New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-07-22

meet the man with the lantern. He
was the fireman of the engine ahead,
and when we got around on the track
| saw that our first section" was
stopped just a little way farther on.
"What is it, Barty?" said Maclise,
when we came up to the fireman.
ITS them h-l-fired wreckers again."
was the g%rltting reply. Rail joint
disconnected and sprung out SOS to
let us off down the mountain"
| thought it 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
anything about the rail break, but he
did ask, sort Of sharp and quick, what
engine that was up ahead.
| don't know what Maclise told him.
Chandler turned to go back to his en-
CINE, and the rest of us were moving
along the other way, the boss setting
the pace NTH Maclise at his elbow.
Three rail-lengths ahead Of the stopped
light engine VT came to the break.
The head engineer and another man
examining 1t, and when they stood up
at our coming, | saw that the other
man was Mr.. Van Britt.
"What?" said the boss you here?'
Our only millionaire nodded. 81
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. II
was n trap. all right, set. beyond all
question of doubt, to catch the private
car special. The fish-plates had been
removed from a joint In the left-hand
rail and the end of the down-hill rail
had been sprung out to make a de-
railing switch, which was held in posi-
tion by the Insertion of one OF the
fish-plates between the rail-webs. If
we had hit the trap, roing at even or
binary Notwithstanding speed, there
would have been nothing left to tell
the tale but a heap Of scrap at the
bottom Of the thousand-foot dump.
Under Mr.. Van Britt's directions the
engineer and fireman Of the pilot en-
CINE brought tools and the break was
repaired.
NE.fl. sbo,. v-ora dainy 10 tho hose
stood aside with Mr.. Van Britt, and
I heard what was said. Mr.. Van Britt
began it by saying. "We don't need
any detectives this time. You are on
your way to Strathcona TO put a crimp
In the smelter squeeze-the last of
the Red Tower munopolies-so Dawes
told me. He was probably foolish
enough 10 tell others. and the word
was passed to scrag you before you
could get TO II. This trap was set to
catch your special"
Evidently" barked the boss; and
then: How did you happen to be
here on that engine. Uptonf"
"rve been ahead Of you all the way
up from Portal City," was the calm
Il thought it might be safer
II you had a pilot to show you the
way. I guess I must have had n
hunch."
The boss turned on him like a fash.
"You had something more than a
what was it-a wireg"
Mr.. Van Britt gritted his teeth a
little, but he told the truth.
yes; a friend of ours tipped me
on-not about the broken track. of
course. but just In a general way"
The break was repaired and the
men were taking the tools back TO
the engine. As we turned to follow
them. Mr.. Norcross said: "Just one
more question. Upton Did your wire
from the capitalT"
But at this Mr.. Van Britt seemed
TO forget that he was talking to his
manager.
Its none of your id business
where II came from" he snapped back ;
and that ended II.
Notwithstanding the slow u and
The manchester on Slide mountain. |
had our meeting with the Strafh-
roma -,re owners the following NOR, !