The Argosy for May — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

224 ‘There came a chorus of cries from the coaches and sleepers behind. - Passengers poured from the cars and ran alongside the train toward the locomotive. They had been thrown violently from - their seats; many of them had received serious cuts and bruises. They ex- pected to find the results of a head-on collision, to see mangled bodies of en- ginemen, to gaze upon _ twisted steel where monster “locomotives had been be- fore. Instead, they found the locomotive, tender, baggage and mail cars standing on the track uninjured, looking just the same as though the train had been under the great train-shed at Merton! “What is it, Jerry?” the conductor cried, pushing his way through the crowd. , ‘‘We—we stopped,” the engineer mut- tered. “T should think you did, and you piled up every one behind you. But why did you stop her?” ' “]_J didn’t stop her!” the engineer answered. ‘‘She stopped while the throttle was wide open, just as I was throwing her open wider after passing the junction tower. I don’t know—” “YT thought you’d pulled up to pre- vent a collision,” the conductor went on. ‘Something the matter with the locomotive, perhaps. Look her over. I’ll get these people away, so you can work!” The conductor turned to the passen- gers. SNL aboard! ” “But why did he stop?” chorused a hundred voices. The conductor was something of a diplomat, and had the honor of the road at heart. He smiled down at them from his position on the steps of the loco- motive. “Just thank your stars that you were riding behind an engineer who had sense enough to. stop the minute he knew something was wrong, instead of taking a chance and wrecking you while you were so near home—and don’t ask ques- tions now,” he said. aboard!’ he cried. All Muttering among themselves at the unsatisfactory reply, the made their way back to the cars. passengers Jerry THE ARGOSY. and the fireman sprang to the ground immediately, and looked over the loco- motive. ‘“She’s as good as the day she came from the shops!” Jerry reported. ‘There’s nothing wrong with her!” “Maybe she just had a spasm,” the fireman suggested. ‘‘ Locomotives do funny things sometimes,” “You're right there! ” “ Well, we'll try it again.” They got back in the cab, and Jerry backed the long train. “She seems to be all right now,” remarked. ‘‘Confound it! This put us back another five minutes.” The train came to a stop, and then began to move forward. “She’s all right!” — Jerry cried. “Well, wouldn’t this thing jar you?” “Funny,” commented the fireman. — The locomotive arrived at the place where it had stapped so peculiarly be- fore, and it stopped again! Jerry shut off steam, then opened the throttle slowly, then threw it open quickly, and tried every trick of his pro- fession. But the locomotive seemed glued to that one spot. He could move the train backward, he could move it forward to a certain point —then it stopped. And the great dri- ving-wheels spun around on the rails just the same, whether the track was sanded or not, but the giant locomotive wouldn’t move forward an inch. Jerry shut off steam again. His face was white, and he was shaking. : ‘What on earth is it?”’ the fireman cried. The conductor had made his way for- ward a second time, and sprang into. the cab to ask questions. Jerry explained all that he knew. The _ conductor laughed. Jerry illustrated by backing the train and approaching slowly. There was no doubting for the conductor, then. The engine was under perfect control any- where except at that particular place on the track. The train would back as far as the engineer desired it, and approach at any speed until it reached that spot— then it would stop suddenly. ‘Just like running up against a stone wall,” said the fireman. ‘But you can see a stone wall,’ re- said Jerry. will CoOnniclooolxs he (C©)