The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-06-16
CHAPTER XIX
Under tho wide and Starry Six,

Under the Wide and Starry Sky
I sure had to be quick about obey
ing that "get-aboard" order of Mr.
Norcross'. Kirgan had jerked the
throttle open the minute the word was
given. 1 missed the forward end of
the car. and when the other end came
along my grab at the hand-rod
slammed me head over heels up the
steps. Kirgan was holding his whistle
valve open. and the guarding strikers
in the yard gave US room and a clear
track. By the time we had passed the
"limit" switches we were going like
blue streak, and could hardly keep
my balance on the back platform Of
the day-coach.
You can guess that didn't stay out
there very long. The night was clear
as bell and pretty coolish, with the
stars burning like white diamonds in
the black inverted bowl of the sky. 1t
was mighty pretty scenery. but just
the same, after Kirgan had fairly
struck his gait on the long western
tangent, 1 clawed my way inside. 1t
was lot too blustery and unsafe on
that back platform.
The major and Mrs. Sheila were sit
ting together. near the middle of the
car. l staggered up and took the seat
just ahead of them, and the major
asked me If Mr.. Norcross was on the
engine. l told him he was, and that
ended 1t. What with the rattle and
bang of the coach, the bowling of the
speed-made wind in the ventIlators,
and the shrill scream of the spinning
wheels. there wasn't any room for
talk during the whole Of that breath
taking race to the old ''Y" in the hills
beyond Banta.
Knowing, from what Mr.. Norcross
had said. the point at which we were
going to side-track and wait for the
special and the wild engine, grew
sort of nervous and worked-up after
we had crashed through the Banta
yard and the day-coach began to sway
and lurch around the hill curves What
II the special had been making bet
ter time than the boss had counted
upon? In that case. we'd probably hit
her in a head-ender somewhere on one
of those very curves. And with the
time we were making, and the time
she'd be making. there wouldn't be
enough left for either train to be
worth picking up.
A mile or SO short of the "Y" sid
ing went up ahead and handed my
self out to the forward platform to
see If couldn't get a sQuint past the
storming engine. l got 1t now and
then. on the swing of the curves. but
there was nothing in sight. Just the
same 1t was mighty scary. and 1 took
made me sick at my stomach when
l finally realized that Kirgan had shut
of and was slowing for the stop at the
farther switch of the cid "Y."
What was done at the switch was
done swiftly. as men work when they
have the fear Of death gripping at
them. II the special should come up
while we were making the back-in, the
result would be just about the same as
1t would have been II we had met 1t
on the curves
With our own engine silent. l could
hear a faint sound like the far-away
fluttering of safety-valve. We were
not ten seconds too soon. The special
was coming.
Mr.. Norcross. who was still in the
engine cab. shot an order at Kirgan.
"Fling your coat over the headlight,
and then be ready to snatch 1t and
get OF 7" he shouted. "If they see 1t
as they come up. 1t may stop them ~
Then. catching glimpse of me on the
ground: Break the coupling on the
coach. Jimmie-quick
AS jumped to obey understood
what was to be done. The fireman at
the switch was to let the special 60
by. and then the boss-just the boss
alone on fhe engine-was to be let
out on the main track to put himself
between the chaser and the chased. !
was hair-raising proposition. but per-
haps-just perhaps-not quite SO sui
cidal as 1t looked. With skilful ham
ding the interposed engine might pos
sibly be kept out of the way by back
ing, and Its warning headlight shin
ing full into the eyes of the men in
the 416's cab would surely be enough
to stop them-if anything would.
had just finished uncoupllng the
day-coach and the boss was easing our
engine ahead bit to make sure that
she was loose. when the car door
opened behind me and the major and
Mrs. Sheila came out In the front
vestibule. It was Mrs. Sheila who
spoke to me. and her voice had bor-
rowed some of the big terror that
had seen in her eyes while she was
sitting In the Office at Portal City.
"where-whereabout are we, jim
mie?" she asked.
Before l could open my mouth the
black shadows Of the crooked valley
beyond the switch were shot through
with the white. shimmering glow Of