Mystery Rides the Rails. Gilbert A. Lathrop

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СКАЧАТЬ is it?” he finally asked.

      Mr. Orest nodded.

      Joe brightened. “But with the line opened so the concentrates can be moved, you will have some revenue coming in again, and you can meet the mortgage, can’t you?” he asked, eagerly.

      “The mortgage is slightly over eleven thousand dollars. The revenue from the railroad in that time will only figure a little over that amount, and out of that I must pay wages, and other maintenance charges.”

      Joe nodded again. “We wouldn’t want to beat anyone out of work, anyhow,” he decided, in a low voice.

      Mr. Orest got to his feet. “That doesn’t matter at all. This engineer, Anson Weird, and his fireman are utterly incompetent. They do not take the slightest interest in their work. Both of them flatly refused to try to buck out those slides. Neither of them has seemed to care whether the road was opened up or not. I have paid them their wages just as though they were working every day, and they do not appreciate it enough to even come down to the depot occasionally to find out what we are doing. In fact,” and his voice grew hard, “the engineer made the remark that he hoped I wouldn’t be able to open the line until this summer, so he wouldn’t have to go to work until then!”

      “Heth not a very loyal employee,” said Tubby.

      Mr. Orest shook his head in agreement. “Somehow it got out that I have promised you two lads regular jobs if you were able to open up the line for me. Today the president of the bank made it a point to come down and see me. He told me that no extension of the mortgage would be considered if I let his brother-in-law and his fireman go, to make room for you.”

      Joe nodded. His face had wreathed in a broad grin again. He raised his hand and rubbed at his chin for a space. Then he advanced a step toward Mr. Orest.

      “Among other things, you hired me because I told you I was a trouble doctor, didn’t you?” he asked softly.

      Mr. Orest smiled and nodded.

      “Then I’d like to take on the job of helping you have the money to pay off that mortgage when it falls due! If, as you say, the two men who have been running your engine are not the right kind of employees, there is no use in your keeping them. Maybe you could give them a little work as extra men.”

      Mr. Orest shook a decided negative. “When I let them go, they’re done!” he said. “I have been hanging on to them for a long time, simply because I was afraid of the banker’s displeasure. Those two men have caused me more trouble than any men I have ever had working for me. Last summer they let a train of ore run away, wrecked one of my best engines, and tore up several of my box cars.”

      Joe stepped closer to his new employer. “Mr. Orest,” he said, and his blue eyes were clear and direct, “if you’ll give me and Tubby a chance to help you, we’ll go the limit to do it. And as I told you yesterday when I applied for work, I’m a trouble doctor. I didn’t tell you that Tubby here is my assistant, but he is, and he’s a dandy too!”

      Mr. Orest suddenly reached out and slapped Joe on the shoulder. “My boy,” he said, and there was a quiver in his voice as he spoke, “I’m going to take you up on your proposition. I don’t know where or how you are going to help me raise that money to pay off the mortgage, but I have every confidence in you. You can consider yourselves as regular engineer and fireman on the Silver Town Northern, and I’ll back you up to the limit!”

      Both thanked him, then they went to their rooms where they could clean up, eat, and get their rest for the coming day.

      4

      OFF THE TRACK

      FOR a long time after they were gone Mr. Orest sat looking at the door through which they had left. There was a dreamy light in his eyes. He was thinking back over a span of empty years in which no child of his had shared his love, and he was thinking what a wonderful thing it would be if these two lads were his own sons.

      Early the following morning Joe and Tubby headed for the engine house. They ran their little locomotive out into the cold sunshine and carefully looked her over before they moved her down to the depot.

      Quite a sizeable group of people was assembled on the platform to see them off on their final lap of opening the railroad to traffic again. News of their efforts had been noised around, and everyone, save Anson Weird and his fireman, was there to wish them every kind of success.

      Joe coupled his engine into the coach. While he waited for the shovel men to come down to work, he dropped off beside his little charge and began carefully going over her again. He did not see the two men who came down the street, passed the depot, and halted beside him.

      “I thought you two fellers would be gone from here today,” sneered the older of them in an ugly voice. His eyes were coal black, his nose long and pointed. His teeth were yellow fangs.

      “No, we won’t be getting away today,” Joe smiled. “We have about half a mile of slides left to buck out.”

      “Didn’t Mr. Orest talk to you last night?” demanded the stranger.

      Joe frowned. “Perhaps an introduction might be in order,” he intimated.

      “I’m Anson Weird, engineer on this railroad. An’ now you might answer my question.”

      “Yes, I talked with Mr. Orest,” admitted Joe.

      “I thought he told you he was going to let you go,” said Anson.

      “He suggested something of the kind. He also suggested making a cash settlement for opening up his railroad, but we refused. His original bargain was to give my fireman and me regular jobs here!”

      “An’ he’s gonna stick to that?” barked Anson, angrily.

      Joe nodded.

      Anson deliberately turned on his heel. Followed by his fireman he took himself off up the street, directly toward the Silver Town National Bank.

      By this time all of the shovel men were assembled in the coach, so Joe climbed up into the cab and whistled off.

      His thoughts raced with the drive rods all the way down to the remaining slides. When he had asked Mr. Orest to keep him and his partner as engineer and fireman, and when he had assured Mr. Orest that he was a trouble doctor, he had been playing on his luck. The luck of Joe Jutton had been phenomenal while he had worked for the Continental Divide Railroad. He had acquired the nickname of “Lucky” there. He had been relying solely on his luck when he had assured Mr. Orest that he felt sure he could help him from his dilemma with the mortgage. There were ninety days in which to get a renewal on that mortgage. From what Joe could see of the railroad and its equipment, it was the best kind of security on that amount of money. He felt that if the worst came to the worst, he could go east on a scouting expedition and easily raise the amount.

      By this time they were down to the remaining slides. Joe halted while he waited for the men to face the first of them. When the shovel men clambered over the surface of that one, to start work on the next, he backed up the track to tear into the first one.

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