The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-07
The Wreckers
Francis Lynde


rubbed rails and then yelled back
to Gorchcr 90 run cut on the y"
what followed went like clockwork.
There were tools. a epikcpuller and
n drlvlng-manl on tho llght engines
tender. and while tho two flrcmen
were throwing them Off kirgan
made couple Of swift measure
ments with his pocket tape.
These two. right here. bcys- he
ordered. Indicating q pair of rails
In the other leg Of the ~" and In
less than no time the two rails were
up and rrlaid TO bridge the gap Of
the broken connection
Gorchcr moved tho engine care.
fully over the temporary connection.
with Kirxan watching 20 see that
she didn't ditch herself. when the
crossing Was safely made We all
climbed on. and Corcher began to
feel his way cautiously out over the
sawmili track kirsan hadn't es'
planned anything. but that didn't
matter. We didn't know where We
were going. but we were on our
way.
suppose We poked along into the
As much as five OF air miles before
the engine headlight showed US the
remains OF the old sawmlil camp
lying In a little pocket. like valley
from the sides of which all the mill
timber had been cut The camp had
been long deserted. There were per
haps n dozen shacks OF all sizes and
shapes. and with single exception
they were all dilapidated and dis.
usanticd. some with the roofs fall
Ing In
The one exception was the stout
log building which had probably
served as the mill xang comml--ary
and store II stood n little back on
the slope, and was on the opposite
side OF the creek from the mill site
and sleeping -shaekA The ties at
this end Of the line were 20 rotten
with age that our engine was grind.
ing a good half Of them 20 powder
as she edged up. and = little below
the switch that had formerly led
In TO the min. Kirgan gave Coreher
the stop signal
After we had piled of. there
wasn't any question raised a. 20
what we should do. kirwan had
taken q hammer from Corchsr's
tooLbox. and be was the ono who
led the way straight acroes the
little creek and up the bill 10 the
commissary. I had IN. hntern, but
70 wasn't needed From where the
engine was standing. the headlight
flooded the whole Guich basin with
It's electric beam. picking out every
detail Of the deserted sawmili camp.
When we reached tho log commits
sary we found the windows all
boarded up and the door fastened
with strong hasp and a bright
new brass padicck---the only new
thing In sight Klrxan swung bis
hammer Just once and the lock
went spinning off down the slope
and fell with q splash into the
creek. Then be pushed the door
open with his foot. and showed IN:
and for Just one halfeecond I was
afraid to foiiow-afraid OF what We
might ind In that gloomy looking
log warehouse. with its blinded win
dows and locked door.
I thank the good Lord had my
scare for nothing. While / was
nsrying myself and stumbling over
tho threshold behind Kirgan with
a. n.
and IL wasn't the voice of any dead
man. not by n long shot! From
what he said. and the way he was
trimming u up with hot ones. n
was evident that he took US for
some other crowd that he'd been
cussing out before.
The light Of the lantern showed
US a long room. bare of furnishings.
and dark and musty from having
been shut up so tight In the far
end there were a couple OF hunks
built against the log wall. On
what had once been the counter Of
the comrnissary there was a lot Of
canned stuff and a boz Of crackers
that bad been broken open. and on
a BEECH by the door there was a
bucket OF water and tin cup.
The boss was sitting up In one
OF the hunks. and he was stili tear.
ing off language In strips at US
when we closed In on him He
recognized Kirgan first. and then
Gorcher. I guess he couldn't see
me very wen because was holding
tho lantern When he found out
who we were. he stopped swearing
and got up out Of the bunk 10 put
his hand on Mart Kirgans 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 II he had just pushed his
desk button TO call us IN.
"You've got an engine here, ]
suppose7' he snapped, at Kirgan.
Then wen get out Of this quick.
What day Of the week Is III"
I told him IL was Friday, and by
his asking that. I knew he must
have been 20 roughly handled that
he had lost count OF time. The next
order was shot at the two firemen.
You boys kick that packlngboS
20 pieces and then pull the straw
out OF that bunk and touch a match
70 II. Wen make sure that theyll
never lock anybody else up in this
damned dog hole"
The two young husiies obeyed the
order promptly. In half minute
the dry slab stuff that the hunks
were built OF was ablaze and the
boss herded us TO the door. In the
open he stopped and looked around
as IL he had half mind 10 burn
the rest Of the deserted lumber
camp, but II he had any such notion