Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1921-10-13

seemed as IL III couldn't be borne I
second longer. Morris. who was sit
ting in at the Office phone. called GU
sharply: "L%ong-distance SAYS she ma:
! Crow GuIch lumber camp"
Mr.. Van Britt jumped to take the
phone, and we got one side Of the
talk-our side-in shot-lIke sentences
THAT you. Bertraml All right: this
Is Van Britt. at Portal City. Take one
of the mules and ride for your life
down the gulch to the station Get
that7 Stop Number Five and make
her take siding quick. Report over
your wire what you do. Hurry r.
BY the time Mr.. Van Britt got back
to the train desk, the boss had his
pencil out and was figuring on Ber-
trans time margin. 1t was now ten
twelve, and Five's time at Crow GuIch
was t~en-elghteen. The Crow Gulch
operator had just six minutes in which
to get his mule and cover the rough
mile down the guleh.
There was nothing to do but wait,
and the waiting was savage. Tarbell
had a nerve of iron. but | could see
his hand shake as II lay on the glass
topped table. The boss was cool
enough outwardly. but knew that In
his brain there was a heart-breaking
picture of those two fast passenger
trains rushing together In the night
among the hills with no hint of warn
EIngato helpth axe=themselRes@.Mr
EEonE -rnrsfHu4f
his hands JHmmed IN the side pockets
Of his eoat and was pacing back and
forth In the little space between the
train desk and the counter railing.
At the different tables In the room
the saunders were clicking away as
If nothing were happening or due 10
happen. and above the scattering din
and clatter you could hear the escape
ment of the big standard-time clock
on The wall. hammering out the sec
efts that might mean life or death
10 two or three hundred innocent peo-
pie.
- In horrible suspense the six minutes
pulled themselves out to an eternity
for that little bunch OF us In the dis
p~atcher's Office who could do nothing
but wait. On the stroke of ten-eigh-
teen, the time when Five was due at
Grow Gulch on her schedule, Tarbell
tuned his relay to catch the first faint
tapplngs from the distant day-statfon.
Another sounder was silent. There
was hope In the delay, and Morris
voiced II.
Hes there, and he's too busy to
talk TO US" he suggested, In a hushed
voice; and Disbrow,Z the car-reeord
man, added: "That's 1t; it'd take a
minute or two to get them in OF the
The second minute passed. and then
a third. and yet there was no word
from Bertram. Call him" snapped
the boss to TarbeIl, but before the ex-
cowboys hand could reach the key.
the sounder began to rattle out a
string Of dots and dashes; ragged
Morse II was, but we cou-I all read 1t
only too plainly.
TOO late-mule threw me and 1
had to crawl and drag a game leg
Five passed full speed at feminine
.een-I couldn't make It."
| saw the boss hands shut up as
hodgh the finger nails would cut into
he palms.
THAT ends IT," he said. with a sort
II swearing groan-in- his voice and
hen TO TarbeIl: YOU may as well
all Kirgan and tell him TO order out
wrecking train. Then have Per
ihs make up a relief train while !
-ouire calling the doctors Van Britt,
on so and notify the hospital owe
our own office wire. Have my {
car put into the relief, and ]
to 1t that 1t has all the necessary ]
upplies. And you'd better notify the 8
ndertakers, too" !
Great Joash but II. was horrible
Or us to be hustling around and max I
az arrangements for the funeral while |
be people Xhe were 70 be- gathered
p4and buried still swinging
long live and well, half OF them In q
ne crookings among the Timber Noun {
ain foothills and the other half T
Dmewhere In the desert stretches be- c
wv Sand Creek Q
Tarbell had sent Disbrow to the a
none to call Kirgan. and Mr.. Van v
rift was turning away to go to his
office, when the chair Ia the cor b
err by the car-record table fell over ?
ackwards with a crash and Durgin 0
lme staggering across the room. He 4
staring straight ahead of him as d
he had-geHe-b liHds and the sweat Il
running down his face to lose it, q
In the struggling beard. L
When he spoke his voice seemed
come from away of somewhere, C
nd he a still staring at the blank "
all beyond the counter-railing. d
did lid l hear somebody say
,u're sending for the undertakersg" j.
: choked. with a dry rattle In his p
Iroat and then. without waiting for v
/ answer. aWhile you re at 1t, you'd =
get one for me there's the h
oney TO pay him." and he tossed o q
lick roll of bank bills, wrapped around b
18th a rubber band, over to Tarbeil d