Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-03-24

ndu Deen cnargeu WIN the
cutoff operations and took so lively
an interest in it that he personally d.
rected much of the work. Moreover,
he made it a point to keep his crews
well supplied with the sinews of war
in this case, men and explosives for
the rock work. Both were scarce,
and much of the time the two roads
were bidding strongly against each
other for them. When Spike applied
In the tent office to Rhinelander's
foreman, Pickens, for a job, the latter,
though not impressed with his appear
ance, thought it a chance to- hire a
man away from the opposition, and
told Rhinelander he would put the
fellow on the pay roll.
Shortly after Spikes appearance at
the time-keeper's window, the boss
driller came In to ask about new sup
plies of explosives. Were running
too low right now" he complained to
the foreman. IF we don't get pow
der for tomorrow, we've got to stop
blasting, that's all there is to that"
Pickens turned to the new man:
Hike over to the depot, mutt, and
ask the agent when he'll have dyna-
mite for me-"
Spike shuf1ed across to the little
station Nth his usual confidence.
Helen, at her desk, glanced up at
him, without really recognizing him.
She was only conscious of an in
stinctive dislike for his u%npromising
visage as he asked her when more
explosives would be in.
Tell Pickens," said the overworked
agent, answering Spikes questions
himself, there are two cars for him
on No. S." To make sure of the an
swer, he wrote out the information on
a blank and handed It to the messen-
ger. And get a move on you'll" he
exclaimed rudely, as he noticed Spikes
unpleasant gaze resting on Helen.
Slouching back to deliver his mes
sage, the safe-blower was still u
zled over the identity Of the girl. But
he could not place her, and he dis
missed thought of the incident. He
did, however, stop a moment to ask
questions about train No. IS from a
passing switchman. Then he deliv-
cred his note to the foreman. Pick
hi read and handed the note to
Rhinelander. When Rhinelander hand
ed the note back, the foreman crum-
pied it up n threw it away. AS he
and Rhinelander went out together,
Spike picked up the paper and stuck
it in his pocket.
After hours that night he was
again over at the Colorado camp,
where the work was going provoking
ly slow, to report to his real boss.
Seagrue pricked up his ears at the
news of the explosives. He presently
looked hard at Spike. IF we, or you,
can delay their supplies a %little," he
unused, "it might help here a lot just
now, Spike Spike needed only a
hint. He started ON foot for a small
station five miles up the line, where
he learned No. IS usually took water.
On his way he had an eye open for
a conceivable, cold-blooded chance
that might offer to wreck the train;
fortunately none inviting offered.
Reaching the water tank and prowl-
ing along the local train after it had
pulled up under the spout, Spike still
sought in some way to work mischief
on it. His eye rested presently on
some waste p%rotruding from a jour-
nal box. Watching his chance, he
struck a match to this and moved
cautiously on.
Storm was in the engine cab. He
had received his signal from the con-
ductor and was pulling his train away
from the spout, when the conductor,
swinging up on the hind end of the
caboose, caught with his eye a color
of something from one of the wheels
of a box car ahead. Pulling the air
valve, he brought the train to an
emergency stop and with his brake
man ran forward. Storm, looking
back for an explanation, likewise saw
the growing blaze, and getting down
joined the train crew. The flames
had begun to lick the body of the
car.
The trainmen were throwing sand
on the journal, but it was too late
for temporizing with experiments such
as that. Storm told them he would
back under the spout SO they could
flood the flames and fastened back
to his cab. AS rapidly as possible he
pushed the train up past the water
tank, where the conductor cut off the
hind end and signaled Storm ahead.
But a can of crude oil in the burning
car gave way at that moment under
the strain of the intense heat, and
the fire, now we'll started, ignited the
car next ahead. The two were stopped
with a jolt under the tank and the
brakeman and fireman, pulling the
spout down, turned on a heavy stream
of water. This u%nhappily served only
to spread the flames from the crude
oil, and the wind drove these toward
the two cars just ahead, which the