The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-06-23

meet the man with the lantern. lie
was the fireman Of the engine ahead
and when we cot around on the track
| saw that our first section was
stopped just little way farther Oh,
"What is it, Barty?" said Maclise,
when we came up to the fireman.
ITS them h---tired wrcckerS again.
was the grltting reply. Rail joint
disconnected and sprung out SOS to
let us off down the mountan.'
| thought it was up to ne to 90
back and tell the boss, but there
wasn't any need Of it. The stop or
the slow running or something had
reused him, and he was up and dressed
and coming along beside the engine.
When he came up. Maclise told him
why we were stopping. He didn't say
anything about the rail break, but he
did ask, sort Of sharp and quick, what
engine that was up ahead
| don't know what Maclise told him.
Chandler turned to 60 back to his en-
cine, and the rest Of Us were moving
along the other way. the boss setting
The pace with Macise at his elbow.
Three rail-lengths ahead of the stopped
light engine we came to the break.
The head engineer and another man
were down on their hands and knees
examining it. and when they stood up
at our coming, | saw that the other
man was Mr.. Van Britt.
"What?" said the boss; "y0u here"
Our only millionaire nodded. ~
ride the line once in whie-just to
see how things are going he re-
turned crisply.
The boss didn't say anything more,
but he knelt to look at the break. 1t
was a trap, all right, set, beyond all
question of doubt to catch the private
car special. The fsh-pIates had been
removed from a joint in the left-hand
rail and the end of the doWn-hlll rail
had been sprung out to make a de-
raiing switch, which was held in posi-
ton by the insertion Of one of the
tish.plates between the rail-webs. IT
we had hit the trap, going at even or
binary Notwithstanding speed, there
would have been nothing left to tell
the tale but a heap of scrap at the
bottom of the thousand-fOot dump.
Under Mr.. Van Britt's directions the
engineer and fireman of the pilot en-
CINE brought tools and the break was
repaired.
While they were doing it the boss
stood aside with Mr.. Van Britt, and
| heard what was said. Mr.. Van Britt
began It by saying, 1--WE don't need
any detectives this time. You are on
your way to Strathcona to put a crlmp
in the smelter squeeze-the last or
the Red Tower monopOlies-sO Dawes
told me. He was probably foolish
enough to tell others, and the word
was passed to scrag you before you
could get to it, This trap was set to
catch your special"
evidently" barked the boss; and
then: "How did you happen to be
here on that engine, Upton?"
"rve been ahead of you all the way
IN from Portal city, was the calm
reply. 81 thought it might be safer
if you had a pilot to show you the
way. I guess | must have had a
hunch."
The boss turnUI on him like a flash.
"You had something more than a
lunch: what was ia Wire|
Mr.. Van Britt gritted his teeth a
little, but he told the truth.
"YpS; friend Of ours tipped me
of-not about he broken track. OF
course. but just III a general way
The break was repaired and the
men were taking the tools back to
the engine. As we turned to follow
them. Mr.. Norcross said: Just one
more question, Upton. Did your wire
come from the capital?"
But at this Mr.. Van Britt seemed
TO forget that he was talking to bis
general manager.
ats none of your id business
where it came FROM" he snapped back
and that ended 1t.
Notwithstanding the slow run and
the near-disaster on Slide mountain,
we had our meeting with the Strath.
coma mine owners the following morn.