Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1921-08-05
CHAPTER VIII
A Close Call


out going on to the gravel track where
Gorcher had seen the lost 1016-and
hlrgan and | got off with a lantern.
Ihis was because, on the way down.
| had managed to tell the big master
mechanic about the Cantrell talk,
though hadn't succeeded in making
him believe that 1t accounted for Mr..
Norcross' drop-out. Just the same he
humored me by having Billy Gorcher
stop, and now he was trying to make
me take it sort Of slow and easy as
we stumbled out toward the stem of
the "" That was Kirgan's way. He
was as hard as nails with a gang Of
men, but he could be as soft-hearted
as any woman when a fellow was all
IN. And he knew | wasn't half at
myself yet, physically.
Don't get too much hope up jim
mie," he was saying, as we bumped
along around the crooklng track Of
the "" I'VE amt goin' to find any
thing.out yonder but rusty loggin'
track and that broken rail con-
nectiom You see, I've been here be-
fore, and l know"
He was as right as could be. When
we reached the end Of the "Y" there
was the broken connection, lust as
he'd said, The old saw-mill track was
still there, leading off in the dark up
the gulch, but the two switch rails
had been taken out and the switch
Itself was as rusty as if it hadn't been
used in years.
What you heard from Mr.. Cantren |
may have been all true enough Klr-
gan said, while l stood swallowing
hard and staring down at the broken
rail connection, "only 1t didn't have
anything to do with the big boss. Them
thugs was probably plannin' to wreck
the Mail, all right, and they came
down here to do it. The Lord only
Knows why they didn't do It; p'raps
here wasn't time enough, after they'd
got the Sixteen In on the gravel
rack"
only just about half heard what
he was saying, He had the lantern,
md its light fell squarely upon a
foot or two beyond where
We were standing. 1t was the last
lie in the empty string from which
ne two rails had been taken up to
reak the connection with the lighter
aW-mill track steel, and what | was
boxing at was a fresh spike hole;
resh beyond all question of doubt
ecause there was clean new splinter
the wood sticking up beside it-a
plinter that had been broken out
Ihen the spike was pulled.
l took the lantern from Kirgan in
~ one good hand, and he stood there
aiting for me while | walked on
ut to the chopped-off end of the saw
Ill track, examining the loose ties
| went along. There were fresh
bike holes in some of the others:
Ist one here and there But that was
lough. After l had knelt to hold
'e lantern close to the rails of the
lsty timber track l knew my bunch
as all right. |
Come here, Mart I" / called. and /
hen he came, | showed him the new !
lies and new wheel-marks on the
d rusty rails of the timber track
at proved as clear as daylight that
engine or a train had been over
EN- away this side Of the rains and :,
e SHOWS that had rusted them. :
kirgan didn't say a word-not to b,
2. lie Just took one look at the Ii
bbed rails and then yelled back to W
richer to run out on the 'Y." What
lowed went like clockwork. There ri
re tools, spike-puller and a drlv- II
s-maul, on the light engines tender, "
d while the two firemen were throw. 10
: them off, Kirgan made couple hi
swift measurements with his pocket
De- n,
These two, right here, boys" he tn
Tered, indicating a pair of rails in br
. other leg Of the "Y," and I'm less he
IN no time the two rails were IN or
relaid to bridge the gap of the tn
)ken connection.
suppose we poked along into the oil
ok heart of the Timber range for pl
much as five or six miles before If