Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

——— «~~, ~ ae nT Ne a ~~: an ® LS a a we a ne an 8 ee. i ee Poe on = ~~ > oe “<n > a ee Fog > ce eee — > pee es et - a ek " 3 = ou 239 “You just got twelve thousand pounds of coal., I looked at your sand. It’s O. K., dome plumb full; all you gotta do is high- ball.” In a few minutes Zeb’s fireman showed up, and on coming into the cab he ex- claimed in wonder: ‘“Why, I’m darned! Whatcha doing on this run, Zeb?” “Oh, Petey Dink laid off for a couple days, so they run me.” “Glad of it,” was the reply. “ The old man is sure getting crabbed these days. \He’s got- a farm down on the main line ‘somewhere’ s near New River. All he talks about is plowing and planting these days. Wish he’d get a leave of absence and go to farming. He worries me dizzy. Why, he’s so busy watching the cattle in the fields and the clodhoppers along the right of way, that if I didn’t keep track of him he’d run right through an open switch every day.” Zeb laughed. ‘“ How long is old Petey Dink been a running?” he asked. “Oh, he’s been promoted for over thirty ae ee a ane ee, SSL ee a as —, segs ae ——. S “- = > = = co Sass ae 3 Ef gee E ae <i : x ~~ » <s iS , ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, the fire, placed his tallow pot on it to warm up the heavy oil, and, filling his long spouted can with the thick black liquid, he got down from the cab and began to oil around, A few drops on the links, a streak on the guides, a little puddle in the valve stem cup—carefully he examined the engine’s mechanism. As he oiled, he thought over . his letter to Itchy-Witchy. He’d only be on this run for a trip or two. Then when the regular man came back, he’d lay off, go out to see her, and tell her the things he could not write. Perhaps she might even meet him at the station on the return trip. If he did—his heart thumped fast and fu- rious at the thought. A voice at. his back caused him to turn around, ‘The superintendent stood beside him. “White, I’m a little dubious about run- ning you on a passenger your first trip. Play safe, even if you have a delay,” the “old man” cautioned him. ‘“ But don’t have a delay if you can help it.” “ Colonel, I’ll sure do that,” Zeb ear- ree years now,” was the reply. nestly replied. ‘“‘ You know I don’t want to SS “ Well, kid, when a man drives an en- make a gom of it.” Se gine for thirty years, don’t you think he’s =§_ The old man removed his cigar from his aoe due a change?” mouth. Bes The fireman considered. “Zeb, I guess “T guess it’s all right. We’re short of == you're right. Thirty years is a long time. enginemen now. You keep your nose clean == _T never thought of it that way. God, some- and you'll have plenty of work. They’d aa times it seems ages ago. since I grabbed a give me the devil if anything happened a scoop for the first time, and it ain’t but and they found out I run a man on a pas- See three years.” senger who’d just been promoted.” Eas A thoughtful look came into his eyes. Zeb’s answer was lost in the fireman’s ee He turned and kicked a coal board into words who came rushing up at this time, ee place. “ God, Zeb, but I’ve seen and did _ breathless. mae: a lot in those three years.” He glanced into “Say, wouldn’t it jar the markers off a Se the oil rack on the tender. “ Hey, Zeb, not hand car!” he began. “ Why, those measly aoer: a string of waste here. They forgot to put guys in the storeroom wouldn’t even give See any on last trip, too.” me a bit of waste without an order. Tried se Zeb looked at his watch. “ Kid, slip to find the roundhouse foreman. Been run-. saver to the storeroom and get some. Ill ning my heels off, couldn’t locate him, = si ‘take her over to the depot.” Nothing doing unless [ git an order signed --——s The fireman dropped off as Zeb opened by him,” he ejaculated. a the throttle and the 937 slowly moved down = There was a long-drawn-out from the 3 the shop track toward the main line. He conductor: “ All a-a-b-board-d!” yan ~“her to the switch where a waiting “ Well, we haven’t time to fool with it Se brakeman lined the rails up for him, re- now, anyway,” Zeb replied. “Let’s go.” = versed and backed down to the coaches. “ Luck to you,”’ called the see = - He drew a shovel full of hot coals out of _as Zeb tured away, eis ee