The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-03-15

DldcKmOre, whose WlnQ was snort,
elbowed through the crowd, painting
heavily.
"Good Cd, Elliott! They've
scotched you"
Ben gave him a fieeting, scorching
glance.
"Scotched, hill They've only got
me good and mad!"
And now began scene the like Of
which had never been recorded in the
lineup country.
Men were there in numbers where
huge bonfires, constantly tended that
the light should be steady, flared on
the banks Of the Hoot Owl. Sawyers,
cant-hook men, teamsters, toiled to
reduce the wreckage of the trestle,
shaking it out of the way, working
hastily, noisily, excitement evident in
their movements and shouts. Others
cut brush until the sloping river banks
showed bare and dark.
Back in the woods oil flares burned
as the steam loader pulled and snorted
and ratified, swung it's boom, lifted
logs from their banks, tossed them
through the air and dropped them into
place on fiat car. Once loaded, the
car Of logs and the TANNER were trun-
died down the mile Of track to the
stream. Slow and slower the car
moved until the boom of the loader
overhung the gap where trestle had
been. Then blocks went into place to
secure the wheels, Elliott gave the sig
nal, the boom swung a half circle,
hook men adjusted their tackle to log
on the single car; up it went, around
and out over the river bank and then
down.
Elliott was below there with his
cant-hook men. They grabbed the first
stick, wrestled it into place parallel
with the current and others, with
mauls andNstakes, gave it a firm resting
place on the bank. Another
log another and still more,
until a crude foundation for trestle
abutment had been made.
1t was difficult work; dangerous
work, too, in the bad light. Intense
cold handicapped the men, also, but
they worked harder than they ever had
worked on that job.
Ben encouraged, he flattered, he ca
joled and he drove those men as they
never had been driven before. They
moved on run when going from place
to place; they seemed to try to Guido
one another when strength became es-
sential. They were infected with FL
liott's fire.
Standing on the bank within the
circle of freight Dawn McManus
seemed to snuggle close to Able
Armitage, face pallid even under the
rudy glow Of flames. Her eyes fol-
lowed just one figure; that of Ben
Elliott. Commanding, resourceful,
human dynamo, he was.
Shortly after midnight the supply
team drove up from camp, the cook
drew back blankets which had COW
cred its burden, commenced putting
generous pieces Of steaming steak be-
tween slices Of bread and the cook
poured coffee from huge pots for the
men who swarmed around the sleigh.
A team came creaking up from the
siding, its sled laden with steel rails,
fish plates, spikes and track-laying
tools.
Back to the decks in the woods went
the locomotive; down 1t came again,
bearing more logs. These were let
down to pile which rose almost to the
track level When it was three feet
higher nearly half the work would be
finished.
Workers staggered through the snow
bearing steel rail. 1t went into place;
fish plates clattered; wrenches set nuts
and spikes put the rail secure on ties.
So when the locomotive, leaking
steam from its old joints, lum-
bered down with its next burden, the
loader was set out on this length Of
new track and began the task Of filling
in the far side of the ravine, leaving
a sluiceway through which the waters
of the steam gurgled and surged.
Blackmore Joined Able and Dawn on
the bank where the freight struck
topaz lights from the snow. The old
justice turned an inquiring gaze on him
and the buyer shrugged.
1.-TWO O'clock" he muttered. "He's
got less than six hours left to turn the
trick"
ut doesn't seem humanity possible"
Able said slowly.
"I'm beginning to think" Blackmore
replied. shat the man isn't human.
This thing would've stopped most men
1 know without try. But not FL
nott!"
Three o'clock, and the foundation on
the south side Of the river was in.
Four, and the TANNER was swinging
logs rapidly into that gap. =. Five.
and the heads Of men working dog