The spectator., 1921-06-07

broken on all railroads, the different sections of q train are supposed to our first" wasn't much more than q minute away from us ut any time.
 Another thing that struck me as be- ing funny was the way Chandler was running. It was only sixty mountain miles up the branch to the big gold camp, and we ought to have been able to make 1t by one o'clock, taking 1t dead easy. But the way Buck was niggling along 1t looked as If 1t might be going to take us all night.
 Just the same. nothing happened. The first ten miles was across desert stretch with only Il slightly rising grade. and it was pretty much all tangent-straight line. Beyond the ten-mile station of Nippo We hit the mountain proper, climbing it through dry canyon. with curves that blocked off everything fifty feet ahead of the engine, and grades that would have made pretty good toboggan slides. The night was fine and Starlit, but there was no moon and the canyon shadows loomed like huge walls to shut us in.
 On the reverse curves l could oC- casionally get glimpse of the red tail lights of the engine which ought by rights to have been five full min utes ahead of us. IL was still hold ing its short lead. Jogging along as lesurely as we were
 With nothing to do and not much to see. l got sleepy after while, and about the time when was think ing that I might as well climb back over the tender and turn in, l dozed off right there on the fireman's box which was safe enough. at the snails pace we were running When I awoke it was nearly one o'clock in the morn ing, and we had worried through the thirty-miles of canyon run and were climbing the steep talus of Slide noun tain.
 While I was rubbing my eyes, the eight-wheeler gave another little jerk, and saw that Chandler was slowing for stop; saw this and got glimpse of somebody on the track ahead. flag ging ns down with lantern
 A minute later the brakes had been set and Buck and were off. As we swung down from the engine step, Maclise joined us. and we went to meet the man with the lantern. He h. ,f tl, and when we got around on the track saw that our first section" was stopped just little way farther on.
 What Is 1t. Barty?" said Maclse, when we came up to the fireman.
 H"It's them h-l-tired wreekers again." was the gritting reply. Rail joint disconnected and sprung out sos to let us off down the mountain"
 I thought 1t was up to me to go back and tell the boss, but there wasn't any need of it. The stop or the slow running or something had reused him, and he was up and dressed and coming along beside the engine When he came up. Maclise told him why We were stopping. He didn't say  anything about the rail break, but he did ask. sort of sharp and quick, what engine that was up ahead
 l don't know what Maclise told him. Chandler turned to go back to his en- zine. and the rest of us were moving along the other way, the boss setting the pace with Maclse at his elbow. Three rail-lengths ahead of the stopped light engine we came to the break. The head engineer and another man were down on their hands and knees examining 1t. and when they stood up at our coming, l saw that the other man was Mir. Van Britt.
 "What?" said the boss; you here?"
 Our only millionaire nodded. 'I ride the line once in a while-just to see how things are going" he re- turned crisply.
 The boss didn't say anything more, but he knelt to look at the break. It was trap, all right, set. beyond all question of doubt, t0 catch the private.