The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-07-28
-ros Gnlef lan.eF camp E.

Afr Van Britt Jumped % take NE
phone. and we goi one side q the
talk-our slde-ln shot-like sentences;
That you. Bertrami All right; this
Is Van Britt ~ Portal City. Take one
of the mules and ride for your lie
down the gulch 10 the station Get
;hatf Stop Number Five and make
her take siding quick. Report over
your own wire what you DO Hurry :"
By the time Mr. Van Britt got back
10 the train desk. tie boss had his
pencil out and was figuring on Ber-
trans time margin. II was now ten
twelve. and Fiye's time at Grow Guleh
was ten-eighteen. The Grow Gulch
operator had just six minutes 10 which
20 get his mule and cover the rough
mile down the gulch
There was nothing 10 do but wait,
and the waiting was savage. Tarbeli
had a nerve OF iron. but l could see
his hand shake as IL lay on the glass
topped table. The boss was cool
enough outwardly, but | knew that In
hts 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
ing TO help them save themselves. Mr..
Van Britt couldn't keep still. He had
his hands jammed In the side pockets
OF his coat and was pacing back ana
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
II nothing were happening or due to
happen, and above the spattering din
and clattel you could hear the escape
ment OF the big standard-time clock
on the wall, hammering out the sec
onds nlat might mean life or death
70 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
pateher's office who could 10 nothing
but wait. on the stroke Of ten-elgh-
teen, the time when Five was due at
Grow Gulch on her schedule, Tarbell
tuned his relay 20 catch the first fain;
tapplngs from the distant day-station.
Another sounder was silent There
was hope In the delay, and Morris
voiced IL.
Hes there. and he's too busy TO
talk TO us" he suggested. In a hushed
voice; and Disbrow, the ear-record
man, added: That's IL; It'd take a
minute or two 10 get them in on ths
siding"
The second minute passed, and then
a third. and yet there was no word
from Bertram. Call him" snapped
the boss 10 Tarbell but before the ex-
cowboys hand could reach the key.
the sounder began e. rattle or a
string of dots and dashes; ragged
Morse il was. hut we could all read il
only too nIainly,
"Too late-luule threw me and l
had 10 crawl aud drag game leg
Five passed fun speed at ten-nine-
teen--i couldn't make il"
l saw the boss hands shut up as
though the finger nails would cut into
the palms.
THAT ends IT, he said, with a sort
of swearing groan in his voice; and
then to Tarbell: "You may as well
call Klrgan aud tell him TO order out
the wreckiug train. Then have Per
kius make up a relief train while
you're calling the doctors. Van Britt,
you 20 and notify the hospital over
your own office wire. lhlye my
private car put into the relief, and
see 10 II that il has all the necessary
supplies And you'd better notify the
undertakers. too"
Great Joash but IT was horrible
for Us to be hustling around and max
ing arrangements for the funeral while
the people who were TO be gathered
un aud buried were stiil swinging
along live and well. half Of them 10
the crookiugs among the Timber Noun
tain foot-hills aud the other half
somewhere IN the desert stretches be-
low sand Greek
Tarbell had sent Disbr0w 20 the
phone 20 call Kirsan. and Mr.. Yah
Britt was turning away 70 20 to his
own once when the chair IN the cor
ner by the car-record table fell over
backwards with q crash and Durgin
came stagserlnA across the room. he
was staring straight ahead of him as
n be- had gone blind and the sweat
was running down his face 10 lose IL
self 10 the struggling beard.
when he spoke his voice seemed
10 come from away OF somewhere.
and he was still staring az the blank
wall beyond the counier-raillng
"Did Ibid hear somebody say
you're sending for the uudertakersT
BE- choked. with a dry rattle IN bis
throat and then. without waiting for
an answer. while you're at u you'd
better get ore for NE there's the
money 10 pay him. and be tossed
thick ron of hank bills. wrapped around
win a rubber band. over 10 Tarbeii
at tie train desk.
Naturally. the little grand-stnnd PLAY
with the bank roll made n diversion,