Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-04-21

d DuShcl VI WdlcE anu u llu cup. 5t
The boss was sitting up in n of
the hunks, and he was still tearing off
language in strips at us when we
closed on him. He recognized Kirgan
first, and then Gorcher. I guess he
couldn't see me very well because
] was holding the lantern. When
he, found out who we were, he
stopped swearing and got up out Of
the bunk to put his hand on Mart
Kirgan's shoulder. That was the
only break he made to show that he
was a man, like the rest of us. The
next. minute he was the big boss
again, rapping out his orders as if he
had just pushed his desk button to
call us in.
you've got an engine here, I sup
pose?" he snapped, at Kirgan. "Then
we'll get u of this quick. What day
of the week is it?"
1 told him it was Friday, and by
his asking that, ] knew he must have
been so roughly handled that he had
lost count of time. Tie next order
was shot at the two firemen.
"You boys kick that packing-boX to
pieces and then pull the straw out of
that bunk and touch a match to it.
Well make sure that they'll never
lock anybody else up in this id dog
hole"
The two young huskies obeyed the
order promptly. In half a minute
the dry slab stuff that the hunks were
built of was ablaze and the boss
herded US to the door. and a minute
Or SO later we We're all climbing into
the cab of the waiting engine.
We had to run so slowly down the
old track to the "Y" that There was
plenty of chance for the boss 10 talk,
If he had wanted to. Blu apparently
he didn't want To He sat on the
fireman's seat, with an arm back of
me to hold me on. just as Kirgan had
sat on the way up. and never opened
his head except once to ask me what
was the matter with my w%rapped-up
hand. When + 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 it's Friday" he began alb
ruptly. whats been going on since
Monday night, Jimmie?"
T. 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 to believe it, 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 1016 on the
old disused gravel-pit track a mile be-
low us, and. to wind up with, / slipped
hin Mr.. Chadwick's telegram which
had come just as I was finishing, my
supper in the Billiard 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
kilograms he read them by the light
of the gauge lamp-also without say
ing anything But when the men had
the "Y" 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 fremen
and 60 to it. It's a short mile and
you can walk in. Jimmie and I want
to get back to Portal City in a hurry.
and Gorcher will take u.s." And then
TO Gorcher: "We'll run to Banta ahead
OF Number Eighteen and get orders
there. Move lively, Billy; times pre-
cious.''
We made Banta at a 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
1t 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 w%estbound "Flyer," the Flyer"
being due in Portal City from the east
at 9:15, and due to leave there, COM
ing west, at 9.20. I didn't realize at
the moment why the boss was so
sizzling anxious to cut u 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
il against the Flyers leaving time"
he ripped out. Can you DO it?'
Consumes. Next wess,