Argosy, Vol. 112, No. 2 — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

332 we're going to switch down to the lower guides.” ; Reaching above he grasped a lever and scanned the tube ahead. ‘‘ Got her now?”’ he asked. Grim nodded without speaking. “Slack her up a bit, she’ll take it easier.” And when the red showed through the white blaze Dillon swung the lever. They felt a slight jar and the downward dip that told them they were in the lower guides. ‘Steady now,” Dillon coached. “ Check her lightly and let her run until she begins to lift. She took the switch like a bird. Now cut off the flow. Easy now. You're a bit rough with cars, Dungeon, but it wasn’t so bad.” They hummed to a stop in a deep exten- sion below the main guides and rested, wait- ing for No. 48. ‘Set the brakes lightiy,’’ Dillon directed. “When she rides over, the air wave cushions us back a few rods and we have to humor her.” They waited a few moments, Dillon pac- ing the floor and muttering under his breath: “ That damned old trolley of a No. 48 is slower than the old Albany Express!” he growled. ‘ And you can bet they’re driving those cloud-busters. Crazy Joe Murray was to take out the Scud. He’s the company’s devil, and he’ll drive her to the last ounce of compression. Here comes No. 48!” Almost imperceptible at first, a faint tremor shook the car, and they watched ahead where the lower guides joined the main tube. Suddenly a gust of air whistled above them, rapidly growing stronger, and they stiffened in expectation. Another blast, and out of the roar a dark streak with a meteor’s head shot toward, and over them, in one great leap that carried her from their sight, The east-bound had come and gone. “Gawd!” Grim gasped, his dark face tense, his eyes staring. 3 “ The back draft!” Dillon yelled. ‘‘ Your brakes! Hold her till the fluff passes. There, now slack her off a bit. Let her rest. You see, Dungeon, it might draw us from the switch.” “Do we go like that?” Grim gulped. SL ae a >, v- 4s = a THE ARGOSY. “More than that,” “ Quite a sight, isn’t it?” Grim set his jaw and muttered to him- self as he swung the magnets, and they gathered speed for the run to Station ro. Dillon eyed him with a whimsical smile. ‘ [t’s so simple,” he said. “ Green second, just out of the shops, shooting a car through the earth, under rivers and lakes, across a continent at two hundred and fifty miles an hour. No complicated parts to fail, no jumping of tracks, no whistling ‘for cross- ings, no snow-sheds or earth-slides, no wash- outs, no track-ballasting, and pretty near no experience. “Say, Dungeon, when No. 48 climbed over us back there you saw the climax of an idea that will change the world’s traffic system, and scrap-heap millions of dollars’ worth of machinery. The fool days of coal, steam, and electricity are about over.” “Reckon it floored me,” Grim admitted. ‘““ My hair ain’t flattened down yit.” ‘““ There are other surprises,” Dillon said. ‘““ But we'll run in now.” When the red signal came they shut off, and to Dillon’s disgust had to nose in on half-speed. “Open the dead-lights,” Dillon ordered. “We want some real air. Big air-shafts here. Know where we are, Dungeon?” They locked the levers and stepped down to the walk. “We are directly under one of the big surface passenger-depots,” Dillon said. “That thunder you hear is overhead traffic, and that gale of wind that smells so good comes from a shaft that goes straight up through the depot’s room. Not even the builders knew its purpose.” He left Grim on the walk and hurried to the office. He came back a few minutes later, biting his lip and scowling. ‘The Scud relayed, and Murray’s driv- ing the Northern Light,” he snapped. ““She’s fast! The, Falcon went down, and ‘Sky Tramp’ Smith is driving the Condor in her place; she passed well south thirty seconds ago. We have to make Station 20 Without a stop!” he barked. ‘“ Jam the air- Dillon grinned. tanks full and test out those crisis lights © again. Old Mississippi’s in full flood now, (ECO AMIE (eo) JOOKS <2 aver ~ t = ee a ee