The Ordway new era., 1921-06-24

he didn't want to. He sat on the
fireman's seat, with an arm back of
me 10 hold me on, just rs kirgan had
sat on the way up. and never opened
his head except once to ask me what
was the matter with my wrapped-up
hand. When l told him, he made no
comment. and didn't speak again until
we had stopped on the leg of the ~
TO let Kirgan and his three helpers
put the borrowed rails back into place.
You say its Friday he began ab-
ruptly. whats been going on since
Monday night. Jimmie?'
l boiled it down for him into just
as few words as possible; about the
letter he had left for Mr.. Van Britt,
how everybody . thought he had re-
signed, how Mrs. Sheila and the major
were two of the few who weren't Will
ing 10 believe 1t, how Mr.. Chadwick
had been out of reach. how the rail-
road outfit was Hopping around like a
chicken with its head chopped of,
how President Dunton had appointed
a new general manager who was eX-
pected now on any train, how Gorcher
had discovered the lost 1O16 on the
old disused gravel-pit track mile be
low US. and. to wind up with, l slipped
him Mr.. Chadwick's telegram which
had come just as l was finishing my
supper in the Bullard grill-room, and
those two others that had come on
the Knockout night, and which had
been in my pocket ever since.
He heard me through without say
ing a word. and when I gave him the
telegrams he read them by the light
Of the gauge lamp-also without say
ing anything. But when the men had
the ~" rails replaced he took hold
of things again with a jerk.
"Kirgan, you'll want to see to get
ting that dead engine out Of the gravel
pit yourself. Take one Of the firemen
and 90 to it. It's a short mile and
you can walk in. Jimmie and l want
to get back to Portal City in q hurry,
and Gorchsr will take US And then
to Gorcher. We'll run TO Banta ahead
of Number Eighteen and get orders
there. Move lively, Billy; times pre-
clous."
We made Banta at record clip.
While he was in the Banta wire office.
getting orders for Portal City, Mr.. Nor
cross took the time-card out of its
cage in the cab and fell to studying
it by the light of the gauge lamp.
Gorcher came back pretty soon with
his clearance, which gave him the
right to run to Arroyo as first section
of Number Eighteen.
The boss blew up like a Roman
candle when he saw that train order.
1t meant that we were to take the
siding at Arroyo with the freight that
was just behind US, and wait there
for the westbound Flyer" the "Flyer"
being due in Portal City from the east
at 9:15, and due to leave there, COM
ing west, at $50. 1 didn't realize at
the moment why the boss was so
sizzling anxious to cut out the delay
which would be imposed on us by the
wait at Arroyo, but the anxiety was
there, all right.
Billy, it's eighteen miles to Portal,
and you've got twenty minutes to make
it against the Flyers leaving time"
AAIpNi Oul- NdH you uD II
Gorcher said he could, if he didn't
have to lose any more time getting
his order changed.
Let her go!" snapped the boss.
I'm taking all the responsibility"
That was enough for Gorcher, and
the way we hustled out of the Banta
yard was q caution. In exactly eight
minutes out of Banta we tore over the
switches at Arroyo. That left us ten
miles to go, and twelve minutes in
which to make them. 1t was easy.
A yardman let US in on the spur at
the end of the headquarters building,
and the boss was off In half a jiffy.
Come along with me, Jimmie" he
commanded quickly, and l couldn't
Imagine why he was In such tearing
hurry. Pushing through the platform
crowd, made up of people who were
getting off the Flyer" and those who
were waiting to get on, he led the way
straight upstairs to our offices.
OF course, there was nobody there
at that time of night, and the place
was all dark until we switched the
electrics on. There was little lava
tory off the third room of the suite
and Mr.. Norcross went in and washed
his face and hands. In a minute or
two he came out, put on his office
coat, opened up his desk, lighted
cigar and sat down at the desk as
though he had just come In from
late dinner at the club. And still he
had me guessing.
The guess didn't have to wait long.
While was making bluff at uncov-
ering my typewriter and getting ready
for business there was a heavy step
In the hall, and a red-faced. portly
gentleman with fat eyes and little
close-cropped English side-whiskers
came bulging in. He had n lipht ton.