The spectator., 1921-07-05

hunting for Hatch. He learned that Hatch and bunch of his Red Tower packers had gone to STathcona on mining deal, and had started to drive 10 the gold camp in an auto to get his man.
 Before leaving Portal City he had written d letter to Mrs. Sheila, tell ing her what he was going to do, and that when he got through with it. she would be free. The letter, which had been left at the hotel. had ueen delayed in delivery-had, in fact, just been sent out to the majors house by the night clerk who had found it.
 Long before the story could get it. self fully told. the different gaps in it were filling themselves up for me and for Mir. Norcross, as well. guess. When Mrs. Sheila came to the auto drive part of it. the boss whirled and shot an order at me.
 Jimmie. chase into the dispatcher's office and find out the name of the man who chartered that following en- zine :" he snapped; and I went on the run, remembering that in the strike excitement and hustle it hadn't oc- cured to anybody to ask the mans name or that of the particular mine owner who had chartered the special train.
 DonoIue got the Strathcona opera tor in less than half minute after l fired my order at him. and the an swer came almost without q break:
 Charter of special train was to R. Hatch. Of Portal City. and of engine 416 to man named Collingwood.
 Gosh but this did settle it! l didn't run back to the office with the news l flew It was like firing q gun amongst the three who We're waiting, but it had to be done. The major groaned and said. "Oh. good God :" and Mrs. Sheila sat down and put her face in her hands The boss was the only one who knew what to do and he did it: vanished like shot in the dlree- ton of the disnatcher's office.
 In about fifteen of the longest min utes ever lived he came back. shak- ing his head knew what he had been doing or trying b do. There was one night telegraph station on the brnnch-at mining-camp half way down the grade on Slide Noun tain-aud he had been trying te get word there 10 stop the wild engine.
 He has either brihed or bullied his engine crew" he told tbe major "I wired and had n stop signal set for them at the Antonio mine, but they overran it. going at fuIl speed down the hil.n
 It was plain enough now what Col lingwood was trying to do. The mur der mania had got firm hold of it's weapon. Collingwood knew that Hatch was on the special and he was going to chase that one-ear train until it made a stop somewhere and then smash into it for blood After Mir. NorcroSS had talked hurriedly for a minute or two with the major he went back to the dispatcher'S room and i I went with him.
 The boss grabbed up an official l time-Card and began 10 study it hur riedly and to iot down figures. I won ] dered if he wasn't tempted-just the i least little bit in the world. you know. 1 Here was thing itself up-a thing l for which he wasn't in the least re- l sponSible-a if it should work out to the catastrophe that nobody seemed to | be able to prevent. the chief of the grafters, and probably a number of | hA u-ira off the books and Collingwood'S death which, in all human probability. was equally certain, would set Mrs. Sheila free
 He must be thinking of it, argued; he couldn't be a human man and not be thinking of it. But he never stopped his nasty figuring for single instant until he broke off to bark out at KirSan, who was standing by:
 Quick, Mart, l want light en- zine. and somebody to rpn it. Jump for 1t. man."
 KirCan. big and aforementioned at most times. was off like shot Then the boss hurried back down the hall to his own offices. and again I tagged him. The old major was StandiGg Gt a window with his hands behind him, and Mrs. Sheila was sitting just aS we had left her, with the big terror still in her eyes and her face as white as a sheet.
 "We can't stop him without throw ing switch in front of him. and that would mean death to him and his two enginemen," said the boss, talking straight at the major and as if he were trying to ignore Mrs. Sheila. "Im going to take long chance and run down the line to meet them There's bare possibility that l can contrive to get between the train and the engine, and if I can--'
 Mrs. Sheila was on her feet and she had her hands clasped as if she were going to make prayer to the boss. And it was pretty nearly that.