The Young Train Dispatcher

tickets and make up his report. From time to time, he glanced out the window, and though the driving snow shut off any glimpse of the landscape, he could tell, by a sort of i

nd began to coast down a long grade, while the shrill blast of the whistle sounded faintly through the storm, and he knew that they were approaching Wadsworth. The lights of the city would have been visible upon the right but for the s

which every passenger should know. The passengers who are injured in a collision are usually those who were sitting carelessly balanced on the edge of their seats, and who, when the crash came, were hurled about the car, with the inevitable result of broken bones. To tr

the conductor hastened out to investigate. He found the engineer and fireman standing in front of the

manded the condu

56

e had orders t' flag th' tr

ked the conductor shar

ers

opped and

n. Who gave

's office. He wired me a minute ago to flag Number Two and be quick about it.

The whole affair savo

, sternly, "that because another boy

, and fairly hurled himself down the track, waving the blazing torch above his head. And an

at the signal had been seen; and a moment later, a great mogul of a freight-engi

self to the ground and

E, AND FAIRLY HURLED

57

f the other engine, almost obscured by the snow which encrusted

conductor, who had returned with t

at broke out across his forehead. "Nonsense! I sa

e conductor, grimly, "for th

s and stared, scarce able to understand. Th

ht ahead of you," he said. "I

g later every minute," the conduct

t came hurrying up. The engineer turn

"I guess this is our la

s face turned

you mean?"

wave of the hand toward the h

58

umber Two

or, blankly. "But then-why weren

rning to clamber back on his engine. "And I d

never forgives or overlooks

with an order from the trainmaster for the freig

quire what the matter was; and when the conductor swung himself on board again, h

of surprise. "There wasn't any. We

den, it seems to me," g

signal till he was right on it,"

thick,

their escape had been-for it is the policy of all railroads ? 59 ? that the passengers are

understand how a terrible accident had been averted. It was not until the conductor of the flyer stepped off upon the platform and told the story in a few words, with voice carefully lowered lest s

the south. The conductor remained for the inquiry and tried to brazen it through, but the evidence showed that, instead of staying out in the storm to watch for the arrival of Number Two and give the engineer the signal to go ahead,

inward trepidation, crossed the yards to the division headquarters, mounted the stairs, and knocked tremulously at the door of the superintendent's office. A voice bade him enter. H

" said the boy. "M

rintende

id to the stenographer. "Send

nswered the stenogr

bruptly in the direc

Jim Anderso

s,

flagged Number

s,

me abo

61

fly as he could. Allan cam

perintendent, turning to Allan, and the l

superintendent, when Allan had finished, turning back

redd

of Number Ninety-seven was derailed about a month ago, near th

wered the superi

ttered about. Anyway, I found this one the next day in some bushes at the foot of the embankment. I s

nd he stood with hanging head, li

end of this tube is a spike which can be thrust into ? 62 ? the ground. The other end of the tube is closed by a cap containing a piece of emery-paper. To light the powder it is only necessary

no mist nor snow can obscure, and which no wind can extinguish. But it is usually used by night-as torpedoes

g in the daytime or a lantern by night, with which to stop any train which may happen to come along before his train is ready to proceed. Ordinarily, there is no danger t

may come along at full speed and run into it. So, before he returns, the brakeman sticks a fusee in the middle of the track and lights it. It will burn for ten minutes, and during that time no train may run past the spot, so all danger of accident is avoided. If the breakdown occurs during th

such as the one before had been, a lantern would almost certainly have failed to be seen. But Jim did not think of that, as he stood there with hanging head. His only though

ere under no obligation to return it. We ? 64 ? had lost it through our own carelessness; it may have been missed, but was thought not worth searching for. So dismiss that from your mind. I called you boys before me for a very different purpose tha

that were flaming red. The praise was almo

"I have ordered Lineman Mickey to overhaul your priva

ed at the beaming co

t to be used on the Fourth of July, either-at least, not more than one or two. They say lightning never strikes twice in the same plac

t deserve any thanks. I'm simply looking out for the best interests of the road. We want operators who are more than mere telegraphers-we want men who are equal to an emergency, who have their wits about them, who can think quickly, and who don't get ratt

rl of perhaps seventeen, with flushed, excited face-th

r train will start in a mi

ed and glanced at

it. Good-bye, boys," he added, and shook hands with them heartily. "Hold yourselves ready for orders-and meanwhile get all the practice you ? 66 ? can. Come