Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 130: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

128 of the tremendous surge of current the motors were being called upon to carry. It was only a matter of seconds now, if he maintained that terrific demand on her strength, that some of the myriad coils of wires of her internals would either fuse. or short circuit. Yet it was but a matter of seconds before the twenty-seven would be through the drift. “Do it for me, twenty-seven,” he begged, in his voice the fervor of one who sometimes believes that a giant machine has a heart— and ears. “The best brawn of ye, now!” And it seemed as if the twenty-seven’s motors growled acquiescence. On,’on they went, the great hog battling as if for her very life, while that same life burned her with an internal fire. She growled louder; then there was a sudden flash, and then her power suddenly diminished. And with that flash it seemed to Danny as if something twanged inside his breast like a plucked violin string. Her weakest motors had burned out!» But of her own momentum—the very weight of her—she went on. Praise God they were through! Danny’s breath sucked inward sharply, as he patted the controller handle. “T knew ye’d do it, old girl,” he muttered. while the dried blood on his cheeks suddenly became streaked; “‘knew ye’d do it for me.” Then, under half-power they went limping toward the freight-yard of Valhalla, whose first switch-light began to show like a pale, green star through the driving flakes. ihe THE trainmen’s room, with the regis- ete ter, just outside the superintend- ——= ent’s office, was crowded the next day with idle railroaders who divided their dis- cussion between when it was likely to stop Adventure snowing and what had happened at Startup. When Danny Malone appeared in the wake of a call-boy who marched straight toward the superintendent’s door, it was with dif- ficulty that the engineer good-naturedly fought through them, for they fairly want- ed to paw him over in rough friendliness. They had heard—and knew. But get through he did and presently he was seated opposite the desk of the grayed executive. The superintendent read the hearts of these old-time railroaders as easily as he read a train-sheet. Therefore, he spared the engi- neer embarrassment. “Danny,” said he, ‘‘when this blasted storm ends and Spring comes we’re going to put another fast train on the run to the Coast and the billet is yours for the asking. Burke is the only man old enough in service likely to outbid you; the others are well satisfied with their present runs. But Burke says he wants the job to go to you; says he’s going to be proud that a scrapping son-of-a-gun like yourself will be running opposite to him. What say?” Danny looked out of the window. Che north wind was pelting the snow as furious- ly as ever, as # daring him Danny Malone, and his juice hog to come out and do battle now. And he knew for the first time that he loved the twenty-seven, mere machine though she was. But it would-be real elegant to sit in the cab of a crack flyer and know that you had right of way over every- thing. *Twould be fine to drive one of those fest, new passenger engines, all dolled up and shining, but.... Danny sighed, and shook his head. “Thank ye, sor,” he replied, “‘but I’ll stay pullin’ freights for a while, me and the twenty-seven.” Go NOOK = a (C@