Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

charging down the slopes. The “ big hook ” bobbed in front, a long necked antedilu- vie monster, rushing forward at a mad An hour and a half had passed since that imperative call flashed over the wires. The crew as one man had quickly taken their stations, a big passenger engine like magic rolled up behind, and in Jess than ten minutes the wrecker was under way. A railroad may be mun slipshod, hap- hazard, the roadbed a Jong series of rotten cross ties and worn out steel, the engine scarce able to haul the trains, the shop force disorganized, malingering, yet if there is one spark of the spirit of railroading left, the wrecking crew are alert, their tools and equipment in order, a fire laid ready for the match in the derrick boiler. For the delay of a minute in running the wrecker may mean a life and the passing of a short half hour bring a score of deaths. Like a well trained life saving crew, the wrecking gang were prepared, and when Bear Run came into view there was not a second Jost. Scarce had the noise of the exhaust quieted and the grating of the brake shoes as they dragged the cars to a stop were still whining, iron against steel, when the wrecking boss jumped clear of the mov- ing car and, followed by half of his gang, ran forward. Out on the broken trestle he rushed, took in the situation with practised eye, and called to one of his men—‘ Two sticks!” The conductor shouted: “Hey, the engineer’s under there!” The wrecking foreman gazed down at the wreckage, then across to Zeb, whose bead was barely above the water. “ How bad is he hurt?” he roared, his voice rising loud above the rumble of the water. “Qh, not bad. Just caught between cab and tender.” ‘‘ And Johnny?” the wrecker questioned. Sorrowfully Willie Mac shook his head toward the jumble below. “ We haven’t seen a sign of him.” The other nodded understandingly, and taking the sticks of dynamite that were brought to him he climbed down and, reach- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ing arm’s length into the wreck, he pulled out the Jong fuse, brushed the ash off his stub of a cigar, and holding the glowing end to the¢white, ropelike fuse, he waited till a splutter and a trail of smoke proved it was alight. He had made a quick decisjon. There was a chance of saving Zeb, none for the engineer. With a sweeping motion of his arm, he shouted: ‘‘ Stand back!” to the crowd on the bank and calmly he stepped on to the trestle and, walking back a dozen feet, waited. A minute, a minute and a half, a tense, strained breathless space that seemed like a long time. A thump shook the ground, a whamm reverberated. Trucks turned over, the middle of the pile lifted up a foot or two, splinters flew high from it, and in a circling, eddying race, a matted raft of broken timber rushed down stream on the crest of a wall of water. The dynamite had quickly broken down the dam. The creek subsided, Zeb’s shoulders appeared above water, then his waist, and finally he emerged sitting on a sodden seat box cover, his left leg stiff in front of him, caught half way between knee and ankle in the space of the’ gangway now a mere two inch slit between engine and tank. At an order a couple of men were down beside Zeb almost before the water sub- sided. An hydraulic jack was wedged in place between engine and tender. There came a rapid click-click as they swayed the handle back and forth. The tender gave a fraction under the enormous pressure, moved, and slid back a few inches. A dozen eager hands supported Zeb’s limp, uncon- scious form up the bank and into a waitmg car. The engine was uncoupled, and with one car behind it started its swift sprint back towards the terminal, while the conductor of the wrecker examined Zeb’s leg and, shaking his head sadly, said: ‘‘ Not a chance. in a thousand to save it. Bet a dollar it will have to come off at the knee. I’ve seen too many guys nipped before. They always saw them off as soon as they get them to the hospital if they’re hurt at all ba Re TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK 2A Pa GOMIGDOOo C SS Co