Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1921-05-20

"Sheila's Intuhferences Are Mighty
Neah Uncanny."
pointment. Sheila has merely over.
heard an echo of the threats that are
constantly being made by the Hatch
sympathizers. It's the aftermath of
the election, but it's all talk. They're
down and out and they haven't the
nerve to strike back, now"
That ended matters at the club, and
the boss and walked down to the
headquarters. The special, with Buck
Chandler, was waiting, and at the last
minute / thought / wasn't going TO
get to go.
There's no need of your putting in
a night on the road, Jimmie" said
the boss, with the kindly thought for
other peoples comfort that never
failed him. But after had begged a
little, telling him that he'd need some
body to take notes in the mine meet
ing, he said, "All right" and we got
aboard and gave the word to Maclise.
the conductor, to get his clearance
and go.
A few minutes later we pulled out
and the night run was begun. Like
every other car the boss had ever
owned. the "O5" was fitted up as
working office, and since he had me
along, he opened up lot Of claim
papers upon which the legal depart
ment was giving him the final say-so,
and we went to work.
For the next two hours l was so
busy that | didn't know when we
passed the various stations. At half
past nine, Mr. Norcross snapped a
rubber band over the last of the claim
files, lighted a pipe, and told me
might go to bed if wanted to; said
that he was going himself after he'd
had smoke. Just then, Chandler
whistled for a station, and looking
out OF a window. l saw that we were
pulling into Bauxite, the little wind
blown junction from which the Strath-
coma branch led away into the north
ern mountains.
Wanting q bite Of fresh air before
turning in got off when we made
the stop and strolled up to the en-
CINE. Maclise was in the office, get
ing orders for the branch, and
Chandler was squatting in the gang
way of the SIS and waiting. Up ahead
Of us, and too far away for me to
read the number on her tender, there
was light engine. thought at first
II was the pusher which was kept at
Bauxite to help heavy freights up the
branch grades, and l wondered what
1t was doing out on the branch "Y"
and in our way.
whats the pusher out for, Buck?'
I asked.
Chandler grinned down at me.
You amt so much of a railroad
man as you might be, Jimmie" he
said "That amt the pusher. It's
our first section, runnin' light to
Strathcona."
Maybe Chandler was right, that
wasn't much of a railroad man, but l
sawed the Short Line operating rules
well enough to know that 1t wasn't
usual to run light engine, deadhead-
ing over the road, as section of
special Also, I knew that Buck
knew il.
With that last little talk over the
club dinner-table fresh in mind, be-
gan to wonder. but instead Of asking
Chandler any more questions about
the engine out ahead, asked him If
| might ride a piece with him up the
branch; and when he said "Sure," /
climbed up and bumped myself on the
fireman's box.
Maclise got his orders In due time
and we pulled out. / noticed that
when he gave Chandler the word, he
also made motions with his lantern
to the engine up ahead and 1t prompt
ly steamed away. speeding up until II
had about a half-mile lead and then
holding 1t. That seemed funny, too.
Though Ii Is rule that Is often
broken on all railroads. the different
sections of a train are supposed to
keep at least five minutes apart, and
our first" wasn't much more than
minute away from us at any time.
Another thing that struck me as be-
ing funny was the way Chandler was
running. II was only sixty mountain
miles up the branch to the big gold
camp, and we ought to have been
able to make II by one O'clock taking
1t dead easy. But the way Buck was
niggllng along II looked as II 1t might
be going to take us all night.
Just the same, nothing happened.
The first ten miles was across desert
stretch with only a slightly rising
grade, and II was pretty much all
tangent-straight line. Beyond the
ten-mile station Of hippo we hit the
mountain proper, climbing It through
"a dry canyon. with curves that blocked
Off everything fifty feet ahead of the
engine, and grades that would have