The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-05
The Wreckers
Francis Lynde


Tracing the line on the blueprint,
we hunted for a possible passing
point. which. according 90 tho way
We had things doped out. should
have been not more than IL or IL
miles west Of Banta. There was a
bhrd siding 10 miles west. but be
yond that. nothing east OF sand
Creek. which was 81 miles farther
along. nj least. there was nothing
that showed up on tho map, The
to.milc siding might have served
Tor the passing point. but In that
case the crew of the Fast Mail
would surely have seen the 1915
waiting on the siding as they came
by. And they hadn't seen II: Kirgan
said they had been questioned
promptly the following morning.
Tho had been over the road
with Mr.. Norcross In his private
car any number Of times since We
had taken hold. didn't recall the
detail topographlos very clearly. and
couldn't seem 10 remember any
thing about this siding 10 miles
WIS., VI A%aAA~ 90 ~FAs' sN"e
That siding isn't In any such
shape that the Fast Mail could get
by without seeing a meet train on
the side track. is IT,
The big master,mechanic shook
his head.
Hardly. you'd think reckon
we're up stump. Jimmie. That
siding Is part OF an old " at the
mouth OF rulch that runs hack
into the mountains for maybe a
dozen miles or so. They tell me the
" was put In for the Timber Noun.
tain lumber outfit when they used
the guich mouth for their shipping
point They had one OF their saw
mills up IN the guich somewhere
but the business died out when thcy
got the timber all cut off"
This time I WAS the one who did
the eat.and- srasshopper act
Tell me this. Mart put In
quickly. The Timber Mountain
company Is one OF the Red Tower
monopoiies: did II have a railroad
track up that guich connecting with
our 'Y'-
why. yes. I reckon So Tn not
right sure that there amt one there
yet But II there Is it's been dis
connected from the " I'm sure OF
that. because I went In on that
" one day with the wreckcr-
You'd think this would have set.
tied H. But l hung on like a dos
20 a root
say. Mart 7 insisted. this "
siding WIRE talking about IL iust
around where the Ten-Sxteen ouEh,
20 have met the Mail: 80 far as We
can tel by this map It's the only
place where u could have met H.
And the old guich track would have
been q mighty good hiding place for
the stolen engineer
Their. amt any track there said
Rirgsn. shaking his head. -or. least.
wise. II there IL. II hasn't any rail
connection with our siding. just AZ
I'm teliin' you Wen have To look
farther along
Somehow. I couldn't grt n out OF
my head bat that I was right Our
yuesscs AL went as straight as
string 70 that r. siding 10 miles
west OF Ban,a. and I was sure that
Ia had been talking to Mr.. Van
Britt I could have convinced him.
But Kirgan was awfuIly hard
headed
ITS supper time he aid. after
we had npIled a while longer over
the map. Tomorrow. II you like.
weTl take an engine and run down
there But ve amt goin' 10 find
anything. / can tell you that. right
now
Yes. and tomorrow we may have
the new general manager. and then
you and I and all the others viii
be hunting for some other railroad
TO work on retorted.
I pretty nearly had him over the
edge. but couldn't push him the
rest Of the way To save my life.
III there was the least little
scrapa reason even 70 imagine that
Mr.. Norcross had gone Off on that
stolen elght-wheeler. IL would be
different Jimmie" he protested.
1 fsuA Nf-NF ain y anu tNl EA1N w.
goned well there amt. Let's go up
town and hunt up something to eat
You1i feel heap clearer in your
mind when you get a good square
meal inside o. your clothes"
We left the shop offices together.
and got shut out, crossing the yard,
By a freight that was pulling In
| fxor. tbn sEn~t Tshnra uraa q wavf
crew shifting on the other side Of
the incoming train. and rather than
wait for the double obstruction to
clear itself. we walked down the
shop track. meaning TO go AROUND
the lower end OF things.
This dctour took US past the
round house. and when we reached
the turn-tabie lead. the engine Of
the just-arriyed freight came back.
ing down the sklp.track- Seeing
Klrgan, the engineer swung down
from the step at the lead switch.
leaving the hostler To spot" the
engine on the table. I knew the
engineer by sight His name was
Gorcher. and ne was a reformed
COW punch'-with a record for get
ting out OF more tight places with
heavy train than any other man
on the division.
Here's lookin' at you, Mr.. Klr-
gan" he said, with a sort Of Happy
Hooligan grin on his smutty face.
You been passin' the word, quiet
among the boys to keep an eye out
r. that At1aufie-fype that got Lost
in the shuttle. amt you? Well.
found her"
whats that - whereT' snapped
Klrgan, In a tone that made q
noise like the pop Of whiplash.
you know that old gravel pit
that digs into the hill a mile west
Of the old " on the Timber Noun.
tain grade? Well. shes there; plumb
at the far end o that gravel track.