Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

810 their thoughts. It was indeed a fascinat- Wry business, this running trains. Jim whispered: “ That's Pat Doyle, He’s got thirty years age. Stands fer any run he wants. He's a highball artist,” he added im a tone of veneration. — They finished eating. Jim called out: “Chalk it down!” and they went out. Diagonally across from Ring’s was the station, the waiting room below and the ofices above. Jin) led the way upstairs to a door marked “ Trainmaster.” They en- tered a small room with a bench along the wall, three chairs and a flat-topped table under a green shaded electric lamp. Across: the table sat Charley Keen, the train- master, vibrating his bug as he rattled off a message on the key. He stopped, closed the switch, pulled his cigar out of his mouth. “Hello, Jim. Glad to see you. Close squeak you had yesterday.” “Yes,” replied Jim. ‘And if it hadn’t been for my friend here, it would have been a damsite closer. Mr. White, meet Mr. Keen. Mr, Keen, Mr. White.” Zeb shook the proffered hand. “ Pleased to meet you, White,” said the trainmaster looking at Jim inquirngly. Jim continued. ‘‘ He wants to get on the list a firin’ and I’m standing for him. How about it?” The trainmaster thought for a minute, surveying Zeb with a shrewd scrutiny, not- ing his straightforward eyes, his wide shoul- ders and his deep chest. Zeb’s heart missed a beat or two as he hung breathless, wait- ing for the verdict. “Sure, Jim. He’s a husky looking bird. Ought to make as good a coal waster as you are. Here,” the trainmaster handed over an application blank. ‘Get the doc- tor’s O. K. and he can start to learn the road any time he gets ready.” The sounder on the table clicked insis- tently. The trainmaster with a word, “Busy,” dismissed the two and, sitting down, began to pound out a message. Zeb followed Jim downstairs, a flush of excitement on his face. He was really get- ting the job he had dreamed of so often. They caught a waiting street car and cwenty minutes later were in the office of ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, the company doctor. There he was put through the examination that each man must pass who works on the trains. A band around his bare arm and he watched the little hand vibrate on the dial while the doctor took his blood pressure. His heart action was listened to through the stethoscope, his lungs were examined. A dozen questions— Have you ever had this?” ‘Have you ever had that?” and the doctor jotted down the answers. A big bundle of colored yarns, each strand by a shade differing from every other one, was brought out. Zeb’s eyes, never strained by reading, never injured by the glare from an electric light, were as sharp as an eagle’s. “Pick out indigo,” Doctor Miller or- dered. Zeb hesitated. ‘‘ Doctor, I cain't tell jest what youall mean.” “Pick out the color of the sky,” the doctor corrected himself. Zeb considered, shook his head doubt- fully. “The sky'is a heap o’ colors, doc- tor. Thar’s the sky in the mawnin’. That’s light blue with reds and yallers and pinks in hit. Thar’s the sky in the evenin’ with blood color streaks and smears like poke- berry stain and red like a red bird and ivy when the frost gits hit. Thar’s the sky at night with the color of a scrooch owl’s feathers, gray and ashy. Thar’s all the colors ye heve in this hank o’ yarn and a heap more.” The doctor laughed. ‘“ Boy, you're right. You’re neither color ignorant nor color blind. J guess you know as much about color as you'll ever need to know to rail- road.” a He led the way to the board where the little red and green and blue lights glowed in a darkened room. They went out. One flashed back on. “Name that!’ came the order. ‘¢ Red.” Another. ‘ Blue.” Smaller and smaller the lights became. At each flash one after another, they blinked for a second and went out. Down to mere colored pin points, Zeb called each one. Both eyes open, one shut, then the other closed while the lights shone through CONMUC NOO SS Co