The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-05-12
oHApTsR viIi
A Close Cal


+ out going on 10 the gravel track shere
I Gorcber had seen The lost Holland
I kirgan an, ! got on with lantern
I This was because. an the Nay down
! had managed "a tell the big master
mechanic about ils Canirell talk
though ] hadn't succrcled IN making
him believe that Il accounted for Mr.
Norcross dropout ln~l he same he
humored me by having B'Ily Gorcher
stop. and now he Wa ryiug 10 make
me take II sort OF oW snd easy as
We stumbled out tou ard he stem Of
the y That was kreaH way He
was ~ hard NJ mails with gang Of
men. hut he could De- a. >1ft-hearted
as any woman when fellow was all
In. And he knew ! wasn't half at
myself yet physically
Don't get too much hope np. Jim
mic" he WAS saving, ss We bumped
along around the crookipg track u
the ~ I'VE amt goin' 10 find any
thing out yoDder but a rusty loggiD
track and that broken rail con.
Bectiou You see I've been here be.
fore, ana J know
He WAS a. right rs could he. When
we reached the end Of the ~ there
was the broken connection, Just az
he'd said The old saw.mill track was
sim there, leading on in the dark NJ
the gulch but the two switch rails
had been taken out and the switch
itself Was az rusty as II II hadn't been
used In years.
What you heard from Mr. Cantrell
may have been all true enough Kir.
gan said, while stood swallowing
hard and staring down at the broken
rail connection, only IL didn't have
anything TO do with the big boss. Them
thugs was probably plsnnin to wreck
the Mail all right and they came
down here to do It, The Lord only
knows why they didn't do II; p'raps
there wasn't time enough. after they'd
got the Sixteen In on the gravel
track"
/ only just about half heard what
he was saying He had the lantern
and its light fell squarely upon
cross-tie foot or two beyond where
we were standing II was the last
tie In the empty string from which
the two rails had been taken up TO
break the connection with the lighter
saw-mIll track steel. and what was
looking al was a fresh spike hole
fresh beyond all question Of doubt
because there was clean new splinter
of the wood sticking up beside it-s
splinter that had been broken out
when the spike was pulled.
] took the lantern from kirgaD In
my one good hand. and he stood there
waiting for me while ] walked on
out to the chopped-off end Of the saw.
mill truck. examining the loose ties
as went along. There we're fresh
spike holes In some OF the others;
just one here and there. But that was
enough After ] had knelt 10 hold
the lantern close to the rails OF the
rusty timber track ] knew my bunch |
was all right.
Come here. MART" I called. and |
when he came. showed him the new |
holes and new wheel-marks on the |
old rusty rails OF the timber track
that proved as clear as daylight that
an engine or 9 train had been over
them away this side Of the rains and
the SHOWS that had rusted them.
Kirgan didn't say a word--not TO
me. He Just took one look at the
rubbed rails and then yelled back 10
5orcher 20 run out on the ~" What
went like clockwork. There
we're tools a spike-puller and a driv.
ng-maul. on the light engines tender.
md while the two fremen were throw.
ng them of. Kirgan made couple
" swift measurements with his pocket
ape
These two, right here. boys. be
indicating pair Of rails in
he other leg Of the "" and In les
han no time the two rails were up
md relaid 10 bridge the gap Of the
,roken connection
] suppose We poked along into the
Hack heart Of the Timber range for
IL much as Eve or six miles before
he engine headlight showed Us the
emsins % the old saw-mlll camp ~
ng in q little pocket-llke valley from
be sides Of which all the mill timber
Iad been cut The camp had been
Ong deserted. There we're perhaps q
Iozen shacks Of all sizes and shapes.
nd with e single exception they we're
u dilspidsted and dismsntied some
Nth the roofs falling In.
The one exception vas the stout iog
gliding which had probably served ss
be mlll-gaug coumlsssry end store.
be ties 81 this end Of the line wers
o rotten with age that our engine
THs grinding q good bsif % them 70
ovder ~ she eoEed Up. and E little
Glow he switch that had formerly
70 10 70 TIE nil. KlrFsB gave Gorcber