The Argosy, Vol. XI, No. 21 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

THE ARGOSY ‘* Did they see it?” he whispered, and a look of wild ap- prehension came over his face. ‘* It’s all right,” replied Dash soothingly, ‘‘ No. 6 is going in on the siding now.” In a few minutes the young operator had recovered suffi- ciently to explain the situation. He had been doing double ‘duty for several days, the day operator being 11], and had not slept more than two hours in twenty four. He had neg- lected putting out his red signal a few minutes after receiv- ing the order to hold No. 4, intending fully to do so, when sleep overcame him. He was aroused by No. 6 thundering by, and he grasped his lantern, rushed out on the track and whirled it about his head several times, with the forlorn hope of its being seen and understood. When he realized that the train was beyond reach, he had fallen over in a dead faint, no doubt smashing his lantern in doing so. His signals would have indeed been futile, but for the Providence that had influenced Dash to watch so closely from the rear of his train. ‘*Dykeman, you were right,” apologized Freeman, when he had returned to the station, after sidetracking his train and upon hearing the operator's story; 't and many people on my train, perhaps myself among the number, owe their lives to you. They ought to know it and do the handsome thing for you.” ‘© Don't say a word about it,” protested Dash. ‘But I must make a report about Az, and it will come out, soI might as well let the passengers know what they owe to you.” ‘‘ Don’t do it,” objected Dash again; ‘‘and I don’t see why you should report this, as long as no harm is done. This young fellow is more sinned against than sinning, for it’s ashame that a rich company like this should so overwork one of his age. will do me a favor, Mr. Freeman, if you say nothing a ‘tt it.” ‘Very well, Dyk aan,’ responded the conductor, slowly’ and doubtfully,‘'? .1 do'as you say, but it’s taking chances to have such i. .andling orders. I will post the engineer to say nothing about it.” ‘¢ He can be trusted in the future, never fear,” returned Dash confidently. ‘* You're right,” affirmed the operator, who was standing near, with intense emotion and tears almost in his eyes, *‘ I will never let anything like this occur again. I owe a good deal to you, Mr. Dykeman.”’ As if to emphasize his last words, No. 9 flashed by with a rattle and a roar that told more forcibly than could be imag- ined what the dread result would have been had it met No, 6on the main track. There is no doubt that the young operator had had an ex- perience he would never forget, and that his shielding from punishment for his negligence by Dash would be more far reaching in its effect than a discharge would have been. As they returned to their train, and it was once more started, Dash told himself he had learned two things that night —that fainting, under a severe mental strain, was not confined to the ‘‘ gentler sex,” and that, though he is not re- quired to do so, it is sometimes a fortunate thing for a flag- man to keep a sharp lookout jn the rear of his train, even when it is under way. CHAPTER XII. AT THE CATTLE GUARD. HE excitement of the episode at Deckerton was suffi- cient to effectually drive away from Dash any incli- nation to drowsiness during the remainder of the night run 6f£ No. 6. And even if he had been inclined to 33d sleep, a most unexpected and thrilling experience, not long after the departure from Deckerton, would have made him intensely wide awake. He had settled back in his old position on the rear sleeper, though now he was satisned to sit on the little can- vas stool in the lavatory, instead of peering through the glass of the rear door. He was thinking by what a narrow chance the passengers on No. 6, some of whom were slum- bering as peacefully unconscious of danger as if in their own homes, had been saved from injury and death. And vague thoughts and speculations as to what the future had in store for him in the new field to which he was journeying passed through his brain in a disconnected way. Suddenly he heard and felt the grinding and jarring of the brakes quickly and forcibly applied, and then the signal from the engine's whistle for the flagman. Wondering what had caused the stoppage, but without any thought of waiting to find out, Dash promptly grasped his red lamp, pushed open the door, and swung himself down to the track. He ran rapidly back what he thought was the prescribed distance, feeling in his pocket as he went, to make sure if he had his torpedoes. He had hardly stopped, when the engine whistled his re- call, and he started back to the train. Reaching the step, he waved his lantern to go ahead, instead of signaling by the bell cord, and the train began to move. Rut in mounting the step Dash missed his footing, and rolled down the embankment in a most undignified and ex- asperating way. And, to make matters worse, he landed in a lot of water, and was drenched from head to foot. His lantern was extinguished by his fall, but still retain- ing hold of it, he regained his feet and the roadbed, and started for the moving train, which was rapidly increasing its speed. He made an extra spurt, but though he had been considered the best sprinter among his schoolfellows, the two red signals on the rear of his train drew gradually, but surely, away from him, He shouted with the hope of some one hearing him, but it was of no avail, and the two red eyes of the signal lamps seemed to wink at himina mocking sort of way until they disappeared around a curve. ‘ Well, now I’ve got myself into a nice fix,” panted Dash in disgusted tones, as he slackened his pace. He had hardly uttered the words when he found his ‘‘ nice fix” was made a much more serious matter than he had ever dreamed of. His right foot became wedged between two timbers, and he fell over on his hands and knees on the sharp edges of other woodwork ; his lantern flew from his grasp over to one side out of reach, and his cap went in the other direction. | His shins were painfully bruised, and when he attempted to regain his feet, he found the right one had been shoved clear through the opening between two bars. When he tried to withdraw it he found 1t was held fast, and the effort gave him excruciating pain. It did not need a lantern to tell him he had stumbled into a cattle guard, which is an arrangement at a rcad crossing consisting of an excavation under the rails, with timbers turned on edge across the top, to prevent live stock from wandering upon the track. When he found he could not release his foot, a chill of fear crept over Dash, as he thought of his fate should a train come along. He glanced anxiously up and down the track, but was much relieved to see no light of an approaching engine. Then he examined his matches and fusees, with the hope that he could make a signal, but they were wet and useless. The night was dark, but the heavens were thickly studded ecomnieoooks COU