Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1920-04-30
Nv FRANK BLICHTON

with his eyes. that Mahoney feared he
would fall Out.
AS he turned to look the cab
at the fireman Davenport did not have
the appearance OF a man who is still
possessed Of curiosity; but what he
had seen he evidently had no intention
Of revealing.
sGlye her the gun. Paddy" said he
In a harsh. unnatural voice. Were
fifteen minutes late now, and IL we
| don't want to be dancing on the carpet
In the super's ONCE in III Paso we've
got to make up that time II we burn
out a crown sheet to do II"
Mahoney nodded as he reached for
the firing-yalve and shot another pow
erful Jet of oil against the sides Of
the ''wrinkle-belly" hrebox, while he
opened the blower to Its fullest capac-
ity. He was debating what had come
over his phlegmatic superior.
The thick, black smoke roared out
of the short stack as Tom leaned again
from the window. wondering why he
did not get the starting signal. The
conductor was standing expectantiy ON
the platform fidgeting with his watch.
Impatiently the engineer was reach
ing for his detention card to note the
new loss OF time as q partial measure
OF self.protection. when = tall, 1.-the,
athletic young man rushed across the
platform and leaped up the steps OF
the Pullman. simultaneously the air
whistle sounded, and Tom yanked hts
throttie-lever with obvious disgust.
He was now eighteen minutes be-
hind his schedule, and his whole run
was owe one of the worst railroad d.
visions in America-so dificult. In
fact, that the crews covering II had
dubbed Ii the stormy"
The Pacific Limited trailing behind
hIm-crack train Of the great trans
|, continental system-was usually 3 six
car affair. Today II was seven, and
/ all Tom Davenport's finesse as a loco
motive engineer had been called upon
, 20 make Lordsburg with only a quar-
ter-hour delay.
|, Up to Mescal he had climbed from
Tucson, then dropped down a terrific
grade around dead Mans Curve
into Benson; up again the sharT
! ascent into Dragon, then down through
: Cochlse and San Simon upon the oniy
few miles OF straight track the entirt
division boosted.
n Once more Davenport set his teetl
as he jammed the cutoff lever fal
down In the corner and nursed hi
e train up through Stems pass, over tha
summit, and down again into Lords
z burg,
He had stlll one hundred and forty
eight miles TO go In two hundred AM
q fourteen minutes, besides making u
e that lost eighteen. TO maintain hi
10 schedule.
The grade was not so nerve-rackinI
into FL paso, and once at Separ. IN
summit. Tom calculated on the lonl
gradual drop down through the vale
n- OF the Rio Grande TO the terminus I
10 aid him In considerably exceeding n
n. usual running time OF a mile In d mir
70 ute and a third, which was the ayerag
L. of his particular schedule for the e
" tire division.
AZ Back In the swayIng. lurching Pull
II | IlHIG "a IEAiANAAAUh "a - 1855
TX speed began to communicate ITSELF
1t the minds of the passengers, no
he streaming forward TO the dining car
nd response to the FIRST call for dinner.
nv buchanan williams, whose hurris
rush across the platform at Lord
OK burg had enabled him to make 9 co
nt. nectIon which saved an eight.hour d
ae iay, stopped in the vestibule OF Il
,m diner ( pass his ticket to the co
to ductor.
"some class to this he chuckled
zen he rendered the bit Of ~pasteboard. Il
ity you think well make Fl Paso
! a timer"
,de within Q few minutes Of It." smil
back the other r~eassuringiy. "Tf
Davenport's up ahead, and he hates
om make explanations at either end
Inc the division. Going 10 Chical
Iro- Buck9"
My 'No; Mexico. Trouble down Cul
mt can way. Another revolution; g
every man I'm my mine, ! suppose.
Ma out trying to make himself presidi
aek with q shotgun instead Of using q
vel rect primary to get the nominate
Wish they'd settle down. The
out TIgre II beginning to pan a bil
cry but we need men 20 work It,
M agome mine. that II Tigre, accc
aze ing 10 the talk OF the boys coming
! to Of that section"
aI- "Fair.g drawied Buck, With q VII
hing sicai smile. "She paid out more q
4 halE-mllIon last year, and we've 9
of scratched her back 70 far. Walt u
nifty we get down 20 the nve-hundFed~i
sion level and drift. Then we'll mi
! 81 Johnny RockefeiIer's wig take Oh
own maYcel-waye effect"
He swung into the diner and sea
the himself I'm the only vacant chair.
or posite sat a small, dark. unobfFui