The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-02-22
The Wreckers
Francis Lynde

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and that when he got thru with II.
she would be free. The letter. which
had been left at the hotel. had been
delayed IN delivery had. In fact.
Just been sent out 10 the majors
house by tho night clerk who had
found IT.
Long before the story could &c,
Itself fully told. the different gaps
In II wcre filling themselves up for
me-and for Mr.. Norcross, as well.
guess when Mrs. Sheila came TO
the auto-drive part OF IL. the boss
whiried and shot an order at me.
Jimmie. chase into the Dispatch
cr's office and find out the name OF
the man who chartered that follow.
ing enginer' he snapped. and l went
on the run. remembering that in the
strike excitement and hustle ~ hadn't
occurred 10 anybody TO ask tho mans
name or that OF the particular mine
owner who had chartered the spe-
cial train
Donohue got the strathcona OF
orator In less than half a minute
after l fired my order at him. and
the answer came almost without a
break:
Charter OF special train was 10 r.
Hatch. OF Portal city. and OF engine
si6 to man named Coliingwood.-
Gosh, but this did settle iti didn't
run hack to the office with the news
Il Flew. II was like firing n gun in
amongst tfse three who were waiting.
but IL had To b. done. The major
groancd and said. ~oh. good Godr'
and Mrs Shcila sat down and put her
face in her hands tn. boss was the
only ono who knew what to do and
he did II. vanished IKE shot In the
direction OF the dispaschers office
In about fifteen OF the longest min.
utes I ever lived he came back. shak.
ms hts head. l knew what he had
been trying TO do. There was one
night telegraph station on the branch
at mining camp halfway down
the grade on Slide mountain--and he
had been trying TO get word there to
stop tho wild engine
''Hc has either bribcd or builicd his
engine crew. he told the major. Il
wired and had stop signal SGT for
them at the Antonio mine, but they
ovcrran II. going Al fun speed down
the hill
| IL was plain enough now what Col.
iingwood was trying to do. The muir
der mania had got a firm hold OF its
weapon Colilng,xood knew that
Hatch was on the special. and he was
going to chase that one-car train
until II made n stop somewhere and
then smash into II for blood. After
Mr.. Norcross had talked hurries,iy for
a minute or two with the major he
went back 10 the dispAtcherss room
and ! went with him. There was q
word for Donohue. falling him TO call
all night stations ahead OF tho spe-
ciai. The operators were to give the
special tho go ahcnd.- and after Il
had passed. TO set their signals
against the following enigma
| As Donohue cut In on the branch
wire. hippo. at the canyon mouth.
broke In to say that the special had
gone by rs minutes earlier. and that
the following engine was now coming
down the canyon Donohue grabbed
his key.
Throw signal against engine ffs.'
he clicked; and few seconds Later
xe got the reply.
No good Engine fis overran sig
nal
Newer mind said the bo-s tc
Donohuc: keep II up at the other
stations. That engine has got 10 b.
stopped It's carrying n mailman"
This ls what he said. but I knew well
enough what he was thinking. He
was remembering that tho special
now had n lead OF only IS minutes.
and that IL would be obliged 10 stop
at Bauxite for its orders over the
main line.
He did what ne could to cut out the
Bauxite stop for the special. ordering
Donohue TO tell the junction man 70
set his signals at Clear for the
train. and at stop for the {1s. II
was only a rnakeshift In the natu
raj order OF things the eutgin. OF the
special would make the Bauxite STOP
anyway. signal or no signal. since II
Is n nationwide railroad rule that nc
train shall pass n junction without
stopping.
Past that the boss grabbed up an
official time-card and began 10 study
IL hurriedly and to jot down figures
wondered II he wasn't tempted
just the least little bit in the world
you know.
Here was a thing shaping itself VT
"a thing for which he wasn't In the
least responsible-and n IL should
work out 10 the catastrophe that no
body seemed to be able 10 prevent
the chief Of the grastera. and proba
biy a number OF his nearest hackers
would be wiped off the books. and
Coliingwood's death. which. In all hu
man probability. was equally certain
would set Mrs. SheiIa free
He must be thinking OF II, argu
ed: he couldn't be human man and
not be thinking Of IL. But he nevs
stopped his hasty figuring for a sin
gle instant until he broke off 10 barb
out at Kirgsn, who was standing by
.'Quick. Mart I want n light en-
CINE, and somebody to run III Jumr
for IL. man.
Rlrgan, big and slow -motioned al
most times, was off like a shot Then
the boss hurried back down the hal
to his own offices. and again I tag
ged him. The old major was stand
ing at a window with his hands be
hind him. and Mrs. Sheiia was sitting
| just as we had left her, with the bis
terror still In her eyes and her face
az white as a sheet.
1--WE can't stop him without throw
ing a switch in front OF him. and that
would mean death to him and his two
enginemen," said the boss. talking
straight at the major, and as II he
were trying 70 ignore Mrs. Shcila
I'm going 10 taxi a long chance and
run down the line to meet them
There's a bare possibility that / car
contrive 10 get between the train and