The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1920-06-24


In which Shirley and Colonel Penning-
ton had ridden to the woods, out onto
the main line again-where. owing TO
slight downhill grade. the eaboose
controlled by the brakeman could
coast gently forward and be hooked
onto the end of the log train for the
return journey to Sequoia.
Throughout the afternoon Shirley,
following the battle royal between
Bryce and the Pennington retainers,
had sat disrnally in the caboOse. She
was prey TO many conflicting emo
tions: but having had what her sex
term "a good cry" she had to a great
extent recovered her customary poise
and was busily specializing on the
rapidity with which she could leave
Sequoia and forget she had ever met
Bryce Cardigan--when the log train
rumbled into the landing and the last
of the long string of trucks came to a
stop directly opposite the caboose.
Shirley happened to be looking
through the grimy caboose window at
that moment. On the top log OF the
load the object of her unhappy specu-
lations was seated, apparently quite
oblivious of the fact that he was back
once more in the haunt of his enemies,
although knowledge that the double
bitted AK he had so unceremoniously
borrowed of Colonel Pennington was
driven deep into the log beside him.
with the haft convenient to his hand.
probably had much to do with Bryce's
air of detached Indifference.
Shirley told herself that should he
move, should he show the slightest
disposition to raise his head and bring
his eyes on level with hers, she
would dodge away from the window
in time to escape his scrutiny.
She reckoned without the engine.
With smart bump 1t struck the ca
boose and shunted 1t briskly up the
siding; at the sound of the impact
Bryce raised his troubled glance just
in time to see Shirley's body. yield
ing to the shock, sway into full view
at the window
With difficulty he suppressed grin.
"I'll bet my immortal soul she was
peeking at me-" he soliloquized. "Con-
found the luck Another meeting this
afternoon would be embarrassing"
Tactfully he resumed his study of his
feet, not even looking up when the
caboose, after gaining the main track,
slid gently down the slight grade and
was coupled to the rear logging truck.
He heard the engineer shout to the
brakeman-who had ridden down from
the head of the train to unlock the
siding switch ands couple the caboose
get back aboard the engine.
Cant get this DANCED key to turn
in the lock- the brakeman shouted
presently. Locks rusty, and some
things gone bust inside"
Minutes passed. Bryce's assumed
abstraction became real, for he had
many matters to occupy his busy
brain, and 1t was impossible for him to
sit idle without adverting to some of
them. Presently he was subconscious-
ly aware that the train was moving
gently forward; almost Immediately,
1t seemed TO him. the long string of
trucks had gathered their customary
speed; and then suddenly 1t dawned
upon Bryce that the train had started
off without a single jerk-and that II
was gathering Roadway rapidly.
He looked ahead--and his hair grew
creepy at the roots. There was no To-
connective attached to the train 1t
was running away down a two per
cent grade, and because of the ire
mendous weight Of the train, 1t was
gathering momentum at fearful rate.
The reason for the runaway dawned
on Bryce instantly. The road, being
privately owned, was, like most log
ging roads, neglected as to roadbed
and rolling stock; also 1t was under
manned, and the brakeman. who also
the hand-brakes on the leading truck
after the engineer had locked the air
brakes. As result, during the FIVE or
six. minutes required to "spot In" the
caboose, and an extra minute or two
lost while the brakeman struggled
with the recalcitrant lock on the
switch, the air had leaked away
through the worn valves and rubber
tubing, and the brakes had been re-
ieased--so that the train. without
warning. had quietly and almost noise
iessly slid out of the log-landing and
started on its mad career. There was
nothing to do nows save watch the wild
runaway and pray, for of all the mad
runaways In a mad world. a loaded
logging train is by far the worst.
For an instant after realizing his
predicament, Bryce Cardigan was
tempted to Jump and take his chance
on a few broken bones, before the
train could reach a greater speed than
twenty miles an hour. His next Inn
pulse was TO rGn forward and set the
mandrake on the leadIng truck. but
a glance showed him that even with
fine train standing still he could not
hope TO leap from truck 10 truck and
land on the round. freshly peeled sur
face Of the logs without slipping, for
he had no caIks in his boots. And to