The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1920-01-24
By FRANK sLlCHToN

4 TIC was now tirntecn minutes hc-
hind his schedule. and his whole run
was over one Of the worst rnilrond al.
visions In Aincrlca--so difhcult. In
fact, that the crews covering Il had
dubbed n the stormy"
The pacihc Limited trailing behind
him--crack train Of the great trans
continental systeip--wns usually SIX.
car Amir. To-day II was seven. and
all Tom Davenport's iinesse as loco
motive engineer had hecn called upon
10 make Lordsburg with only u quar-
ter.hour delay. H
Up 60 Mcscni ne had climbed from
Tucson. then dropped down a terrific
grnde around "Dcad Mans Curve"
into Benson; up again the sharp
ascent into Dragon, then down through
CochIse and san Simon upon the only
few miles OF straight track the entire
division boastdd.
Once more Davenport set his teeth
as he jammed the cutoff lever far
down In the corner and nurred his
train up through STEMS pass. over the
summit. and down again Into Lords
burg.
He had stlli one hundred and forty
eight miles TO 20 In two hundred and
fourteen minutes. besides making up
that lost eighteen. to maintain his
schedule.
The grade was not no ncrve-rucking
into El Pnso. and once nj Separ. the
summit. Tom calculated on the long.
gradual drop down through the valley
81 the Rio Grande 10 the terminus 10
mid him In considerably exceeding the
usual running time OF mile In a min
ute and n third. which was the average
OF his particular schedule for the en.
tire division.
Back In the swaying. lurchlng Pull
mans realization OF the unusual
speed began 20 communicate itself TO
the minds OF the passengers. now
streaming forward 20 the dining car In
response 10 the FIRST call for dinner.
Buchanan Williams. whose hurried
rush across the platform at Lords
burg had enabled him 10 make a con-
nection which saved an eight.hou de-
lay. stopped In the vestibuie of the
diner TO pass his ticket TO the con-
ductor.
"some class 10 this" ne chuckled a.
he rendered the BIT Of pasteboard. DO
you think wen make III Psso on
timer
within a few minutes Of IT," smiled
back the other reassuringly. tom
Davenport's up ahead. and he hates 10
make explanations at either end Of
the division. Going TO Chicago.
Buck7"
mo: Mexico. Trouble down Culla-
can way. Another revolution: and
every man In my mine. I suppose. In
out trying 90 make himself president !
with shotgun instead of using a d. /
rect primary 20 get the nomination. |
Wish they'd settle down. The El
Tisre II beginning 10 pan out big
but we aeed men To work H."
"Some mine. that III Tigre. accord.
Ing 10 the Talk OF the boys coming out
Of that section"
"FaIr." drawied Buck. with q whIm-
sical smile. "she paid out more than
o half-mIllion last year. and we've only
scratched her back 10 far. Wait until
we get down to the hve-hundred-foot
level and drift. Then wen make
Johnny Rockefeiler's wig take on .
effect"
He swung into the diner and seated
himself In the only vacant chair. OPP
posIte sat small. dark. uDobtrusive
little man whose skin was triie too
Iawny for either a Mexican or an In
iiaa.
His coal-black hair. large. luminous
brown eyes. and general appearance
" intellectually were unusual. but Of
Icred a strange contrast 10 certain
Of manner. Williams thought
'ather contemptuously.
Buck scanned the card while the
walter brought the meal his vis-a-vis
iad previously ordered. The mining
mans interest in his fellow passenger
increased as he noted that his meal
consisted wholly Of vegetables and
hat he drank nothing but milk. ,
The limited was snorting up the
Irade toward Separ when his own
Inner wss brought N.
Williams ate voraciousIy. ss only an
american can whose life In spent In
combat with the apparently sterile
md antagonistic country which they
we're traversing. l.
He glanced curiously over at his
raveling companion. The brown eyes
eemed to take on half melancholy,
,rOOding look, ~ II the owner were
,eering into future pregnant with
vents. Iu taa
He layed his hands In the silver IN
,er-bowI. wiped them carefully, and,
While waiting for the check. drew from
ia pocket a sheet of paper and began