Oxford Democrat., 1921-07-12


or 2S had passed.
"Ths reply staggered me- He an
swered In the negative.
@'Where's that trainr j shrieked.
II passed here at T:S0.' I persisted.
, .Just then the rear brakeman came
running up the track with q cap IN
his hand. Found this down the track,
be said. That's old Jim Bludsoes
can: and II his cap Is here he must
have passed here himself
"sThat's So rejoined the engineer
But what am ] going to dol cant
hang around here any longer.
"wsll. I wired to the northern enc
for instructions. and got word TO seno
the passenger along. Then the WORD
went over the line to the nsxt station
south to send out searching party for
the missing train The track between
nv shanty and the next one south was
closed to traffic pending the arrival OF
the searching crew. In due time they
pulled In on q hand-car. and reported
that they has seen pothins OF the miss
ing train. I wired the information 10
headquarters, and asked fs instruc-
lions.
"Open up the road for trat1c and
send men on foot to make q thorough
search for that train; we need It. came
the answer.
"I did as directed. and sent the
searching party down the track. Told
them to spread out on either side Of
the track and work along until they
found the wreck, for felt sure IT
must have run OF the track some
who're.
AFTER they had been gone about
nfteen or twenty minutes, and ] had
rsked my brain for solution OF the
matter, ] heard . whistle away on
IN the distance. II sounded low. ap-
pearing to come from the south.
There was nothing due at my place
for an hour or so; so thought at tirst
Il was a relief party coming up to
help solve the mystery, but as the
sound continued, and did not get any
louder, ! concluded that. whatever 1t
was, Il was stationary.
~The sound kept up for about ten
minutes and then stopped I waited
for about half an hour. and then saw
one Of the searching party returning
on the run. In the meantime head
quarters had been hammering me for
news Of the engine.
when the special courier arrived.
he was winded; 80 saw 1t was no use
trying 10 pump anything out Of him un-
til he got through with his breathing
exercises.
@when he got his bellows working
sgain. learned that they had found
Jim Bludsoe and his train about three
miles down the road. about mile and
O half away from the track. Several
Of the cars were standing on end, but
the engine and the balance OF the
train were right side up. scattered
over the face Of the virgin prairie.
1.-THE searchers had heard the whis-
tie, and proceeded to Investigate,
They had found the wreck as reported.
with old Jim standing In the cab,
scared. wlld-eyed and battered"
slow the heck did they get therer
asked the watery-eyed one.
@wsll, they couldn't get anything
out Of Jim. he seemed plumb locoed.
When sent In my report over the
wire they sent down lot Of experts
TO try and salvage the train. Jim
Bludsoe was the only living critter left
Of the crew.
~They figured that the cyclone had
caught up TO the train on Its wild
whirl down the track, picked II up
bodily, like a blooming airship, and
carried It across the country to where
II was discovered. This was verified
By the crew, who came straying In
IKE lost sheep from the prairie
whittier they had blown.
at was learned from them that the
engineer had developed crazy streak
some time before passing my station
and chased the fireman out Of the cab.
That explained why they gave my sig
nal the go-by. However, Jim Bludsoe
never had to answer for his crazy act
for the last heard Of him he was a
In dippy domiclle, Quartered In an up
holstered boudoir."
And what became Of the loeomo-
tive and carsT inquired the watery-
eyed one
"Oh, they built q mile and . half
of track out to the scene, and the
wreckers salvaged the whole outfit.
The strange part Of IT is that pros
porous settlement known as The
Lost Freight. sprung up at the
terminus
That's So" replied the watery-
eyed one. -You don't happen to be
related to Amer Mas, do your
mo" replied the loose-jointed In
lividual. MY familiars call me
Monk Hausen. So long. pard. Thinks
for very entertaining afternoon"