The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-24
The Wreckers
Francis Lynde
Continued rrum Yesterday
The ueiplrss Wircs

the lead. IL was big bare room
ranking Mr.. Van Britt's quarters at
the western end OF the second floor
corridor and the windows looked out
upon the yard twinkllng with It's red
and yellow and green switch lights.
Durgin. then light dispatcher, had
been alone on the train desk. and
the only other operators on duty
we're the carrecord man and the
young fellow who acted as relief
on the commercial wire. when We
got there We found tina, Tarbell had
happened 20 be In the office when
Durgin blew up. lie was sitting
in at the train key. trying to get
the one intermediate wire station
between the two trains that had failed
20 ga their meet" orders. and this
was the first l knew that he really
was the export telegraph operator
that his payroll description said he
was
Durgin looked IKE q tortured
ghost. He was thin. dark man
with a sort Of scattering beard and
limp black hair: one OF the ciearent-
headed dispatchers in the bunch,
and the very last man. you'd say, 20
set ratified In a tangle.up. Yet here
he was. hunched In a chair at the
car.record table IN the corner. a
staring eyed, pailid faced wreck. with
the sweat standing In big drops on
his forehead and his hands shaking
as II he had the palsy.
Morris. the relief man. gave US
the particulars. such as they were.
speaking in a hushed voice ms n
he was afraid of breaking In on
Tarbeil'a steady rattllng OF the key
in the Crow Gulch station call.
Number Four"---Four was the
Easthound 'I1yer---'is five hours
off her time" he explained. ~As
near as can get H. Durgin was
going 10 make her meet with Mum
Der Five al the blind siding NJ sand
Greek tank. she ought 10 have had
her orders somewhere west OF Raux.
lite Junction. and Five ought 10
have got hers at Banta- DurEin
says he simply forgot that the
Flyer was running late: that She
was stin out and had a meet 10
make somewhere with Five"
Brief as Morris explanation was
Il was clear enough for any body
who knew the road and the SEIZED
ules. Tn. regular meeting point for
tn. two passenger trains was AT a
point wen east OF Portal City. In
stead of west. and 80, OF course
would not concern the Desert d.
vision crew Of either train. since al
crews were changed at Portal City
Fsrvrn BantA 10 BAuxite Junction
some so-odd miles. there was only
one telegraph station. namely. that
at the Crow Culch lumber camp
seven miles beyond the Timbe'
mountain ~ and the gravel pit
wher. the Stolen ieis had beer
abandoned
Unluckry. Crow Ouch was only Z
day station. the day wires beins
handled by . young man who va,
half In the pay Of the railroad and
half in that Of the sawmfii company
This young man slept at the mil
camp. which was a mile back tn
the guich. There was only on
chance In . thousand that he wouic
be down at the railroad station a
10 o'clock at night. and II was OF
that thousandth chance that Tar
bell was rafting the Crow Culci
call. II Five were making her care
time, she was now about half wa,
between Timber mountain ~" ans
Crow Cuich. And Four, the "Ftyer,
had Just left Bauxi,e--wi,h no or
dsrs whatever. Which meant tina
the two trains would come together
somewhere near Sand Creek. one o
them. at least. running like the mis-
chief to make up what time sh'
could
Mr.. Van Britt was ~ good . wir'
man as anybody on the line. but I
was the boss who took things II
hand.
There II a iong-distance teicphon'
to the Grow Gulch sawmill: hav'
you tried thatl" he barked at Tar
bell
The big young fellow who looks'
| Ing CpWbCy &t1 uAN fN@hy bNti
one. they said - glanced mp AM
nodded: THAT calls tn he re
lsponded. Central says she can
raise anybody"
what was Four's report from
Bauxiter
-Four hours and 8, minutes of
Itifne.-
That WIN bring them togethe
sornswhers in the hin curves thi
side of Sand Creek the boss said q
Mr. Van Britt: "just where there 4
the least chance OF their seeini
each other before they hit The
TO TarbelI: Try BauJite and flint
out IL there is a pusher engine Their
that can be sent out TO chase tn
Flyer
Tarbeli nodded without breakini
his monotonous repetition of tn
Crow Gulch can
Il did that first he put in
There's an engine there, and they'r'
getting her out But it's q slin
chance; the Flyer has too good I
start
For the next three or four min
utes the tension was something
fierce. The boss and Mr.. Van Brit
hung over the train desk. and Tar
bell kept up his inslstent clatter n
the key. / had an eye on Durgin
He was still hunched UP In the rec
ord-man's chair, and 20 all appear
ances had gone stone-bllnd crazy
Yet I couldn't get rid Of the ide'
that he was MISUNDERSTANDING a
II all OF his seaied-up senses hai
turned In to intensity the one o
hearing.
Just about the time whom the sus
pense had grown so keen that
seemed as IL II couldn't be borne |
second longer. Morris. who was slt
ting in at the office phone. calle'
out sharply: Long distance say
she has Crow Gulch lumber campi
Mr.. Van Britt Jumped to take tn
phone. and we got one side OF tn