Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

THE CALL OF SHINING STEEL. One pulled out a watch. ‘‘ Great balls of fire!” he exclaimed. ‘“ Here it is ten sixteen and I’m called for 83! Gotta get a curve on! So long,” and he crossed the street toward the depot. His leaving was the signal for the gather- ing to break up. The others with many a ‘Good’ luck!” and “ Kid, I’m for you!” separated, and the two continued on their interrupted way. A warm glow of pride pervaded Zeb at the enthusiastic greetings. These men were good fellows, was his thought as he walked toward the restaurant. Ring’s was crowded. The half dozen tables ranged along one side were fringed with men. Each stool had an occupant before the counter, perched precariously on it. They reminded Zeb of a line of birds hunched on a rail fence. There was a clatter of dishes and a hum of voices from the rear. Through a semicircular hole in the kitchen door, the smell of grease welled out. The smoke from a score of pipes and cigarettes hung in heavy layers. Two stools emptied and Zeb and Jim slid into the vacant places. Ring himself was scurrying behind the counter, carry- ing dirty dishes back and moving swiftly forward, his forearm piled high with stacks of filled orders. He stood before the two, wiping off the white counter top with a rather soiled looking towel. “Howdy, Jim. Heard you like to got pinched yesterday,” ‘Sure did,” was the reply. ‘ Would be eatin’ daisies by the roots if it hadn’t been fer my friend here. Meet Mr. White. Mr. White, Mr. Ring?” Ring wiped a greasy hand on a soiled apron and shook Zeb’s warmly. “Glad to meet ya.” Then, ‘“‘ What’ll you haver” Jim ordered: ‘‘Oh, a couple orders of ham an’,” and turning to Zeb, “ Suit your” Zeb nodded. Ring dropped Zeb’s hand, yelled back: ‘ A usual—make it two!” “ An’ a couple of Javas,” Jim supple- mented, and the orders, already cooked and waiting, were soon slid in front of them. As they ate, Jim was talking between mouthfuls, 309 “ Ring’s gotta fine business here. Makes a bunch of kale, used to flag regular on the ‘ Midnight Express.’ Forgot to close a switch at the side track at Melbourne one night. Jack Keefe on 72 split it, turned plumb over; killed Jack and the shine who was his fireboy. Ring got canned, ain't never got back, never will. Don’t need to worry though. Busy now, pay day yes- terday. Everybody’s got the change now. Gets pretty slack in a couple of weeks be- fore pay day comes around again. I gotta ticket here. Settle every pay day, so my credit’s good. Oh, Ring,” he called the proprietor. “I'm standin’ fer this fellow. Give him what he wants. I'll make it good, all right.” “ Righto,” was Ring’s rejoinder as he hurried past. Jim continued his talk while through it, like an undertone, Zeb caught snatches of other talk that lifted and rose above the general din. . _ ' Fifteen hundred ton and just as we tops the hill she got the big hole, pulled out two draw bars about ten cars back.” The man beside him was talking. “We was a wheelin’ ’em like hell, and I looks back and there they was, a rattlin’ the cross ties,’’ came from the table to his rear, “I says to him: ‘ Whattenhell do you think I am? I want my rest!’ Kin you imagine the crust of that call boy, aroustin’ me out at two in the morning and me just hit the hay at one fifteen?” was the in- dignant question from a fellow who stood up at the glass-topped show case rolling a cigarette. A voice beside him, and. Zeb turned to see a big, heavy-set man, smoke-stained, in his work clothes, talking to another at a table behind. ‘‘ Yep,” he was saying, “ two hours and seven minutes late, and I made it up. Came in with a dozen hot boxes. I sure wheeled old 936 this morning. Made the guys in the observation coach think I was playing crack the whip with ‘em round the curves!” Railroading! The men’s conversation was of nothing but the railroad. It was their life. As the road took their time all but their eight hours’ “ rest,” so it took EO 1A@OO SS Co