Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-06-07

his course upon the conviction that his
best chance of immunity lay In isola-
ton and a careful avoidance of the
peOpled towns, came the diyerting twig
in this wise.
On the second morning following the
unofficial talk with BARLEY Williams
in the iron-sheeted headquarters office
at the dam, a delayed consignment of
cement, steel and commissary supplies
was due at the sidetrack a mile below
the camp. Perkins, the timekeeper,
called Smith from the quarry and gave
him the invoices covering the ship
ment.
II guess you'd better go down to
the siding and check this stuff in, so
that We'll know what we're getting"
was his eC~gesti0n to the general utiI-
tt
bookings Of the tote-road
IS first sight of the side
hat the train was al
minutes suff1ced for
sent the unloading
a. mp with the teams,
me .ack himself after he
shO the car Of steel and
the cement kicked in at
the -. Of the sidetrack.
While he was waiting for the train
to pull up and make the shift, he was
commenting idly upon the clumsy lay
out Of the temporary unloading yard,
and wondering if Williams were re-
spOnsible for it. The siding was on
the outside of q curve and within a
hundred yards Of the river bank.
There was scanty space for the unload
ing of material, and a good bit of what
there was was taken up by the curry
ing spur which led off from the siding
to cross the river on q trestIe, and by
the wagon road itself, which came
down q long hill on the south side of
the railroad and made an abrupt turn
to cross the main track and the siding
fairly in the midst Of things.
As the long train pulled up to clear
the road crossing, Smith stepped back
and stood between the two tracks. A
moment later the cut was made, and
the forward section of the train went
on to set the three loaded cars out at
the upper switch, leaving the rear half
standing on the main line.
One Of the men Of the unloading
gang, a leather-faced grade shoveler
who had helped to build the Nevada
Shore Line, had Jagged behind the de-
parting wagons to fill and light his
pipe.
wouldn't that jar you up right good
and hard FIR way to run a railroad"
he said to Smith, indicating the wholly
deserted standing section Of the freight
with the burnt match-end. ''Them fell
lies We ali gone off up ahead, aIeavin'
this yere hind end without a sign of
q man r a flag to take keer Of it."
Smith was listening only with the
outward ear to what the pipe-lighter
was saying. Somewhere in the west
ward distances a thunderous murmur
was droning upon the MINDLESS air of
the June morning. A big gray auto
mobile, with the cUt-Out open, was top
ping the side-hill grade, and Smith rec
ogniZed it at once. It was Colonel DeX-
ter Baldwin's roadster, and it head a
single occupant-namely the young
woman who was driving i.
Turning TO look up the track, he saw
that the three loaded cars had been
set out, and the forward section Of the
train was now backing to make the
coupling with the standing half. He
hoped that the trainmen had seen the
automobile, and that they would not
attempt to make the coupling until
after the gray car had crossed behind
the cabOose. But in the same breath
he guessed, and guessed rightly, that
they were too far around the curve to
be able to see the wagon-rOad ap-
prOach
Smith saw the young woman check
the speed for the abrupt turn at the
bottom Of the hill, saw the car take the
turn in a sddding slide, heard the re-
neWed roar Of the motor as the throttle
was opened for q run at the embank-
ment grade. Then the unexpected
dropped its bomb. There was a jan
CLING clash and the cars on the main
track were set in motion. The Train
men had failed to make their coupling,
and the rear half of the train was surg
ing down upon the crossing.
Smiths shout, or the sight of the on
coming train, one Of the two, or both,
put the finishing touch on the young
wOman's nerve. There was still time
in which to clear the train, but at the
critical instant the young woman ap-
parently changed her mind and tried
t. stop n big car short Of the cross
ing. The effort was unsuccessful.
when the stop was made, the front
wheels Of the roadster we're precisely
in the middle Of the main track, and
the motor was killed.
By this time Smith had thrown his
coat away and was racing the backing
train, with the ex-grade-laborer d poor
second a dozen yards to the rear. .Hav-
ing ridden in the roadster, Smith knew
that 1t had no self-starter. Jump :"
he yelled. ''Get out OF the CARP and