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."Dom' coorious that," remarked Casey to his comrade McDermott."Thimoperatorsknowed we'd stop, anyway."That was the opinion of the several other laborers on the front car.And whenthe work-train halted, that car had run beyond the station a few rods.Caseyandhis comrades jumped off.A little group of men awaited them.The operator, a young fellow namedCollins,Page 209 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlwas known to Casey.He stood among the troopers, pale-faced and shaking."Casey, who's in charge of the train?" he asked, nervously.The Irishman's grin enlarged, making it necessary for him to grasp his pipe."Shure the engineer's boss of the train an' I'm boss of the gang."More of the work-train men gathered round the group, and the engineer withhisfireman approached."You've got to hold up here," said Collins.Casey removed his pipe to refill it."Ah-huh!" he grunted."Wire from Medicine Bow—order to stop General Lodge's train—threehundred Siouxin ambush near this station—Lodge's train between here and RoaringCity,"breathlessly went on the operator."An' the message come from Medicine Bow!" ejaculated Casey, while his mengapedand muttered."Yes.It must have been sent here last night.But O'Neil, the night operator,was dead.Murdered by Indians while we slept.""Thot's hell!" replied Casey, seriously, as he lit his pipe."The message went through to Medicine Bow.Stacey down there sent it back tome.I tried to get Hills at Roaring City.No go! The wire's cut!""An' shure the gineral's train has left—wot's that new camp—Roarin' wot?""Roaring City.General Lodge went through two days ago with a privatetrain.He had soldiers, as usual.But no force to stand off three hundred Sioux, oreven a hundred.""Wal, the gineral must hev lift Roarin' City—else thot message niverwould hevcome.""So I think.Now what on earth can we do? The engineer of his train can'tstop for orders short of this station, for the reason that there are nostations.""An' thim Sooz is in ambush near here?" queried Casey, reflectively."Shurethotcould only be in wan place.I rimimber thot higher, narrer pass.""Right.It's steep up-grade coming east.Train can be blocked.General Lodgewith his staff and party—and his soldiers—would be massacredwithout a chance tofight.That pass always bothered us for fear of ambush.Now the Sioux havecomewest far enough to find it.No chance on earth for a train there—notif itcarried a thousand soldiers.""Wal, if the gineral an' company was sthopped somewhere beyond thot pass?"queried Casey, shrewdly, as he took a deep pull at his pipe."Then at least they could fight.They have stood off attacks before.Theymighthold out for the train following, or even run back.""Thin, Collins, we've only got to sthop the gineral's train before it reachesthot dom' trap.""But we can't!" cried Collins."The wire is cut.It wouldn't help matters ifitweren't.I thought when I saw your train we might risk sending the engine onalone.But your engine is behind all these loaded cars.No switch.Oh, it isdamnable!""Collins, there's more domnable things than yez ever heerd of.I'll sthopGineral Lodge!"Page 210 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe brawny Irishman wheeled and strode back toward the front car of thetrain.All the crowd,—to a man, muttering and gaping, followed him.Caseyclimbed up onthe gravel-car."Casey, wot in hell would yez be afther doin'?" demanded McDermott.Casey grinned at his old comrade."Mac, yez do me a favor.Uncouple the car."McDermott stepped between the cars and the rattle and clank of iron told thathehad complied with Casey's request.Collins, with all the men on the ground,grasped Casey's idea."By God! Casey can you do it? There's down-grade for twenty miles.Once startthis gravel-car and she'll go clear to the hills.But— but—""Collins, it'll be aisy.I'll slip through thot pass loike oil.Thim Soozwon'tbe watchin' this way.There's a curve.They won't hear till too late.An'shurethey don't niver obsthruct a track till the last minute.""But, Casey, once through the pass you can't control that gravel- car.Thebrakes won't hold.You'll run square into the general's train—wreckit!""Naw! I've got a couple of ties, an' if thot wreck threatens I'll heave a tieoff on the track an' derail me private car.""Casey, it's sure death!" exclaimed Collins.His voice and the pallor of hisface and the beads of sweat all proclaimed him new to the U.P.R."Me boy, nothin's shure whin yez are drillin' with the Paddies."Casey was above surprise and beyond disdain.He was a huge, toil- hardened,sun-reddened, hard-drinking soldier of the railroad, a loquacious Irishmanwhosefixed grin denied him any gravity, a foreman of his gang.His chief delightwasto outdo his bosom comrade, McDermott.He did not realize that he representedanunconquerable and unquenchable spirit.Neither did his comrade know.ButunderCasey's grin shone something simple, radiant, hard as steel."Put yer shoulders ag'in' an' shove me off," he ordered.Like automatons the silent laborers started the car."Drill, ye terriers, drill! Drill, ye terriers, drill!" sang Casey, as hestoodat the wheel-brake.The car gathered momentum.McDermott was the last to let go."Good luck to yez!" he shouted, hoarsely."Mac, tell thim yez saw me!" called Casey.Then he waved his hand in good-bytothe crowd.Their response was a short, ringing yell.They watched the carglideslowly out of sight.For a few moments Casey was more concerned with the fact that a breeze hadblownout his pipe than with anything else.Skilful as years had made him, he foundunusual difficulty in relighting it, and he would not have been beyondstoppingthe car to accomplish that imperative need.When he had succeeded and glancedback the station was out of sight.Casey fixed his eyes upon the curve of the track ahead where it disappearedbetween the sage-covered sandy banks.Here the grade was scarcely perceptibletoany but experienced eyes.And the gravel-car crept along as if it would stopanyPage 211 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlmoment.But Casey knew that it was not likely to stop, and if it did he couldstart it again.A heavy-laden car like this, once started, would run a longwayon a very little grade.What worried him was the creaking and rattle ofwheels,sounds that from where he stood were apparently very loud.He turned the curve into a stretch of straight track where there came aperceptible increase in the strength of the breeze against his face
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