"
But they had barely regained their
breath and mopped the streaming
sweat away from their eyes when q
second whistle, of a different tone,
startled both back to their task.
Catching the eye of Barcus Alan
nodded despairingly.
afraid it's all up with us now" he
groaned; "that sounded precisely like
the whistle of the light engine"
"Sure it did," Barcus agreed. 1T
wouldn't be US If we had any better
luck. The saints be praised for this
grade!"
For all its age and decrepitude the
hand car made very fair pace at the
urge of the two who rose and sagged
again without respite on either side
the handlebar; and the grade was hap
PLY long, turning and twisting like
snake through the hills.
A little grace was granted them,
moreover, through the circumstance
(as they afterward discovered) that
the light engine had stopped at the
siding long enough to couple up Trine's
Pullman-thus automatically ceasing
to be light engine. and becoming q
special.
. It was fully quarter Of an hour be-
fore the growing rumble of the latter
warned the trio on the hand car, just
as it gained the end Of the grade and
addressed itself to level though tor
tuous stretch of track
And at this point discovery of the
switch of spur line that shot off
southwark into the hills furnished Alan
| xr,;kI, I,ic {nc kiop
Stopping the hand car after it had
jolted over the frogs, he jumped down,
set the switch to shunt the pursuit of
to the spur, and leaped back upon
the car.
Hardly had they succeeded In work
ing the hand car up round the shoulder
of the next bend when the special took
the switch without pause and the roar
Of it's progress, shut OFF by an inter-
vening mountain, was suddenly stilled
to murmur.
But even so, there was neither rest
for the weary nor much excuse for
self-congratulation; the rumble Of the
special was not altogether lost to hear
ing when the thunder of the freight
replaced and drowned it out.
OF a sudden, releasing the handle.
bar, Alan stood up and signed to Bar.
Gus to initiate his example.
"Well-?" this last painted, when he
had obeyed.
Jump of-leave the hand car where
1t is-theyll have to stop to clear it of
the track"
"And them"
''Ill buy lift from them II 1t takes
my last dollar in the world" Alan
promised. Its our only hope. We,
can't keep up this heartbreaking bust.
ness forever-and it can't be long be.
fore Trine and Marrophat discover
their mistake!"
CHAPTER xxxv.
caboose. ~