The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-06-03
CHAPTER Viii
A Close Call

AT the y siding we Stopped-Wltn-
out going on to the gravel track where
Gorcher had seen the lost 1016-and
Kirgan and I got off with a lantern.
This was because, on the way down,
l had managed to tell the big master
mechanic about the Cantrell talk,
though l hadn't succeeded in making
him believe that it accounted for Mr..
Norcross' drop-out. Just the same he
hundred me by having Billy Gorcher
stop, and now he was trying to make
me take it sort Of slow and easy as
we stumbled out toward the stem of
the "Y." That was Kirgan's way. He
was as hard as nails with a gang of
men, but he could be as soft-hearted
as any woman when a fellow was all
in. And he knew l wasn't half "at
myself yet, physically.
Don't get too much hope up, jim
ME-" he was saying, as we bumped
along around the crooking track of
the "Y." eve amt goin' to find any
thing out yonder but rusty loggin'
track and that broken rail con-
nection. You see, I've been here be-
fore, and l know"
He was as right as could be. When
we reached the end of the ''Y" there
was the broken connection, just as
he'd said. The old saw-mill track was
still there, leading off in the dark up
the gulch, but the two switch rails
had been taken out and the switch
itself was as rusty as if it hadn't been
used In years.
what you heard from Mr.. Cantrell
may have been all true enough" Kir-
gan said, while 1 stood swallowing
hard and staring down at the broken
rail connection, "only it didn't have
anything to do with the big boss. Them
thugs was probably plannin' to wreck
the Mail, all right, and they came
down here to do it. The Lord only
knows why they didn't do it; 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 a
cross-tie foot or two beyond where
we were standing. 1t 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 l was
looking at was fresh spike hole;
fresh beyond all question of doubt
of the wood sticking up beside it--a
splinter that had been broken out
when the spike was pulled.
I took the lantern from Kirgan in
my one good hand and he stood there
waiting for me while l walked on
out to the chopped-off end of the saw
mill track, examining the loose ties
as I went along. There were fresh
spike holes in some of the others !;
just one here and there. But that was
enough. After l had knelt to hold
the lantern close to the rails of the
rusty timber track l knew my bunch
was all right.
"Come here, Mart!" 1 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 a 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 to
GOrcher to run out on the "Y." What
followed went like clockwork. There
were tools, spike-puller and driv-
ing-maul, on the light engines tender
and while the two firemen were throw
ing them off, Kirgan made a couple
Of swift measurements with his pocket
tape.
These two, right here, boys" he
ordered. indicating a pair of rails in
the other leg of the "Y," and in less
than no time the two rails were up
and relaid to bridge the gap of the
broken connection.
suppose we poked along into the
black heart of the Timber range for
as much as FIVE or six miles before