The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1915-01-14
"But will it?" BaTcus U

Don't worry, Bafcu
that's freight whistle
Maybe yog~esn distinguS
whistle .oia freight from that on
sengef train-I don't say you CAM
but III take no chances on your judg-
ment being good. Hop aboard here If
you're coming with u.s."
Slowly the hand car stirred on lts
grease-hungry and complaining axles;
slowly it gathered momentum and
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
It, 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 momentarlly IL
volume, lending color to the theory OF
Mr.. Barcus that what they had heard
had been the whistle Of freighter
rather than Of the light engine. But
lust 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 trace more
steep; the ear moved with less reluc-
tance
"Let co." Alan advised:
down the balance of this iI.st.1a--,,.---
we'd better save our strene l..
But they had barely rega &aa
breath and mopped the streaming
sweat away from their eyes when a
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 it's 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 a
snake through the hills.
A little grace was granted them,
moreover, through the circumstance
Gas they afterward discovered) that
the light Engine had stopped at the
siding cneugh to couple up Trine's
P,1i,man~thus systematically ceasing
to be a light engine, and becoming a
special.
1t 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 a spur line that shot OF
southwark into the hills e;-1!l;s5ec &.s1
! -. ges,.cGaT1t ;y,egi~4tiG.
ST. g~f:2 - Gus 2ite: 8 Esd
10 g5as5, ha asn0e1 ,i"e-i7,
ST las smI5oZ &c sun. s5z Dersli:s 81
-" se. aud .s@9ea oa1sT "2o'
80 ee.
:" - cney svccesce't II ~oEs,
inz ~ s.,5 esr - so---->. .ne shoulder
,i.e 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
I to a murmur.
Bo:Seven so, thera.Ta Meth. s.
for the Teary nor much excu g;
self-congratula latrazs tie rumble
special was not altoger1r lost t
ing when the thunder Of rre21SSSelsat
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 off-leave the hand car where
it is-they'll have to stop to clear it OF
the track"
"And them"
"Pll buy lift from them If it takes
my kst dollar in the world" Alan
promised. "It's our only hope. We
can't keep up this heartbreaking busi-
ness forever-and it can't be long be-
fore Trine and Marrophat discover
their mistake!"