Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1920-04-30
cnApTER !.
The Wreck Of the Limited.

Nn0 WUGSN OF EUO e~tFttko0s
Tom Davenport's curiosity overcame
his discretion. He jumped from the
cab of the giant Atlantictype locomo-
tive and ran over toward the disused
freight shed beside the Lordsburg sta
ton. Five minutes before he had been
an Irreproachable, well-poIsed railroad
passenger engineer; but the suspicious
o~ft-repeated trips Of a diminutive,
~sepia-colored man carrying milk be-
tween the station restaurant and the
old shed excited him to q pitch where
rules, regulations and even dement's
counted for nothing.
There was something peculiarly FUR
tive and wary about the little brown
mans stealthy look around-a mysteri-
GUS, unexplained air of wntchfulness-
as II guarding some secret, the nature
OF which Davenport could not imagine.
why should that sneaky-looklng
little devil be carrying milk into that
shed?" Tom asked himself al the first
trip. why don't he drink 1t in the
restaurant II he's so alfred fond OF
IT, or 20 back in the diner and guzzle
1t down until he busts-if that's his
game?"
The second journey between the two
points was even more mystifying to
the engineer. AS the door to the ram.
shaekle structure closed behind this
mlIk-bearer Tom Itched to follow him
.ITI bet a 'dobe dollar to a centavC
he amt drinking 1t himself" he grunt
ed, sliding from his seat to the roomI
gangway between the boiler and th'
tender. "But somebody's drinking !
that's q cinch. He Amt buying mill
down In this desert country to spill
around promiscuous like. But II h
amt drinking II himself. who is7 Ant
if somebody else Is drinking 1t, VIII.
Is he hiding ont In that old shackr
the stoical figure was padding bac'
again toward the restaurant. evidenI
~ intent on procuring still more la'
teal fluid. Then It was that Tor
dropped to the ground and shot over {
the disused building.
He popped his head into the ope
door and Withdrew Il with a celerit
which would have made his train on
straightaway two-per-cent down-grac
resemble a handcar climbing a hill pr
PEELED by a lone section hand.
His fireman, Patrick Mahoney, fro
the opposite side Of the great machiI
observed DavenpOrt's action with pr
found amazement. It was not on
against the rules-It was ~unpreceder
ed, unheard-Of.
/, whats matter1" demanded d
honey. as his obese chief climbed ba'
into the cab with q speed as marv'
Gus as unwonted.
Davenport swung TO his seat withO
deigning 3 reply. His face was We
pale. He did not look toward his m
ming mate-lnstead. his Mortified ga
might be said to have been frozen
the door Of the old freight shack,
lowing, Of course, for the interveni
distance.
He intently watched the return
the brown-skinned atom Of human
with something between apprehensl
and awe and studied him intently
he again entered the fnmbIe-dO'
DWiIu1n AOF the LMAFu IInes
The conductor emerged from
telegraph once. cIutchlng a train
der simultaneously with the reappe
ance Of the Eepla-c0lored gentlem
from the former freight house. +
saw that he was carrying q SIN
round covered basket Of odd shape
Not until then did the engineer sc
10 rouse from the fascination WIN
: the little brown man had thrown o
! hin, ana eyen as Be waited the 81