Mystery Rides the Rails. Gilbert A. Lathrop

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СКАЧАТЬ both lads felt sure that they could go through it in one trial. Every man was rejoicing in the fact that the line was almost open again. Now those much needed provisions could be brought into the camp. It meant that the Sunnyside Smelter could go to work at full blast once more.

      Joe backed far up the track and came roaring down toward the last of the slides. He was tensed on his side of the cab. His reverse lever was clutched in both hands, ready to throw it over and back out on the first sign of the engine sticking. Tubby was on his side, a wide grin on his lips, and excitement glowing in his eyes.

      Then they were into it. There came the slowing surge, then the leaping white mass of snow as it rose over the top of the wedge plow. The air of the cab filled with steam.

      On the left-hand side the track dropped almost precipitously away from them several hundred feet to the river.

      Both lads felt the pony truck wheels rise over the restraining rails. Both felt the rough, bucking plunge as their engine bounded over the ties. The wedge plow headed directly for the frozen river below, then the locomotive followed it!

      The air of the cab was thick with steam. The steep bank of snow kept Joe from jumping from the right-hand side. Both realized they were trapped. Both of them felt their engine leave the rails. Joe shouted across to his chum: “Jump! Quick!”

      He did not think of himself. His hands were clutching the reverse lever. It was almost unconsciously that he jerked it back in the reverse motion. The wheels of the little engine spun on the rails, and she rocked and rolled dangerously. But Joe had saved her from going over the edge of the cliff.

      Slowly the steam cleared from the cab. Joe was standing with one hand still frozen to the reverse lever, his other on the throttle. But he was quite calm. He looked across to see if his chum had jumped. Tubby was still standing complacently on his side of the engine. His features were composed, and an indomitable grin was on his lips.

      “Why didn’t you jump?” demanded Joe.

      “Becauthe I didn’t want to leave you,” said Tubby simply.

      “But you stood a chance of getting caught under her if she tipped over,” said Joe, a frown corrugating his forehead.

      “Yeth an’ you thtood a chance of getting caught if the rolled over like the would have been thure to do,” grinned Tubby.

      By this time several of the shovel men were running toward the engine. Joe climbed down into the snow to survey the damage, and to see just how badly they were off the track. The wedge plow and the pony truck wheels were hanging over the edge, but the drivers rested on the ties and the embankment. A glance showed him that the tender was still riding the rails.

      Joe faced toward a shovel man who was slightly ahead of the balance.

      “She looks bad, doesn’t she?” he said.

      The shovel man nodded. “She sure does, but she looked worse there for a minute. You boys missed getting yours by a narrow margin this day,” he said, feelingly.

      Joe chuckled. “Misses are as good as miles and miles,” he said.

      “What do you want us to do?” The shovel man changed the subject.

      “I expect you had better dig down to the ground so we can get some traction for the wheels. I think that by setting frogs and backing her up on the ties, she’ll go right back on the rails,” explained Joe.

      The men fell to work with a will. In a short time the black cinder covered ground was laid bare. He showed the men how to place the “frogs,” which are heavy, steel, turtle-backed objects that serve to lift the wheels of cars or engines back on the rails.

      Everything being done to his satisfaction, Joe climbed into the cab. He knew he faced the most hazardous part of the entire undertaking. The least slip was liable to turn the locomotive down the hillside. Once she started rolling, only the frozen river at the bottom would stop her.

      “Are you all in the clear?” called Joe, his freckled face shoved out of the cab window.

      He received an affirmative shout from the shovel men.

      He pulled the reverse still farther into the back motion and grasped his throttle. He pulled it wide open. For a space the little engine acted as though she were not going to respond. Then she quivered into life. Her drivers spun on the ice beneath them, burning it away to the ground. Then they found traction where the snow had been shoveled away. Roughly, and with violent rocking and swaying, she jolted along for several feet. Her drivers found the frogs, climbed up on them, and dropped jokingly down on the rails again. The pony truck wheels and the ungainly wedge plow followed.

      She was back on the rails!

      Joe moved her slowly away from the balance of the slide. He halted, then clambered down to the snow and went ahead to instruct the men on their next move. He had them dig down to the rails, where the engine had left them. The track was undamaged. Ice had lifted the engine from the track. A couple of men with picks soon removed this. Joe waved the men out of the track and returned to his engine.

      “We’ll hit her again, Tubby!” he called as he climbed back into the cab.

      “Thath all right with me,” called Tubby. “Hit her hard, tho we’ll go clear through thith time!”

      Joe pulled two blasts on his whistle. He opened the throttle, and they were on their way into the slide. This time the little engine stayed on the rails. She came nosing from the other side, shaking herself free of the clinging snow, and rolled to a halt.

      Animas Canyon was cleared of its snowslides! The Silver Town Northern Railroad was free to resume operations again!

      5

      THE BANKER’S ULTIMATUM

      SHORTLY after two o’clock that day, the lads came into the office of Mr. Orest. Their faces were both wreathed in broad grins, and Mr. Orest did not have to ask them how they had done. He could tell by looking at them that they had been successful.

      “We got her open!” announced Joe.

      “Now I suppose you want to know what to do next,” said Mr. Orest with a smile.

      Joe nodded.

      “Well, the next thing to do is to take a train load of concentrates down to Milltown, so they can be worked over. Then you will bring back a train of empties, as well as any remaining supplies which might be left there after Frank Porter leaves with his train. Frank,” Mr. Orest hastened to explain, “is my other engineer. He’s the best engineer I ever had until you came along.”

      Joe flushed.

      “I’ll get my train crew together so you can pull out those loads of concentrates and get started with them. I must caution you that the grade, after you tip out of Animas Canyon, is very heavy. Don’t let the cars get to rolling too rapidly on you!”

      “The Continental Divide Railroad had grades as high as four and a half per cent, and I was able to hold trains СКАЧАТЬ