diff options
Diffstat (limited to '30447-h')
| -rw-r--r-- | 30447-h/30447-h.htm | 6751 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 30447-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 0 -> 76438 bytes |
2 files changed, 6751 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/30447-h/30447-h.htm b/30447-h/30447-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..36629a7 --- /dev/null +++ b/30447-h/30447-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6751 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Snow on the Headlight, by Cy Warman</title> +<style type="text/css"> +<!-- +body {margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; background-color: white} +img {text-align: center;} +h1,h2,h3 {text-align: center;} +.ind {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} +hr {text-align: center; width: 50%;} +.center {text-align: center;} + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} +--> +</style> +</head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30447 ***</div> + +<p class="center"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="300" height="480" alt="" title=""> +</p> + + + + +<h1>SNOW ON THE HEADLIGHT</h1> + + +<h3>BY CY WARMAN</h3> + + +<h1><i>A Story of the Great Burlington Strike</i></h1> +<p class="center">12mo. Cloth, $1.25</p> + + +<p class="center">THE STORY OF THE RAILROAD + (<i>The Story of the West Series.</i>)</p> +<p class="center">Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50</p> + + +<p class="center">D. APPLETON & COMPANY +NEW YORK +W ON THE HEADLIGHT</p> + + +<h2>SNOW ON THE +HEADLIGHT</h2> + +<h2>A Story of the Great +Burlington Strike</h2> + +<br> +<p class="center">BY CY WARMAN</p> + +<p class="center">AUTHOR OF THE STORY OF THE RAILROAD, THE +EXPRESS MESSENGER, TALES OF AN ENGINEER, +FRONTIER STORIES, ETC.</p> + + +<p class="center">NEW YORK +D. APPLETON AND COMPANY +MDCCCXCIX</p> + +<p class="center">Copyright, 1899, by D. Appleton & Co.</p> + +<br> +<br> + +<h2>PREFACE</h2> + + +<p class="center"><i>Here is a Decoy Duck stuffed with Oysters.</i><br> +<i>The Duck is mere Fiction:</i><br> +<i>The Oysters are Facts.</i></p> + +<p><i>If you find the Duck wholesome, and the +Oysters hurt you, it is probably because you +had a hand in the making of this bit of +History, and in the creation of these Facts.</i></p> + + +<p class="center">THE AUTHOR</p> + +<br> + + +<h1>SNOW ON THE HEADLIGHT</h1> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER FIRST</h2> + + +<p>Good managers are made from messenger +boys, brakemen, wipers and telegraphers; +just as brave admirals are produced +in due time by planting a cadet in a naval +school. From two branches of the service +come the best equipped men in the railroad +world—from the motive-power department +and from the train service. This one came +from the mechanical department, and he +spent his official life trying to conceal the +fact—striving to be just to all his employees +and to show no partiality towards +the department from whence he sprang—but +always failing.</p> + +<p>"These men will not strike," he contended: +"The brains of the train are in the engine."</p> + +<p>"O, I don't think," Mr. Josler, the general +superintendent, would say; and if you followed +his accent it would take you right +back to the heart of Germany: "Giff me a +goot conductor, an' I git over the roat."</p> + +<p>No need to ask where he came from.</p> + +<p>As the grievance grew in the hands of the +"grief" committee, and the belief became +fixed in the minds of the officials that the +employees were looking for trouble, the +situation waxed critical. "Might as well +make a clean job of it," the men would say; +and then every man who had a grievance, a +wound where there had been a grievance or +a fear that he might have something to complain +of in the future, contributed to the real +original grievance until the trouble grew so +that it appalled the officials and caused them +to stiffen their necks. In this way the men +and the management were being wedged +farther and farther apart. Finally, the general +manager, foreseeing what war would +cost the company and the employees, made +an effort to reach a settlement, but the very +effort was taken as evidence of weakness, +and instead of yielding something the men +took courage, and lengthened the list of +grievances. His predecessor had said to the +president of the company when the last +settlement was effected: "This is our last +compromise. The next time we shall have to +fight—my back is to the wall." But, when the +time came for the struggle, he had not the +heart to make the fight, and so resigned and +went west, where he died shortly afterwards, +and dying, escaped the sorrow that must +have been his had he lived to see how his old, +much-loved employees were made to suffer.</p> + +<p>Now the grievance committee came with an +ultimatum to the management. "Yes, or +No?" demanded the chairman with a Napoleonic +pose. But the general superintendent +was loth to answer.</p> + +<p>"Yes, or No?"</p> + +<p>Mr. Josler hesitated, equivocated, and asked +to be allowed to confer with his chief.</p> + +<p>"Yes, or No?" demanded the fearless leader, +lifting his hand like an auctioneer.</p> + +<p>"Vell, eef you put it so, I must say No," +said the superintendent and instantly the +leader turned on his heel. He did not take +the trouble to say good-day, but snapped +his finger and strode away.</p> + +<p>Now the other members of the committee +got up and went out, pausing to say good +morning to the superintendent who stood +up to watch the procession pass out into +the wide hall. One man, who confirmed +the general manager's belief that there were +brains among the engine-men, lingered to +express his regrets that the conference +should have ended so abruptly.</p> + +<p>The news of this man's audacity spread +among the higher officials, so that when +the heads of the brotherhoods came—which +is a last resort—the company were +almost as haughty and remote as the head +of the grievance committee had been.</p> + +<p>From that moment the men and the management +lost faith in each other. More, +they refused even to understand each other. +Whichever side made a slight concession it +was made to suffer for it, for such an act +was sure to be interpreted by the other side +as a sign of weakening. In vain did the +heads of the two organizations, representing +the engine-men, strive to overcome the +mischief done by the local committee, and +to reach a settlement. They showed, by +comparison, that this, the smartest road in +the West, was paying a lower rate of wages +to its engine-men than was paid by a majority +of the railroads of the country. They +urged the injustice of the classification of +engineers, but the management claimed that +the system was just, and later received the +indorsement, on this point, of eight-tenths +of the daily press. Eight out of ten of these +editors knew nothing of the real merits or +demerits of the system, but they thought +they knew, and so they wrote about it, the +people read about it and gave or withheld +their sympathy as the news affected them.</p> + +<p>When the heads of the brotherhoods announced +their inability to reach an agreement +they were allowed to return to their +respective homes, beyond the borders of the +big state, and out of reach of the Illinois +conspiracy law. A local man "with sand to +fight" was chosen commander-in-chief, and +after one more formal effort to reach a settlement +he called the men out.</p> + +<p>On a blowy Sunday afternoon in February +the chief clerk received a wire calling him +to the office of the general manager. He +found his chief pacing the floor. As the secretary +entered, the general manager turned, +faced him, and then, waving a hand over the +big flat-topped desk that stood in the centre +of his private office, said: "Take this all +away, John. The engineers are going to +strike and I want nothing to come to my +desk that does not relate to that, until this +fight is over."</p> + +<p>Noting the troubled, surprised look upon +the secretary's face the manager called him.</p> + +<p>"Come here John. Are you afraid? Does +the magnitude of it all appal you—do you +want to quit? If you do say so now."</p> + +<p>As he spoke the piercing, searching eyes of +the general manager swept the very soul of +his secretary. The two men looked at each +other. Instantly the shadow passed from the +long, sad face of the clerk, and in its place +sat an expression of calm determination. +Now the manager spoke not a word, but +reaching for the hand of his faithful assistant, +pressed it firmly, and turned away.</p> + +<p>There was no spoken pledge, no vow, no +promise of loyalty, but in that mute handclasp +there was an oath of allegiance.</p> + +<p>At four o'clock on the following morning—Monday, +February the 27th, 1888,—every +locomotive engineer and fireman in the service +of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy +Railroad Company quit work. The fact that +not one man remained in the service an +hour after the order went out, shows how +firmly fixed was the faith of the men in the +ability of the "Twin Brotherhoods" to beat +the company, and how universal was the +belief that their cause was just. All trains in +motion at the moment when the strike was +to take effect were run to their destination, +or to divisional stations, rather, and there +abandoned by the crew.</p> + +<p>The conductors, brakemen and baggagemen +were not in the fight, and when directed +by the officials to take the engines +and try to run them or fire them, they +found it hard to refuse to obey the order. +Some of them had no thought of refusing, +but cheerfully took the engines out, and—drowned +them. That was a wild, exciting day +for the officials, but it was soon forgotten in +days that made that one seem like a pleasant +dream.</p> + +<p>The long struggle that had been going on +openly between the officials and the employees +was now enacted privately, silently, +deep in the souls of men. Each individual +must face the situation and decide for +himself upon which side he would enlist. +Hundreds of men who had good positions +and had, personally, no grievance, felt in +honor bound to stand by their brothers, and +these men were the heroes of the strike, for +it is infinitely finer to fight for others than +for one's self. When a man has toiled for a +quarter of a century to gain a comfortable +place it is not without a struggle that he +throws it all over, in an unselfish effort to +help a brother on. The Brotherhood of Locomotive +Engineers had grown to be respected +by the public because of almost countless +deeds of individual heroism. It was deferred +to—and often encouraged by railway officials, +because it had improved the service +a thousand per cent. The man who climbed +down from the cab that morning on the +"Q" was as far ahead of the man who held +the seat twenty years earlier, as an English +captain is ahead of the naked savage whose +bare feet beat the sands of the Soudan. +By keeping clear of entangling alliances +and carefully avoiding serious trouble, the +Brotherhood had, in the past ten years, +piled up hundreds of thousands of dollars. +This big roll of the root of all evil served +now to increase the confidence of the leaders, +and to encourage the men to strike.</p> + +<p>At each annual convention mayors, governors +and prominent public men paraded +the virtues of the Brotherhood until its +members came to regard themselves as just +a little bit bigger, braver and better than +ordinary mortals. Public speakers and writers +were for ever predicting that in a little +while the Brotherhood would be invincible.<a name="FNanchor1"></a><a href= + "#Footnote_1"><sup>[1]</sup></a> +And so, hearing only good report of +itself the Brotherhood grew over-confident, +and entered this great fight top-heavy because +of an exaggerated idea of its own +greatness.</p> + +<p><a name="Footnote_1"></a><a href= + "#FNanchor1"> +[1]</a>"<i>I dare say that the engineers' strike will end, as all strikes +have hitherto ended, in disaster to the strikers. But I am sure that +strikes will not always end so. It is only a question of time, and of a +very little time, till the union of labor shall be so perfect that +nothing can defeat it. We may say this will be a very good time or a +very bad time; all the same it is coming.</i>"—<i>W. D. Howells, in Harper's +Weekly, April 21, 1888.</i></p> + +<p>The Engineers' Brotherhood was not loved +by other organizations. The conductors disliked +it, and it had made itself offensive to +the firemen because of its persistent refusal +to federate or affiliate in any manner with +other organizations having similar aims and +objects. But now, finding itself in the midst +of a hard fight, it evinced a desire to combine. +The brakemen refused to join the engine-men, +though sympathizing with them, +but the switchmen were easily persuaded. +The switchman of a decade ago could always +be counted upon to fight. In behind +his comb, tooth-brush and rabbit's foot, he +carried a neatly folded, closely written list +of grievances upon which he was ready to +do battle. Peace troubled his mind.</p> + +<p>Some one signed a solemn compact in +which the engineers bound themselves to +support the switchmen—paying them as +often as the engine-men drew money—and +the switchmen went out. They struck vigorously, +and to a man, and remained loyal +long after the Brotherhood had broken its +pledge and cut off the pay of the strikers.<a name="FNanchor2"></a><a href= + "#Footnote_2"><sup>[2]</sup></a> +In this battle the switchmen were the bravest +of the brave.</p> + +<p><a name="Footnote_2"></a><a href= + "#FNanchor2">[2]</a><i>At the annual convention held at Atlanta, in the autumn of that +year (1888) the engineers dropped the sympathy-striking switchmen from +the pay roll, at the same time increasing the pay of striking engineers +from $40.00 to $50.00 a month.</i></p> + +<p>At the end of the first month of the strike +the lines were pretty well drawn. There was +no neutral ground for employees. A man +was either with the company or with the +strikers.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER SECOND</h2> + + +<p>"Good morning, John," said the general +manager coming softly through the little +gate that fenced off a small reservation in +the outer office, and beyond which the secretary +and his assistants worked: "How +goes the battle?"</p> + +<p>"Well, on the whole," said the chief clerk, +gathering up a batch of telegrams that +made up the official report from the various +division superintendents; "it was a +rough night. Three yard engines disabled in +the Chicago yards, freight train burned at +Burlington, head-end collision on the B. & +M. Division, two engineers and one fireman +killed, ware-house burned at Peoria, two +bridges blown up in Iowa, two trains +ditched near Denver, three—"</p> + +<p>"Well! well!" broke in the general manager, +"that will do." The clerk stopped +short, the office boy passed out through +the open door and a great swell of silence +surged into the room.</p> + +<p>After taking a few turns up and down the +office, the manager stopped at the secretary's +desk and added: "We must win this +strike. The directors meet to-day and those +English share-holders are getting nervous. +They can't understand that this fight is +necessary—that we are fighting for peace +hereafter; weeding out a pestilence that +threatens, not only the future of railway +corporations, but the sacred rights of American +citizens—the right to engage in +whatever business or calling one cares to +follow, and to employ whom he will at +whatever wages the employer and employed +may agree upon. Let these strikers +win and we shall have a strike as often as +the moon changes. When I endeavor to +reach an agreement with them, they take +it that the company is weakening, and the +leaders will listen to nothing. I shudder to +think what is in store for them and what +they must suffer before they can understand."</p> + +<p>With that the general manager passed into +the private office and the chief clerk, who +had been at his post all night, turned to a +steaming breakfast which the porter had +just brought from a café across the street. +The postman came in, grave-faced and silent, +and left a big bundle of letters on the +secretary's desk. Most of the mail was official, +but now and then there came letters +from personal friends who held similar positions +on other roads, assuring the general +manager of their sympathy, and that they +would aid his company whenever they +could do so secretly and without exciting +their own employees.</p> + +<p>Many letters came from stockholders protesting +vigorously against a continuation of +the strike. Some anonymous letters warned +the company that great calamity awaited +the management, unless the demands of the +employees were acceded to and the strike +ended. A glance into the newspapers that +came in, showed that three-fourths of the +press of the country praised the management +and referred to the strikers as dynamiters +and anarchists. The other fourth rejoiced +at each drop in the stocks and called +every man a martyr who was arrested at +the instigation of the railroad company. The +reports sent out daily by the company and +those collected at the headquarters of the +strikers agreed exactly as to date, but disagreed +in all that followed.</p> + +<p>The secretary, somewhat refreshed by a +good breakfast, waded through the mail, +making marks and notations occasionally +with a blue pencil on the turned down corners +of letters.</p> + +<p>Some of the communications were referred +to the general traffic manager, some to +the general passenger agent, others to the +superintendent of motive power and machinery. +They were all sorted carefully and +deposited in wicker baskets, bearing the +initials of the different departments. Many +were dropped into the basket marked "G. +M." but most of the matter was disposed +of by the secretary himself, for the chief +clerk of a great railway system, having the +signature of the General Manager, is one of +the busiest, and usually one of the brightest +men in the company's employ.</p> + +<p>The general manager in his private office +pored over the morning papers, puffing vigorously +now and then as he perused a paragraph +that praised the strikers, but, when the +literature was to his liking, smoked slowly +and contentedly, like a man without a care.</p> + +<p>Such were the scenes and conditions in and +about the general offices of the Chicago +Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company +when a light foot-step was heard in the hall +and a gentle voice came singing:</p> + +<p> + <span style="margin-left: 4em;">"<i>Always together in sunshine and rain.</i><br></span> + <span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>Facing the weather—</i>"</span> +</p> + +<p>"Good morning, Patsy," said the chief clerk, +looking up as Patsy paused at the gate, removed +his hat and bowed two or three short +quick bows with his head without bowing +his body.</p> + +<p>"I beg your pardon," said Patsy, "I thought +you were alone."</p> + +<p>"Well, I am alone."</p> + +<p>"No you're not—I'm here. Always together—"</p> + +<p>"Come! Come! Patsy don't get funny this +morning."</p> + +<p>"Get funny! how can I get funny when +I'm already funny? I was born funny—they +had fun with me at the christening, +and I expect they'll have the divil's own +time with me at the wake. Always—"</p> + +<p>"Sh! Sh!—Be quiet," said the secretary, +nodding his head and his thumb in the direction +of the door of the private office.</p> + +<p>"Is the governor in?" asked Patsy.</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"Now that's lucky for me, for I wanted to +ask a favor and I want it to-day, and if the +governor was not in you would say, 'I'll +have to see the governor;' then when I came +back you would say 'The governor has left +the office, and I forgot it,' but now that the +governor is here you can do it yourself. I +want to go to Council Bluffs."</p> + +<p>"All right, Patsy, you can go if you can +persuade those friends of yours to allow us +to run a train."</p> + +<p>"On the Q?"</p> + +<p>"That's the only line we control."</p> + +<p>"Not on your salary."</p> + +<p>"Then you can't go," said the clerk, as he +resumed the work before him.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter with the North Western?" +asked Patsy in an earnest, pleading +tone.</p> + +<p>"You ought to know that we can't give +passes over a competing line."</p> + +<p>"I do know it, but you can give me a letter +over there. Just say: 'Please give Patsy +Daly transportation, Chicago to Council +Bluffs and return;' that'll do the business. +You might add a paragraph about me being +an old and trusted employee and—"</p> + +<p>"A bold and mistrusted striker, Patsy, +would be nearer the card."</p> + +<p>"Now don't bring up unpleasant recollections," +said Patsy with a frown that didn't +make him look as cross as some men look +when they laugh: "It will be a neat way +of showing that the Q is big enough to be +good to her old employees, even if her stock +is a little down. What do you say—do I get +the pass—does mother see her railroad boy +to-night?"</p> + +<p>The door that was marked "Private" opened +slowly and the general manager came in. +The chief clerk shuffled the letters while +Patsy made a desperate effort to look serious +and respectful.</p> + +<p>"What brings you here, Patsy?" asked the +head of the road, for he was by no means +displeased at seeing one of the old employees +in the office who was not a member +of a grievance committee.</p> + +<p>"I want to get a pass, if you please sir, to +run down to the Bluffs and see the folks."</p> + +<p>"Patsy wants a request for a pass over the +North Western," said the clerk, taking courage +now that the subject was opened.</p> + +<p>"Ah! is that all? now suppose I ask you to +take a passenger train out to-night, will you +do it?" asked the general manager, turning +to Patsy.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter with the regular conductor?"</p> + +<p>"Joined the strikers," was the reply.</p> + +<p>"But the papers say the strike is over."</p> + +<p>"It is! but a lot of you fellows don't seem +to know it."</p> + +<p>"I'm glad of it, and now I must hurry +back, so as to be ready to take my run out. +Do I get the pass?"</p> + +<p>"And you expect, when the strike is off, to +go back to your old place?"</p> + +<p>"Sure," said Patsy, "I don't intend to quit you +as long as you have a brake for me to turn."</p> + +<p>"There's a lot of brakes that nobody is +turning right now; come, you young rascal, +will you go to work?"</p> + +<p>"Now," said the young rascal, "you know +what it says at the bottom of the time-card: +'In case of doubt take the safe side.' I'm +waiting to see which side is safe."</p> + +<p>With that the manager went back to his +desk and closed the door behind him, and +the secretary went on with his work.</p> + +<p>Patsy stood and looked out at the window +for a while, and then said half to himself, +but so the clerk could hear him: "Poor +little mother, how she will miss me to-night."</p> + +<p>The secretary said nothing, but leaving his +desk entered the office of his chief, and +when they had talked over the business of +the hour and read the story prepared by the +passenger department for the press that day, +he asked what should be done for Patsy.</p> + +<p>"Oh! give him the letter, I suppose, but +he's the only employee on the road I would +do so much for."</p> + +<p>"And he's the only one with nerve enough +to ask it," said the secretary.</p> + +<p>"Yes, he is a bit nervy, John; but it isn't +an offensive sort of nerve; and then he's so +happy. Why, he really rests me when he +comes in. He's smart, too, too smart to be +a striker and he may be of some use to us +yet."</p> + +<p>In a little while Patsy went singing himself +out just as he had sung himself in. The +general manager sat watching the happy +youth from the outer door of his room until +the song and the sound of footsteps died +away in the wide hall. Turning to his desk +he sighed and said: "Ah, well! the English +poet was right when he wrote:</p> + + + <p> <span style="margin-left: 4em;">'<i>The world that knows itself too sad</i></span><br> + <span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>Is proud to keep some faces glad!</i>'"</span> +</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER THIRD</h2> + + +<p>Patsy, the postman and the newsgatherers, +who left the headquarters of the +company and wandered over to the Grand +Pacific where the strikers held forth, must +have been struck forcibly by the vast difference +in the appearance of the two places +upon this particular morning. At the first +place all was neatness and order in spite of +the deplorable condition of affairs outside; +and a single man handled the almost endless +flood of letters and telegrams that fell +like autumn leaves upon his desk.</p> + +<p>In fact, the office boy and the colored porter +were the only people about the company's +headquarters who showed any real +anxiety.</p> + +<p>At the headquarters of the strikers all was +confusion and disorder. The outer offices +and ante-rooms were filled with a vast +crowd of men who idled about, smoked, +swapped stories and swore; and some of +them, I'm sorry to say, chewed tobacco +and flooded the floor with inexcusable filth. +Even Mr. Hogan's private office was not +private. Leading strikers and men prominent +in the Brotherhood loafed there as the +others loafed outside. Not more than half +the men about the building had ever been +employed by the Burlington company. +There were scores of "tramp" switchmen +and travelling trainmen, made reckless by +idleness, as men are sometimes made desperate +by hunger, with an alarmingly large +representation of real criminals, who follow +strikes as "grafters" follow a circus. If +a striker lost his temper and talked as he +ought not to talk, this latter specimen was +always ready to encourage him; for whatever +promised trouble for others promised +profitable pastime for the criminal. If the +real workers could keep clear of this class, +as well as the idle, loafing element in their +own profession, ninety per cent. of the alleged +labor outrages would never be committed. +Very likely there were a number of +detectives moving among the strikers, and +they, too, have been known to counsel violence +in order to perpetuate a struggle between +labor and capital that they themselves +might not be idle. It is only in the +best organized agencies that detectives can +be relied upon to take no undue advantage +of those whom they are sent out to detect. +Over in another part of the same building, +where the firemen held forth, the scene was +about the same, save that the men there +were younger in years and louder in their +abuse of the railway officials; and generally +less discreet.</p> + + + <p><span style="margin-left: 4em;">"<i>Always together in sunshine and rain,</i></span><br> + <span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>Facing the weather atop o' the train,</i>"</span> +</p> + +<p>sang Patsy as he strolled into the private +office of Chairman Borphy, who was in +charge of the firemen's end of the strike. +Borphy greeted Patsy pleasantly as did the +others in the office, with one exception. +Over in a window sat fireman George +Cowels, a great striker, and in the eyes of +some of his enthusiastic friends a great man, +and in his own estimation a great orator. +Removing his cigar in order to give the +proper effect to the expression he was +about to assume, Cowels gave Patsy a hard +searching look as he asked:</p> + +<p>"Does that song of yours mean yourself +and the general manager?"</p> + +<p>"An' if it does," said Patsy, stepping close +in front of his questioner: "What's it <i>to</i> +you?"</p> + +<p>"Just this," said Cowels: "You have been +watched. You went to the general office +this morning the moment it was open, and +took a message for Mr. Stonaker to the +general manager of the C. & N. W. Does +that fit your case? Perhaps you will favor us +with the result of your mission! Come, will +the North Western help your friend out?"</p> + +<p>At the conclusion of this eloquent burst of +indignation Cowels smiled triumphantly, +for, as Patsy paled into silence, the big fellow +thought he had his man scared; but +when Patsy took another step forward, +forcing his opponent back to the window, +and asked between his closed teeth, if +Cowels meant to accuse him of betraying +the strikers to the company every one in +the room realized that something was about +to happen. Perhaps Cowels thought so, too, +but he was in a hole and could only answer +Yes. The next instant Patsy drove his fist +up under the orator's chin, and the back +of that gentleman's head made a hole in +the window. The bystanders, knowing the +temper of both the men, sprang between +them before any further damage could be +done.</p> + +<p>If Patsy had the best of the fight he had +the worst of the argument. He had been +openly accused of being a "spotter" and +had made no explanation of his conduct; +so when it was reported that he had gone +to Council Bluffs over the North Western, +the more ignorant and noisy of his associates +were easily persuaded that such a favor +to a striker could only be secured upon the +request of Mr. Stonaker and that request +would be given only for services rendered; +and Patsy Daly was from that day doomed +to walk under a cloud.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;"> + +<p>The long struggle was beginning to tell on +the strikers. It was evidenced in the shiny +suits worn by the men who met daily at +the hall in town to discuss the strike. It +was seen again in the worn wraps of many +a mother and in the torn shoes of school-children. +These were only the outer signs, +the real suffering was carefully covered up—hidden +in the homes where home comfort +had become a reminiscence. The battle at +first had been with the strong but now the +brunt of it was being shifted to the shoulders +of the women, the wives and mothers of +the strikers. These patient martyrs, whose +business it had been to look after the home, +now suffered the humiliation of having door +after door closed to them and their children. +Of a morning you might see them tramping +through the snow from shop to shop trying +to secure credit for the day. The strike +would be over in a little while, they argued, +but the struggling shop-keeper had his own +to look after. The wholesale houses were refusing +him credit and so he was powerless +to help the hungry wives of worthy workmen. +The men themselves were beginning +to lose heart. Many a man who had not +known what it was to be without a dollar +now saw those dearest to him in actual +want and went away to look for work on +other roads. Finally, a monster union meeting +was called for the purpose of getting an +expression of opinion as to the advisability +of making the best possible terms with the +company and calling the strike off. Here +the engine-men, trainmen and switchmen +met, but the radical element was in the +majority, and the suggestions of the heads +of the various Brotherhoods that the strike +be called off were howled down by the unterrified. +It was at this meeting that a tall, +powerful, but mild mannered man, stood up +in the face of all the opposing elements and +advised that the strike be ended at once. +He did not suggest this from a selfish motive, +he said. He was a single man and had +money enough to keep himself in idleness +for a year, but there were hundreds of families +who were in want, and it was for these +he was pleading. The speaker was interrupted +repeatedly, but he kept his place +and continued to talk until the mob became +silent and listened out of mere curiosity. +"You can never hold an army of +hungry men together," said the speaker; +"you can't fight gold with a famine. The +company, we are told, has already lost a +million dollars. What of it? You forget that +it has been making millions annually for +the past ten years. What have we been making? +Lots of money, I'll admit, but none of +it has been saved. The company is rich, the +brotherhoods are bankrupt. From the remotest +corners of the country comes the cry +of men weary of paying assessments to support +us in idleness. To-day some sort of settlement +might be made—to-morrow it may +be too late."</p> + +<p>At this juncture the mob howled the +speaker down again. Men climbed over +benches to get at the "traitor." A man who +had been persuaded to leave the company, +and who had been taken into the order only +the day before, tried to strike the engineer +in the face. In the midst of the excitement, +George Cowels of the Fireman's Brotherhood +leaped upon the platform and at sight +of him and the sound of his powerful voice +the rioters became quiet.</p> + +<p>"I think," he began slowly to show how +easy it was for a truly great leader to keep +cool in the hottest of the fight, "I think I +can explain the action of the last speaker."</p> + +<p>Here he paused and looked down into the +frank face of Dan Moran and continued:</p> + +<p>"Mr. Moran, as many of you know, has one +of the best runs on the road. He has had it +for a good many years and he loathes to +leave it. By denying himself the luxury of +a cigar and never taking a drink he has +managed to save up some money. He is a +money-getter—a money-saver and it hurts +him to be idle. I have been firing for him +for five years and in all that time he has +never been the man to say: 'Come, George, +let's have a drink or a cigar.' Now I propose +that we chip in and pay Mr. Dan Moran his +little four dollars a day. Let us fight this +fight to a finish. Let there be no retreat +until the proud banner of our Brotherhood +waves above the blackened ruins of the +once powerful Burlington route. Down +with all traitors: on with the fight."</p> + +<p>At the conclusion of this speech the audience +went wild. When order had been partially +restored a vote was taken, when it was +shown that seven-eighths of the men were +in favor of continuing the strike.</p> + +<p>The engineers had really been spoiled by +success. At the last annual convention they +had voted to exterminate the classification +system, and had passed a law making it +impossible for the head of the organization +to make any settlement that included a +continuation of classification. The scalps of +the Atchison, the Alton, the Louisville and +Nashville, and a number of other strong +companies dangled at the belt of the big +chief of the Engineers' Brotherhood. These +were all won by diplomacy, but the men +did not know it. They believed that the +show of strength had awed the railway +officials of the country and that the railway +labor organizations were invincible. A little +easing off by the Brotherhood, and a little +forbearance on the part of the management +might, at the start, have averted the great +struggle; but when once war had been declared +the generals on both sides had no +choice but to fight it out to a finish.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER FOURTH</h2> + + +<p>"Can you spare me a little money, +George?" asked Mrs. Cowels, adjusting her +last year's coat.</p> + +<p>"What do you want of money?"</p> + +<p>"Well—it's Christmas eve, and I thought +we ought to have something for Bennie. He +has been asking me all evening what I expected +from Santa Claus, never hinting, of +course, that he expected anything."</p> + +<p>"Well, here's a dollar."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Cowels took the money and went over +to the little store.</p> + +<p>There were so many things to choose from +that she found it difficult to make a selection. +Finally she paid a quarter for a tin +whistle and two bunches of noise—that was +for the boy. With the remaining seventy-five +cents she bought a pair of gloves for +her husband.</p> + +<p>"Anybody been here to-day?" asked +Cowels of his wife when she came back +from the store.</p> + +<p>"Yes, Mr. Squeesum, secretary of the Benevolent +Building Association, was here to +see you about the last two payments which +are over-due, on the house."</p> + +<p>"What did you tell him?"</p> + +<p>"I told him that we had no money."</p> + +<p>"What did he say?"</p> + +<p>"He said that was very strange, as the +Brotherhoods were pouring thousands of +dollars into Chicago to aid the strikers. +What becomes of all this money, George? +You never seem to get any of it."</p> + +<p>"We pour it out again," said Cowels, "to +the army of engine-men who are coming +here from the Reading and everywhere to +take our places. We hire them—buy them +off—bribe them, to prevent them from taking +service with the company, and yet it +seems there is no end to the supply. For +every man we secure the company brings a +score, and we are losing ground. Members +of the Brotherhood everywhere are growing +weary of the long struggle. They have good +jobs and object to paying from six to twelve +dollars a month to support the strikers. +Some have even refused to pay assessments +and have surrendered their charters. Anybody +else here?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, a man named Hawkins. He wanted +room and board."</p> + +<p>"What did you tell him?"</p> + +<p>"I told him we had never kept roomers or +boarders, but he said he liked the place—for +me to speak to you, and he would call +again."</p> + +<p>"Huh! he must like the place. Well, I +guess we can get along some way," said +Cowels, and then he sat and looked into the +fire for a while without saying anything. +When Mrs. Cowels had put the baby down +she came and sat near her husband and +they began to discuss the future. They had +bought their little home a year and a half +ago for twelve hundred dollars. They had +lived economically and had been able to reduce +the debt to six hundred dollars. But +when the strike came they were unable to +keep up the payments and now the association +had begun to push them. If they did +not pay within the next thirty days the real +estate company with the soft sounding title +would foreclose the mortgage. When they +had talked this all over, Mrs. Cowels proposed +that they take the stranger in, but her +husband objected. "I didn't want to tell +you, George," said the brave little woman, +"but there was another caller. The grocer +and butcher was here this morning and we +can get no more meat or groceries until we +pay. He is a poor man, you know, and he +can't keep up the families of all the strikers. +I didn't want to worry you with this, +George, but since you are opposed to me +helping by taking a lodger I will tell you +that something must be done."</p> + +<p>Cowels lighted a fresh cigar. That was the +third one since supper. They cost all the +way from two to five cents apiece, but +Mrs. Cowels knew that he was worried +about lodge matters and if she thought +anything about it at all, she probably reasoned +that it was a good thing to be able +to smoke and forget.</p> + +<p>"I made the speech of my life to-day," said +the striker, brushing the ashes lightly from +his cigar. "The hall was packed and the +fellows stood up on their chairs and yelled. +One fellow shouted, 'Three cheers for the +next Grand Master,' and the gang threw up +their hats and hollered till I thought they'd +gone wild. Nora, if there was a convention +to-morrow I'd win, hands down."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Cowels smiled faintly, for to her way +of thinking there were other things as important +as her husband's election to the +position of Grand Master of the Brotherhood +of Locomotive Firemen, and she +changed the subject. Presently the door-bell +sounded, so loud and piercing that the +sound of it waked the baby. The man who +had pulled the bell knew at once that he +had made no mistake. He had noticed when +he called that morning that the bell upon +the door had once done service in the cab +of a locomotive, and had made a note of +the fact. While Mrs. Cowels hushed the +baby her husband answered the bell and +when Mr. Hawkins gave his name and +made his wants known, Cowels told him +shortly that they did not keep lodgers. He +knew that, he said, and that was one of the +reasons why he was so anxious to come, but +Cowels, who liked to show his authority at +all times, shut the door, and the stranger +was not taken in.</p> + +<p>That night when the orator was dreaming +that he had been chosen Grand Master of +the Brotherhood, his wife stole out of the +room and put the things in Bennie's sock, +and then, just to please Bennie, she put a +rubber rattle in the baby's little stocking. +Her husband, being a great thinker, would +not consent to having his hosiery hung up, +so she would wait till breakfast time and +hide the gloves under his plate. Then she +went over to tuck the cover in around +Bennie. He was smiling—dreaming, doubtless, +of red sleds and firecrackers—and his +mother smiled, too, and kissed him and +went back to bed.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER FIFTH</h2> + + +<p>It was a rough, raw, Chicago day. The +snow came in spurts, cold and cutting from +the north and the scantily dressed strikers +were obliged to dance about and beat their +hands to keep warm. Special mounted +police were riding up and down the streets +that paralleled the Burlington tracks, and +ugly looking armed deputies were everywhere +in evidence. The forced quiet that +pervaded the opposing armies served only +to increase the anxiety of the observing. +Every man who had any direct interest in +the contest seemed to have a chip on his +shoulder.</p> + +<p>At ten o'clock the strike was to be extended +to all connecting lines, the switching +yards and stock yards. When the hour arrived +the switchmen threw up their caps +and quit. Now the different companies +made an effort to replace the strikers and +trouble commenced. The deputies, who had +been aching to get a whack at the strikers +for countless cursings which they had received, +now used their guns unmercifully +upon the unprotected heads of the men, +and the police, who disliked and refused to +associate with the deputies, used their clubs +upon all who resisted them. By eleven +o'clock the whole city was in a state of riot +and men bruised and bleeding were loaded +into wagons and hurried away until the +jails were filled with criminals, bums, deputies +and strikers. The police courts were +constantly grinding out justice, or decisions +intended to take the place of justice. +Mothers were often seen begging the +magistrates to release their boys and wives +praying for the pardon of their husbands. +These prayers were often unanswered and +the poor women were forced to return to a +lonely home, to an empty cupboard and a +cold hearth.</p> + +<p>In the midst of the rioting on this wild day +came Patsy Daly strolling up the track +singing:</p> +<div class="poem"> + + +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">"<i>Always together in sunshine and rain</i><br></span> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>Facing the weather atop o' th' train.</i><br></span> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>Watching the meadows move under the stars</i><br></span> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>Always together atop o' th' cars.</i>"<br></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +</div> +<span><br></span> +<p>"Hello! there!" came from a box car.</p> + +<p>"Hello to you," said Patsy as he turned out +to see what the fellow was in for. "Now, what +the divil you doin' caged up in this car?"</p> + +<p>"I'm hidin' from the strikers," said the +man, peeping cautiously out.</p> + +<p>"Faith, and I'm one of them myself," says +Patsy, "and I suppose you're after takin' +my place, ye spalpeen; I have a right to +swat your face for you, so I have."</p> + +<p>"You couldn't do it if I was opposed," said +the stranger opening the door.</p> + +<p>"Oh! couldn't I? then let yourself drop to +the ground till I take a little of the conceit +out of you."</p> + +<p>"No, I won't fight you," said the man, "I +like your face and I want you to help me +out."</p> + +<p>"And I like your nerve; now, what's your +pleasure? Have you been working in this +strike?"</p> + +<p>"I started to work this morning only to get +something to eat on."</p> + +<p>"Are you a railroad man?"</p> + +<p>"I'm a switchman. I was foreman in the +yards at Buffalo, had a scrap with the yard-master +who had boasted that he would not +have a switchman he couldn't curse, an' got +fired."</p> + +<p>"Did you lick him?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"Good and plenty?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"Go on with your story."</p> + +<p>"Well," said the man, seating himself in the +door of the car, "I started out to get work—had +my card from the Union and felt +sure of success. I had only been married a +year, but of course I had to leave my wife +in Buffalo until I got located. When I applied +for work I was asked for references +and I had none. I told them where I had +worked; they asked me to call later, and I +called, only to learn that they didn't need +any more men. This performance was repeated +in every town I struck, until I began +to believe that I had been blacklisted. In +time my money gave out. I wrote to my +wife and she sent me money. When that +was gone I sent for more, not stopping to +think that she had to eat, too, and that I +had given her but ten dollars when I left +home; but she sent me money.</p> + +<p>"Then there came a time when she could not +send me anything; I could not keep up my +dues in the Union, so was expelled. After +that I found it hard to get passes. Lots of +times I had to steal them, and finally—for +the first time in my life—I stole something +to eat. Say, pardner, did you ever get so +hungry that the hunger cramped you like +cholera morbus?"</p> + +<p>"No."</p> + +<p>"Then I reckon you've never stole, or +what's worse, scabbed?"</p> + +<p>"No."</p> + +<p>"Well—I've done both, though this is the +first time I've scabbed. As I was sayin' I +got down so low that I had to steal, and +then I thought of my wife, of how terrible +it would be if she should have to steal, or +maybe worse, and the thought of it drove +me almost crazy. She was a pretty girl when +I married her, an orphan only eighteen and +I was twenty-eight. I determined to go +home at once, but before I could get out +of town I was arrested as a vag and sent +up for sixty days. I thought at that time +that my punishment was great,—that the +mental and physical suffering that I endured +in the workhouse was all that I could +stand,—but I've seen it beaten since. At +last they told me that I could go, but that +I would be expected to shake the city of +Chicago before the sun rose on the following +day, and I did. I hung myself up on the +trucks of a Pullman on the Lake Shore Limited +and landed in Buffalo just before dawn. +As I hurried along the old familiar streets I +noticed a crowd of people standing by a narrow +canal and stopped to see what the excitement +was. I saw them fish the limp and +lifeless form of a woman out of the muddy +water and when the moonlight fell upon her +face it startled me, for it was so like her +face. A moment later I got near enough to +see that the victim was a blonde, and my +wife was brunette. Presently I came to the +house where we had lived, but it was closed +and dark. I aroused a number of the neighbors, +but none of them knew where the +little woman had gone.</p> + +<p>"'Shure,' said an old woman who was peddling +milk, 'I don't know phere she's at at +all, at all. That big good-fur-nothin' man o' +hern has gone along and deserted of her an' +broke the darlint's heart, so 'e 'as an' the end +uv it all will be that she'll be afther drownin' +'erself in the canal beyant wan uv these foine +nights.'</p> + +<p>"All through the morning I searched the +place for her, but not a trace could I find. +It seemed that she had dropped out of the +world, utterly, and that no one had missed +her. Finally I was so hungry that I begged +a bite to eat and went down by the canal +and fell asleep. Here a strange thing happened. +I had a dreadful dream. I dreamed +that I saw my wife being dragged from the +dark waters of the canal. She had the same +sad, sweet face, but not the same hair. I +awoke in a cold sweat. I was now seized +with an irresistible longing to look once +more upon the face of the dead woman +whom I had seen them fish from the foul +waters that morning, and I set out for the +morgue. I entered unnoticed and there lay +the dead woman with her white hands +folded upon her dead breast. She had the +same sad, sweet face, but not the same hair, +but it was she—it was my wife."</p> + +<p>The vag let his head fall so that his eyes +rested upon the ground. Patsy fished something +from his vest and holding it out to +the man, said: "Here's a one-dollar bill +and a three-dollar meal ticket—which will +you have?"</p> + +<p>"Gi' me the pie-card."</p> + +<p>"Which shows you're not a regular bum," +said Patsy.</p> + +<p>"No," said the man, eyeing the meal ticket +with its twenty-one unpunched holes. "I +never cared for liquor, only once in a while +when a bum makes a lift I take a nip just +to stop the awful gnawing, cramping pain of +hunger, but it only makes you feel worse +afterwards. But it's interesting," said the +tramp, thoughtfully. "If it were not for +the hunger and cold this new life that I +have dropped into wouldn't be half bad. +You get a closer glimpse of the miseries of +mankind and a better notion of the causes +that bring it all about. It educates you. Now +take this fight for instance. You fellows feel +sure of success, but I know better. Only +two men of all the vast army of strikers +have deserted so far, but wait. Wait till the +pain of hunger hits you and doubles you up +like a jack-knife, and it's sure to come. Behind +the management there are merciless +millions of money: behind the strikers the +gaunt wolf of hunger stalks in the snow. +Can you beat a game like that? Never. And +after all what right have you and your people +to expect mercy at the hands of organized +capital? Does the Union show mercy +to men like me? To escape the blight of the +black-list I changed my name. Three times +I found work, but in each instance the company +were forced to discharge me or have a +strike. I was not a Union man and so had +to steal a ride out of town. Once I asked a +farmer for work and he set me to digging +post holes and every time a man came by I +hid myself in the grass. 'What you hidin' +fur?' the farmer asked. Then I told him +that I didn't belong to the Union.</p> + +<p>"'What Union?' says he.</p> + +<p>"'The post-hole Union' says I—'in fact, I +don't belong to any Union.'</p> + +<p>"'They ain't no post-hole Union,' says the +farmer indignantly, 'an' you know it. What +you're givin' me is hog-wash—you've been +stealin'. Here's a quarter fur what you've +done—now git.'</p> + +<p>"I tried to reason with him, but he only +shook his thick head and began whistling +for his dog, and I got. Yes, pardner, it +seems to me that the tyranny of organized +capital and the tyranny of organized labor +are close competitors, and in their wake +come the twin curses—the black-list and +the boycot. Hand in hand they go, like red +liquor and crime. But you can't right these +wrongs the way you're headed now," said +the philosopher. "Everything is against you. +Wealth works wonders. The press, the telephone +through which the public talks back +to itself, is hoarse with the repetition of the +story of your wrong-doings. Until the Government +puts a limit to the abuses of trusts +and monopolies, and organized labor has +learned that there are other interests which +have rights under the Constitution, there +will be no peace on earth, no good will toward +man. When the trusts are controlled, +and labor submits its grievances to an impartial, +unbiased board of arbitration, then +there will be peace and plenty. The wages +that you are now losing and the money +squandered by vulgar and ignorant leaders, +will then be used in building up and beautifying +homes. The time thrown away in useless +agitation and in idleness will be spent +for the intellectual advancement of working +men, and the millions of money lost in +wrecked railroads will find its way to the +pockets of honest investors."</p> + +<p>While this lecture, which interested Patsy, +was being delivered the two men had become +oblivious of their surroundings, but +now the wild cry of a mob in a neighboring +street, the rattle of sticks and stones +and the occasional bark of a six-shooter +brought them back to the business before +them.</p> + +<p>Wave after wave the rioters rolled against +the little band of officers, but like billows +that break upon a stony shore they were +forced to roll back again. Like the naked +minions of Montezuma, who hurled themselves +against the armored army of the +Spaniards, the strikers and their abetters +were invariably beaten back with bruised +heads and broken bones. If a luckless striker +fell he was trampled upon by the horses of +the mounted police or kicked into unconsciousness +by the desperate deputies.</p> + +<p>"Can you get me out of this so I can have +a go at this pie-card?" asked the man.</p> + +<p>"Yas," said Patsy, leaping into the car. +"Skin off your coat."</p> + +<p>When the two men had exchanged coats +and caps the vag strolled leisurely down the +track and in a little while Patsy followed. +He had not gone three cars before the mob +saw him and with the cry of "The scab! the +scab!" sent a shower of sticks and stones +after the flying brakeman. A rock struck +Patsy on the head and he fell to the +ground. The cap, which he had worn well +over his eyes, fell off, and he was recognized +by one of the strikers before his ribs could +be kicked in. "Begad," said the leader of the +mob, "it's the singin' brakeman. Th' bum +have robbed 'im uv 'es clothes an' giv' us +the slip," and they picked Patsy up and +carried him away to the hospital.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER SIXTH</h2> + + +<p>Three kinds of meetings were held by the +strikers. Public meetings, open to everybody, +union meetings, open to any member +of the several organizations engaged in the +strike, and secret sessions held by the various +Brotherhoods, to which only members of +that particular order were admitted.</p> + +<p>Many things were said and done at these +secret sessions that were never printed, or +even mentioned outside the lodge-room, +save when a detective happened to be a +member, or when a member happened to be +a detective.</p> + +<p>At one of these meetings, held by the striking +firemen, the head of that organization +startled the audience with the declaration +that the strike was going to end disastrously +for the strikers. In fact, he said, the +strike was already lost. They were beaten. +The only point to be determined was as to +the extent of the thrashing. This red rag, +flung in the faces of the "war faction," +called forth hisses and hoots from the no-surrender +element. A number of men were +on their feet instantly, but none with the +eloquence, or even the lung power to shut +the chief off. Many of the outraged members +glanced over at Cowels, who always sat +near the little platform at the end of the +hall in order that he might not keep his +admirers waiting when they called for a +speech. The greatest confusion prevailed +during the address of the head of the house. +Cowels, the recognized leader of the war +party, sat silently in his place, though frequently +called upon to defend the fighters. +As their chief went on telling them of the +inevitable ruin that awaited the strikers, the +more noisy began to accuse him of selling +them out. One man wanted to know what +he got for the job, but the master, feeling +secure in that he was doing his duty, gave +no heed to what his traducers were saying. +Amid all the turmoil Cowels sat so quietly +that some of the more suspicious began to +guess, audibly, that he was "in with the +play." But there was no play, and if there +had been Cowels would not have been in +with it. Cowels was thinking. Suddenly he +leaped upon his chair and yelled: "Throw +'im out!" He did not use the finger of scorn +upon the master, or even look in his direction. +He merely glared at the audience and +commanded it to "Throw 'im out!"</p> + +<p>"We are fighting a losing fight," repeated +the chief, "and you who fight hardest here +will be first to fall," and he looked at Cowels +as he spoke. "It could not be pleasant to +me, even with your respectful attention, to +break this news to you. I do it because +it is my duty. But now, having said what +I had to say, let me assure you that if a +majority of you elect to continue the fight, +I will lead you, and I promise that every +man of you shall have his fill."</p> + +<p>This last declaration was rather a cooler for +Cowels. It took a vast amount of wind out +of his sails, but he was on his feet and so +had to make a speech. He was not very +abusive, but managed to make it plain that +there were others ready and able to lead if +their leader failed to do his duty. When +he had succeeded in getting his train of +thought out over the switches his hearers, +especially the no-surrenderers, began to enthuse. +His speech was made picturesque by +the introduction of short rhymes, misquotations +from dead poets, and tales that had +never been told in type. "If," he exclaimed +dramatically, "to use a Shakesperian simile, +the galled wench be jaded, let him surrender +his sword to some one worthy of the steel."</p> + +<p>The orator worked the Shakesperian pedal +so hard that some of his hearers expressed a +desire to know more about the distinguished +poet. Finally, when he became too deep for +them, a man with a strong clear voice +shouted a single word—the name of a little +animal whose departure from a sinking ship +makes sailors seek the shore—and Cowels +closed like a snuff-box.</p> + +<p>Now the casual observer would say of the +great orator: he has money; his family is +not in want. But the statement would have +been incorrect.</p> + +<p>The Cowelses, like hundreds of other families, +were without money, without credit, +and would shortly be without food. The last +money they had received from the Brotherhood +had gone to pay the interest on the +money due the Benevolent Building Association, +for fuel, and to pay the milkman +who was bringing milk for the baby. It +would be forty or fifty days before another +assessment could be made and the money +collected. The outlook was gloomy. Mr. +Hawkins had called again and offered ten +dollars a month for the little spare room on +the second floor, but Cowels would not consent.</p> + +<p>But at the very moment when he was +making this speech his wife was returning +empty-handed from the bakery. Bennie had +been watching, waiting at the window for +her, and when she saw him staring at her, +saw the tears come into his innocent eyes, +she took him in her arms and wept as she +had not wept before. They had breakfasted +on bread and water. It was now past noon +and they were all hungry. She gave Bennie +some of the baby's milk, and then sat down +to think. The door-bell rung. "I was just +passing by," said Mr. Hawkins, "and thought +I'd stop and see if there was any show to +get that room. I work for the plumber in +the next block, so you see it would be handy +for me."</p> + +<p>"Would you pay in advance?" asked Mrs. +Cowels.</p> + +<p>"I shouldn't mind," said the plumber, "if +it would be of any advantage to you."</p> + +<p>"Then you can have the room."</p> + +<p>"Very well," said the man, apparently delighted +with his bargain, and he gave her a +crisp ten-dollar note. He also gave Bennie a +big, red apple, and looked surprised when the +boy began to bite great chunks out of it.</p> + +<p>That evening when Cowels came home he +found the house filled with the fumes of +boiled beef, and it put him in a good +humor at once. He was hungry, having had +nothing all day but a glass of beer and a +free lunch.</p> + +<p>"They's a man up-stairs," said Bennie, +shoving his empty plate up for another load +of boiled beef. Mrs. Cowels smiled a faint +smile, and her husband asked:</p> + +<p>"Who is this fellow?"</p> + +<p>"He's a plumber," was the reply, "and he +seems like a very nice man."</p> + +<p>"Did he pay a month in advance?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"Well, I don't like the idea of having strangers +in the house," said Cowels, "and I wish +you had not taken him in."</p> + +<p>"I dislike it too, George," said Mrs. Cowels, +"but the baker had refused me a loaf of +bread, the children were hungry and you +might as well know now that I can never +see my babies suffer for want of food, and +you need not be surprised at anything I +may do to supply their wants."</p> + +<p>Cowels had never seen his wife display so +much spirit and it surprised him. "It's all +very well," she went on, "to prate about +honor and loyalty to the Brotherhood, but +an obligation that entails the suffering of +innocent women and children is not an honorable +obligation and ought not to exist. A +man's first duty is to his family. My advice +to you would be to miss a few meetings and +go and try to find something to do. Think +how we have denied ourselves in order to +have a place of our own, and now it's all to +be taken from us, and all because of this +senseless and profitless strike."</p> + +<p>"By George, she's a cracker-jack!" said +Hawkins, who had been listening down the +stove-pipe.</p> + +<p>Cowels made no reply to his wife, but he +was thinking. In fact, he had been thinking +all the way home. He had been interrupted +twice that day while addressing the meeting. +One fellow had asked who the devil +Shakespeare was, and if he had ever done +anything for the Union. Another man had +said "rats," and the orator was sore.</p> + +<p>Now, when he had thought it all over, he +surprised his wife as much as she had surprised +him. "They're all a lot of unliterate +ingrates," said Cowels, "and for two cents +I'd shake the whole show and go to work. +If they turn me down at the convention, +and this strike is not settled, I'll take an +engine."</p> + +<p>Mr. Hawkins gave a low whistle.</p> + +<p>"No, you must never do that, George, after +all you've said against such things; it would +not do."</p> + +<p>"Then they must not drive me to it," said +Cowels. "I've tried to show them the way +to success, even to lead them, and they have +the nerve to guy me. I'll fool 'em yet if +they trifle with me."</p> + +<p>"That's what I thought all along," mused +Hawkins. "It was not the Brotherhood +that Mr. Cowels was working so hard for, +but Mr. Cowels. Well, he will be just as +eager to succeed in another direction—he's +ambitious."</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER SEVENTH</h2> + + +<p>The great strike, like a receding sea, revealed +heaps of queer wreckage. Men who +had once been respected by their fellows, +but who had drifted down the river of vice +now came to claim the attention of the +strikers or the company. Most conspicuous +among them was drunken Bill Greene. +Three months ago he would have been +kicked out of a company section house or +passed by a Brotherhood man without a +nod. Then he was "Old Bill;" now they +called him Billy.</p> + +<p>In his palmy days he had wooed, and won +the heart of Maggie Crogan, a pretty waitress +in the railway eating-house at Zero +Junction. Maggie was barely eighteen then, +a strawberry blonde with a sunny smile and +a perpetual blush. In less than a year he +had broken her heart, wrecked her life and +sent her adrift in the night. His only excuse +was that he was madly in love with Nora +Kelly, but Nora, having heard the story of +Maggie's miserable life, turned her back on +Greene and married George Cowels, then a +young apprentice in the shops. Inasmuch as +it was about the only commendable thing +he ever did, it should be put to Greene's +credit that he did really love Nora Kelly; +but, being a coward with an inherited thirst, +he took to drink the day she turned him +down; and now, after a few wasted years +he and Maggie—old red-headed Mag they +called her—had drifted together, pooled +their sorrows and often tried to drown them +in the same can of beer. She worked, when +she worked at all, at cleaning coaches. He +borrowed her salary and bought drink with +it. Once he proposed marriage, and ended +by beating her because she laughed at him.</p> + +<p>Before the strike he had been forced to keep +sober four days out of a week. Now he was +comfortably tanked at all times. He had +been a machinist and round-house foreman, +and the company saw in him a fair +"emergency" engineer, and was constantly +watching for an opportunity to try him on +one of the fast express trains.</p> + +<p>At last he was called to take out a passenger +run. The round-house foreman had gone +personally to fetch "Billy" from the bar-room +near the Grand Pacific where he was +waiting for a Brotherhood man to drop in +and buy him a drink. When told that he +was wanted to take out the Pacific express, +the bum straightened up, hitched his suspenderless +trousers and asked: "Who're you?"</p> + +<p>"I'm the foreman; come and have a bite o' +breakfast and let's be off."</p> + +<p>"Well—folks gen'ly drink afore they eat—come +on, le's have a horn. Here, bar-keep, +give us a couple o' slugs."</p> + +<p>"Got any dough?"</p> + +<p>"Now don't git gay—I'm goin' down to +take me run out—here's me foreman."</p> + +<p>"But you must not drink," broke in the +official, "when you are going out on an express +train."</p> + +<p>"What?"</p> + +<p>"You must not drink."</p> + +<p>"Then I don't work. Th' Brotherhood 'll +pay me four dollars a day to sit right here +and keep three gages an' a flutter in the +stack—go on with yer damn ol' railroad—"</p> + +<p>"Come now, Billy," pleaded the foreman, +"this is an opportunity—"</p> + +<p>"Billy! Month ago Stonaker's nigger threw +me down the steps."</p> + +<p>"Give 'm a drink," said the foreman, and +the bar-keeper set out two glasses and a +large red bottle. While the foreman's back +was turned and the bar-man waited upon +another customer, Billy did the honors. He +filled both glasses and had emptied one +when the foreman, having unearthed a +quarter, turned and remarked to the liquor +man that he did not drink. The man was +in the act of removing the glass when +Billy grabbed it, and with a quick crook +of his elbow pitched the whiskey down his +neck.</p> + +<p>"Now will you go and eat?"</p> + +<p>"Naw—go t' work," said Greene, hitching +up his trousers.</p> + +<p>Off they went together, but at every saloon +(and there are dozens of them in Chicago), +the new engineer of the Pacific express insisted +upon drinking. By hard coaxing the +foreman had succeeded in passing three or +four of them when they were met by a couple +of strikers.</p> + +<p>"Hello Billy," said one of the men. "Where +you goin'?"</p> + +<p>"Goin' t' take me run out," said Greene, +with another hitch.</p> + +<p>"Now you fellows break away," said the +foreman, for the strikers had turned and +were walking with the others.</p> + +<p>"Reckon you don't own the sidewalk, do +you?" said one of the men, and the foreman +was silent.</p> + +<p>"Didn't think you'd shake us like this +Billy," began the striker. "We intended to +take you into the order to-day an' end up +with a good big blow-out to-night. It's all +right Billy. You go out on your run and +when you get in come round to the Pacific +an' we'll square you with the boys."</p> + +<p>"An' we'll have a bowl together, eh?" said +Billy, for the liquor was beginning to make +him happy.</p> + +<p>The foreman was white with rage, but he +was powerless.</p> + +<p>"You bet we will, Billy," said the man who +had done the talking.</p> + +<p>"Hur—what's this, boss?"</p> + +<p>"Come along now," urged the foreman, +tugging at Billy's arm.</p> + +<p>"Never run by a tank," said Billy, setting +the air and coming to a dead stall at the +open door of a beer saloon. The silent +striker had entered the saloon, the other +paused in the door, looked back, nodded +and asked: "Have something, Billy, b'fore +you go?"</p> + +<p>"Will I?" cried Billy, as he twisted from +the foreman's grasp.</p> + +<p>"Police—here—officer!" cried the foreman, +and when the copper came he found +Billy just swallowing his second straight.</p> + +<p>"Here," said the foreman, excitedly, "I +want you to arrest these men."</p> + +<p>"Better get a warrant first," said one of the +strikers coolly. "We simply came in here +to have a drink," he explained to the officer.</p> + +<p>"Phat's th' row hier, Tony?" asked the +policeman.</p> + +<p>"Th' ain't no row as I can see," said the +bar-keeper, "these gents is 'aving a quiet +drink w'en 'ees nibs there pips in an' calls +fer a cop."</p> + +<p>"This is one of our engineers," explained +the foreman, "and I was on the way to the +station with him when these strikers took +him away."</p> + +<p>"Begad, he's a bute," said the officer, folding +his arms over his ample stomach and +gazing with mirthful curiosity at the bum.</p> + +<p>"Now, ye's fellies must not interfere with +men as wants to make an honest living—let +th' ingineer go t' 'is ingine," and he gave +Billy a shove that sent him into the arms of +the waiting foreman.</p> + +<p>"What's it <i>to</i> you," shouted the angry engine-driver, +"who wants to work—who said +I wanted t' make a' honest livin'?—Go t' +'ell," and he struck the foreman in the face.</p> + +<p>"Here! Here!!" cried the officer, seizing +the fighter, "you'll go to work or go to +jail," and Billy went away between the +copper and the foreman with his wheels +sliding.</p> + +<p>After much coaxing and cursing by the +foreman, who was often asked to come out +in the alley and settle it, Billy was loaded +into an engine cab. While the foreman was +selecting a fireman from the hard-looking +herd of applicants sent down from the office +of the master-mechanic, the gentle warmth +of the boiler-head put Billy to sleep. It was +a sound, and apparently dreamless sleep, +from which he did not wake the while they +rolled him from the engine, loaded him into +a hurry-up wagon and carried him away to +the cooler.</p> + +<p>When he had sobered up Greene went to +the round-house and offered his services to +the company, but the foreman would not +talk to him. Finally Greene became abusive, +and the foreman kicked him out of +the round-house and across the turntable. +From that day Greene was a striker, and a +very troublesome one.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER EIGHTH</h2> + + +<p>Two weeks had passed when the Philosopher +met Patsy, now in deep disgrace. Patsy +had been expelled from the Brotherhood +for aiding a scab. "O! it's nothing," said +Patsy.</p> + +<p>"That's right. It won't be worth much to +belong to the Union when this cruel war is +over."</p> + +<p>"Only a fellow hates to get the worst of it +when he really tries to tote fair."</p> + +<p>"The best you can get is the worst of it +when you are bound by oath to an organization +that is engaged in a hopeless fight. +The president offered yesterday to take +back seventy-five per cent. of the men, and +immediately they said he was running. This +morning the offer is for sixty per cent., but +they won't have it. Have they offered to +balm you with promotion?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"Varnished cars, eh?"</p> + +<p>"Yep—finest train on the road."</p> + +<p>"And you told them?—"</p> + +<p>"No."</p> + +<p>"Well, I think you did right. Shall we go +and peck?"</p> + +<p>"Have you been working?"</p> + +<p>"No. I've been vag'd. When the police +got through with me, and returned my +pie-card I turned it in for a commutation +ticket, and there are still a few feeds to the +good on it. The commutation ticket is the +proper card for a gentleman in straitened +circumstances. You are not obliged to gorge +yourself at early morn with a whole twenty-cent +breakfast when all you really need is a +cup of black coffee and a roll. Besides, when +a man is not working he should not eat so +much. I frequently edge in with a crowd of +other gentlemen and procure a nice warm +lunch at one of the beer saloons, omitting +the beer. By the way, the free lunch room +is a good place for the study of human nature. +There you will see the poor working +man fish up his last five cents to pay for +a beer in order to get a hot lunch, and if +you look closely, spot a two-by-four-shopkeeper, +for instance, as he enters the front +door, and keep your eye on him until he +goes out again, you will observe that he +hasn't lost a cent. A little dark man who +runs a three-ball in La Salle Street makes a +business of this, and of loaning money at +fifty per cent. and seems to be doing quite +well."</p> + +<p>When they had reached a "Kohlsaat" the +two men sat down, or up, and when they +had finished Patsy paid for the meal.</p> + +<p>"If you see a man who has wood to saw or +a piano to tune or anything that isn't scabbin' +I wish you'd give me a character and +get me the job," said the Philosopher when +they had reached the sidewalk.</p> + +<p>"You follow my smoke," said Patsy, after a +moment's meditation, and he strolled down +the crowded street, turning and twisting +through the multitude like a man trying +to lose a dog, but he couldn't lose the Philosopher. +Presently he stepped in front of a +big building, waited for his companion, and +they went in together.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Stonaker," said Patsy when he had +been admitted to the general manager's +private office, "I have a favor to ask. I +want you to give a friend of mine a job. +He's a switchman, and a good trainman, +but he will not take the place of a striker."</p> + +<p>"Can you vouch for his honesty, Patsy?" +asked the official.</p> + +<p>"I think I can."</p> + +<p>"Very well, we want a reliable watchman +here in the building; bring your friend in."</p> + +<p>When the Philosopher had been informed +as to his new duties, and learned that he +was to have charge of the entire building, +he asked if Patsy had given his history.</p> + +<p>"I have vouched for you," said Patsy, a +little embarrassed.</p> + +<p>The general manager pressed a button and +when the stenographer came in instructed +him to take the man's personal record, in +accordance with a well-known rule. This +information is intended chiefly as a guide to +the management in notifying the relatives +or friends of an employee in case of accident +or death. The manager did the questioning +and when the man had given his name and +declared that he had no relatives, no home, +no friends—except Patsy—the official +showed some surprise and asked:</p> + +<p>"Where did you work last?"</p> + +<p>"In the workhouse."</p> + +<p>"When?" queried the general manager, +casting a quick glance at Patsy, who was +growing nervous.</p> + +<p>"'Bout a year ago now."</p> + +<p>"At what particular place have you lived +or lodged since that time?"</p> + +<p>"In jail."</p> + +<p>"What were you in jail for?"</p> + +<p>"Stealing a meal-ticket, this coat and cap +from Patsy."</p> + +<p>"I gave the things to him, sir," said Patsy, +"and he was discharged."</p> + +<p>"Where have you been living since you +left the workhouse?"</p> + +<p>"In the streets and in the fields."</p> + +<p>"Do you drink?"</p> + +<p>"No, sir."</p> + +<p>"Do you mean to tell me that an experienced +yardman, strong and intelligent as +you appear to be, can sink so low without +being a drunkard?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir."</p> + +<p>"And you have been foreman in the Buffalo +yards? What else have you been?"</p> + +<p>"A Union man, tramp, bum, vag, thief, and +a scab."</p> + +<p>"Huh!" said the general manager, pushing +out his lips, "is this your notion of a +reliable man, Patsy?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir, I still vouch for him."</p> + +<p>The general manager looked puzzled. "But +you could hardly expect me to employ, in +a responsible position, a self-confessed criminal?"</p> + +<p>"And yet," said the Philosopher, "if I had +lied to you I might have gained a good +place, but having told the truth I suppose +I must go."</p> + +<p>The general manager, who had left his seat, +began to pace the floor.</p> + +<p>"It may be possible for an honest man to +be a tramp—even a vag, but why did you +steal?"</p> + +<p>"For the same reason that I took the place +of a striker the other day—because I was +hungry," said the Philosopher looking the +general manager full in the face.</p> + +<p>"But what brought you to this condition? +that's what I want to know," said the official +earnestly. "And if you can explain that, +you can have the place, provided you really +want to reform."</p> + +<p>"I'm not so anxious to reform," said the +Philosopher. "What I want is a show to +earn an honest living, and let the balance +of the world reform. But if you want to +know what brought me to my present condition +I can tell you—this is the instrument." +And the man lifted from the manager's +desk a slip of paper, full of names, +across the top of which was printed "Black +List."</p> + +<p>"It's the blight of the black-list that is +upon me, sir, and it gives me pleasure to be +able to present to you a sample of the class +of citizens you and your associates are turning +out," said the Philosopher with much +feeling, and he turned to go.</p> + +<p>"Stay," said Patsy. "Mr. Stonaker, you told +me yesterday that if I ever needed your +assistance in any way to make my wants +known."</p> + +<p>"And do you still vouch for this man?"</p> + +<p>"I do."</p> + +<p>"Very well, then—he can have the place!"</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER NINTH</h2> + + +<p>Mr. Hawkins had been in his new lodgings +nearly a week and had frequently discussed +the strike with the great labor leader, +when he made bold one evening to state +that he had no use for the Brotherhood and +that he had it from inside sources that a +number of the old engineers were going to +return to work, and that the strike would +soon be a thing of the past, as would the +comfortable jobs that the strikers had left.</p> + +<p>Cowels, of course, was indignant, but he +was interested. Mr. Hawkins had expected +as much.</p> + +<p>"I'm going out firing myself," he went on, +"and I'm promised promotion as soon as I +can start and stop. If I had your experience +and your ability, generally, I could get the +best run on the road with a cinch on a +job as M. M. at the first opening. A good +man who goes to the company's rescue +now won't want for anything. If he's hard +up he can get all the money he needs—that +is a few hundred at least—advanced +to him."</p> + +<p>Cowels listened attentively.</p> + +<p>Mr. Hawkins lighted a fresh ten-cent cigar +and gave one to his landlord.</p> + +<p>"Of course, it's different with you," resumed +the lodger, "you own your home and have +saved your money, perhaps, but a whole lot +of the strikers are being pinched and they're +going to weaken. They'll be cursed a little +bit by the Brotherhood, but the public is +dead against the strikers—read the Chicago +papers to-day."</p> + +<p>"But the papers are owned body and soul +by the Burlington," said Cowels.</p> + +<p>"Well, what do you fellows own? That +only shows which is the winning side. You +take my advice and let go while you've got +plenty."</p> + +<p>"Plenty?" echoed Cowels. "Do you suppose +I'd take a stranger into my home—do +you think for a minute that I would sit +here and let you talk to me as you have +done if I could help myself? Plenty! I'm a +beggar."</p> + +<p>Hawkins knew that, but he expressed surprise. +When they had smoked in silence for +a while the plumber handed an unsealed +letter to his landlord and watched his face +closely as he read it.</p> + +<p>The letter was from one of the Burlington +officials and it stated plainly that the bearer +was empowered to make terms with the +gentleman addressed looking to his return +to the service of the company.</p> + +<p>Mr. Cowels was very indignant, at first, but +finally consented to discuss the matter. Mr. +Hawkins was very cool, explaining that it +made no difference with him one way or +the other. The official happened to be a +personal friend of his and had trusted him +with this commission. "If you ask my advice," +said the plumber, "I should say take +whatever they offer and go to work. No +man can hold out against such odds for any +great length of time; sooner or later you will +be as hard up as the rest, your wife will be +in need of the actual necessaries of life, your +children will be crying for food, and how +can you answer them if you let this opportunity +pass? To-morrow, I am told, is to be +the last day of grace, so you might better +heel yourself and let the Brotherhood walk +the floor for a while. The probabilities are +that the strike will simply be declared off, +the old employees to be taken back only as +their services are required, and as new men. +Every day that passes adds to the strength +of the company. Labor organizations, like +bands of Indians, are ever at each other's +throats. When the Knights of Labor struck +on the Reading those haughty aristocrats of +the working world, the Engineers' Brotherhood, +took their places, and now the Knights +of Labor engineers are coming here in carload +lots to fill the cabs of the Burlington. +If the engineers were offered their old places +back to-day they would bolt for the round-house +nor cast one longing, lingering look +for their old friends. Finally, when the +strike is settled it will be by the engineers. +If it is to be declared off, the unconditional +surrender of all the forces will be made by +them. If the terms of settlement suit them, +your followers will take their medicine and +look pleasant. Bring the matter nearer +home,—to your own experience. You have +given your time, neglected your family, and +worked unceasingly for the advancement of +the cause. Your eloquence, your genius and +your influence have held the men in line +when they have wavered and would have +broken, and what has your own order done +for you, and what will it do at the coming +convention? They have guyed you in public +and they will throw you down hard when +the time comes. It's nothing to me, only I +hate to see a good man turned down. I dislike +to see real talent and personal worth +wasted upon a lot of loud-mouthed, uneducated +coyotes who don't know who +Shakespeare is. You're too big a man, +Cowels, that's the trouble; you're out of +your sphere. When you are master-mechanic, +with your hands full of promotions, +they will look up to you, and it is +all within easy reach. If you will report +for duty to-morrow morning you can go +out on Blackwings to-morrow night, with +the Denver Limited, the finest train in the +West, behind you. The best run on the +road will be the meanest position you will +ever be asked to fill. But I must say no +more, for I don't want to persuade you to +take a step which you might regret in after +years. I only ask you to think it over to-night +and choose between what you call +loyalty to the Brotherhood, and your plain +duty to your family—Good-night."</p> + +<p>Hawkins possessed, in a remarkable degree, +the rare faculty of knowing how and when +to let go.</p> + +<p>When Cowels had made the foregoing facts +known to his wife, she was greatly surprised +that he would entertain such a proposition +for the smallest fraction of a second, for she +had always regarded him as the soul of +honor, and wholly unselfish. Now each pondered +in silence over the proposition. From +her point of view it was a choice between +the Brotherhood and her home. Between +temporary disgrace for her husband, and +hunger for her children, and she was not +long in making up her mind. The baby had +been without milk that day. It had gone to +bed hungry for the first time in its life, and +the thought of it made her desperate.</p> + +<p>To Cowels's way of reasoning it was simply +a question of choice between the position of +master of the Brotherhood and master-mechanic. +Which was nearest, and which would +last longest and pay best? These were the +points he was considering, and he chose +what appeared to him to be the surest and +quickest way. To be sure, he suffered not a +little at the thought of deserting his comrades, +but his personal ambition and selfishness +helped him to determine to report on +the following morning, and to go out with +the fast express behind him on the following +night. He tried not to think of the Brotherhood, +and to fashion to himself the glory of +success, of fast runs with Blackwings, and +future promotion.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER TENTH</h2> + + +<p>The night winds moaned among the empty +freight cars. The arc lamps hummed and +sputtered, making the flying frost look like +diamond dust dropping from the grinding +stars. Out of a shadowy alley a bent man +crept, crouching under the snow-hung eaves. +Far down the track, at a crossing, the man +saw the flash of a helmet and the glint of +brass buttons, and dodged among the cars. +The man had committed no crime against +the law, but he was willing to, and so +avoided the silent guardian of the peace, +pacing his beat. Beyond the track he came +to the street door of a two-story building, +struck a match, read the number on the +transom, and entered the hall. At the top of +the first flight of stairs a door stood open. +Beneath a gas jet in the open room Dan +Moran sat reading a book. He had heard +the unsteady footsteps on the stair, but had +not allowed them to disturb him. Now the +prowler paused, steadied himself against +the door-jamb, coughed, hiccoughed, hello'd +in a whisper, and Moran looked up.</p> + +<p>"Well, Greene," said Dan, "what brings +you abroad on a night like this?"</p> + +<p>"Business!" was the half-whispered reply, +"Business, ol' man."</p> + +<p>Now the rum-crazed rambler left the door, +put a trembling hand on the table in the +centre of the room, glanced back toward +the stairs, and peered into the face of the +old engineer. "We are betrayed!" he whispered, +leaning heavily upon the stand. His +wrist shook violently, causing the table to +quiver. The smoking outfit upon the table +made a low, rumbling noise. "What's that?" +he asked, glaring about.</p> + +<p>Having satisfied himself that all was right +he put both hands upon the table, and +gazing again into the face of Moran, repeated: +"We are betrayed. Cowels is goin' +out with Blackwings on the Denver Limited +to-morrow night. The plumber told the +foreman an hour ago—I heard 'im. Least +they think he's goin', but he ain't. He's +goin' to—"</p> + +<p>"Oh, Greene, you're drunk. Go home and +have a good sleep."</p> + +<p>"Home! Did you say home? I ain't got no +home. Drunk? Yes, I been drunk lots o' +times, but I ain't drunk now. Honest, I +ain't teched a drop to-day. Got a bot about +you, ol' man? Say, if you have, fur th' love +o' life gimme a drop—half a drop—Dan, +I'm all afire inside."</p> + +<p>It was an awful picture that Moran looked +upon now. The bloated face, the sunken, +blood-shot eyes, the blazing, hideous nose, +burning in the iron-gray stubble, all topped +by a shock of tousled, unkempt hair, made +a picture horrible in the extreme.</p> + +<p>"Say!" Greene began again, glancing toward +the door, "meet me at seven thirty +to-morrow night, on the 'rep' track near +the round-house, an' I'll show you a trick."</p> + +<p>"What sort of trick will you show me?"</p> + +<p>With another look over his shoulder at the +door the drunkard leaned over the table and +whispered. When the old engineer had gathered +what the man had said he got to his +feet, took his midnight caller by the collar +and lead him to the top of the stairs. Greene +was opposed to leaving the cheerful room, +so Moran was obliged to go with him to the +street door. Having put the wreck out into +the frosty night the engineer went back to +his book. But he could not read. That awful +face into which he had looked, and the +black soul that he had seen as well, haunted +him. He sat with his feet upon the table +and smoked pipe after pipe, in a vain effort +to drive the frightful picture from his mind. +The news that Greene had brought disturbed +him also. His fireman was going to +desert the Brotherhood, and take their old +engine out.</p> + +<p>Blackwings! How he loved that locomotive, +and how absurd it seemed now for a man to +become so attached to a mere machine! But +she was not inanimate. She lived, moved, +breathed. How often, as they swept beneath +the stars of an autumn night, had he +felt her hot breath upon his face, heard the +steel singing beneath her feet and felt her +tremble, responsive to his lightest touch. +How wild and free and glad she had +seemed, let loose in the moonlight with the +Limited behind her. How gracefully, easily, +she lifted the huge, vestibuled train from +swale to swell. How she always passed station +after station on the tick of the clock, +keeping to the time-card, unvarying as the +sun. Proud and queenly, yet gentle, she +always answered the signals of the less fortunate +locomotives that stood panting on +the side tracks, with their heavy loads. +Even the Meteor, the engine that wore +white flags and pulled the president's private +car, always took the siding and saluted +Blackwings as she swept by majestically +with the Limited.</p> + +<p>More than once Moran had refused promotion +that would take him from his engine—from +the open fields and free, wide world +in which they lived and moved together—to +the cares and anxieties of a stuffy office. +He had been contented and happy with +Blackwings, his books and his briar-root +pipe. He did not share the troubles of his +less fortunate brothers, who hugged and +exaggerated their grievances until they became, +to them, unbearable. But when they +quit he climbed down, took off his overclothes, +folded them carefully and carried +them away with him. He had nothing to +gain by the strike, but he had much to lose +by remaining at his post—the confidence +and respect of his fellow-toilers. Besides he, +in common with the rest, regarded the classification +of engineers as unfair to the men +and to the travelling public. If a man were +competent to handle a passenger train, said +the strikers, he ought to have first-class pay. +If he were incompetent he ought to be +taken off, for thousands of lives were in the +hands of the engineer during the three years +through which, at reduced pay, he was becoming +competent. These were the arguments +advanced by the men. This business +upon the one hand, and a deep longing upon +the part of the management to learn just +how far the men could go in the way of dictating +to the officials, in fixing the load for +a locomotive, and the pay of employees, +caused the company, after years of sparing, +to undertake the chastisement of the Brotherhood +of Locomotive Engineers.<a name="FNanchor3"></a><a href= + "#Footnote_3"><sup>[3]</sup></a></p> + +<p><a name="Footnote_3"></a><a href= + "#FNanchor3">[3]</a> <i>The Burlington officials claim that, by resolutions in the lodge +room at Lincoln, the engineers fixed the load for certain classes of +engines, together with the penalty for pulling more. They argue that if +allowed to do this the men would want to make the time-cards and fix +freight rates. They certainly had as much right to do the one as the +other.</i></p> + +<p>It is to be presumed that the generals, +colonels and captains in the two armies +fought for what they considered right. At +all events they were loyal and obedient to +their superiors. But each had found a foe +vastly more formidable than had been expected. They had not dreamed that the +fight could become so bitter. Life-long +friends became enemies. Family ties were +severed, homes were ruined, men's lives +were wrecked, women's hearts were broken, +and out of the shadow of the awful strife +came men fit for murder. It was these +things that had kept Dan Moran awake +far into the morning.</p> + +<p>Presently he heard a whistle, opened his +eyes, looked at his watch and then undressed +and went to bed, while other workmen, +more happily situated, passed under +his window on the way to work.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER ELEVENTH</h2> + + +<p>"Brush the snow off the headlight!"</p> + +<p>"What?"</p> + +<p>"Brush the snow off the headlight!"</p> + +<p>It was the first time the engineer had +spoken to the fireman since they left Chicago. +When they crossed the last switch +and left the lights of the city behind them +he had settled down in his place, his eyes, +with a sort of dazed look in them, fixed +upon the front window. The snow was +driving from the north-west so hard that +it was impossible for the engineer, even +when running slowly through the country +towns, to put his head outside the cab, and +now they were falling out into the night at +the rate of a mile a minute.</p> + +<p>It was Barney Guerin's first trip as a fireman. +He was almost exhausted by the honest +effort he had been making to keep the engine +hot, and now he looked at the engineer in +mingled surprise and horror. He could not +believe that the man expected him to go +out over the wet and slippery running-board +to the pilot and wipe the snow from the +headlight glass. He stood and stared so long +that the fire burned low and the pointer on +the steam gauge went back five pounds. For +the next two or three minutes he busied +himself at the furnace door, and when he +finally straightened up, half-blinded by the +awful glare of the fire-box, half-dazed by +being thrown and beaten against the sides +of the coal tank, the engineer said:</p> + +<p>"Brush the snow off the <i>headlight</i>!"</p> + +<p>The fireman opened the narrow door in +front of him and the storm came in so +furiously that he involuntarily closed it +again. Again he tried and again was beaten +back by the wind. Pulling his cap tight +down he faced about and stepped out +with his back to the storm. Holding to +the hand railing he worked his way to the +front end. One sweep of his gloved hand +swept the snow away and the great glare +of the headlight flashed up the track.</p> + +<p>"My God! how she rolls!" exclaimed the +engineer.</p> + +<p>And she did roll.</p> + +<p>Never before in the history of the road had +the Denver Limited been entrusted to a +green crew, for the engineer was also making +his maiden trip. The day coach was almost +empty. In the chair car, with four +chairs turned together, the newly-made +conductor, the head brakeman, a country +editor, and the detective sent out to spot +the crew, played high five. The three or +four passengers in the sleeper were not +asleep. They were sitting silently at the +curtained windows and occasionally casting +anxious glances at the Pullman conductor +who seemed to be expecting something to +happen. Where were all the people who +used to travel by this splendid train? The +road was now considered, by most people, +as unsafe and the people were going round +it. Public opinion, at the beginning of the +strike, was about equally divided between +the men and the company. Now and then +a reckless striker or sympathizer would blow +up a building, dope a locomotive or ditch a +train, and the stock of the strikers would go +down in the estimation of the public. Burlington +stock was falling rapidly—the property +was being wrecked.</p> + +<p>On nearly every side track could be seen +two or three dead engines that had been +ruined and abandoned by amateur engine-drivers, +and now and then at way-stations +the smouldering ruins of a freight train, +whose blackened skeleton still clung to the +warped and twisted track. At every station +great crowds of people blocked the platforms, +for the Limited had not been able to +leave Chicago for more than a month. The +engineer had scarcely touched the whistle, +deeming it safer to slip quietly through the +night, and the light train was now speeding +noiselessly over the snow-muffled earth. +They had left Chicago two hours late, and +as they had a clear track, so far as other +trains were concerned, the young driver was +letting her go regardless of danger. At any +moment they might expect to be blown into +eternity, and it was just as safe at seventy +miles an hour as at seventeen.</p> + +<p>Besides, George Cowels was desperate. For +five long years he had fired this run with +the same locomotive. He knew all her tricks +and whims, her speed and power, and the +road was as familiar to him as was his +mother's face. He knew where the "old +man" used to cut her back and ease off +on the down grades. He knew that he +ought to do the same, but he did not. +"Let her roll," he would say to himself; +and she did roll, and with every swing the +bell sounded a single note, low and mournful, +like a church bell tolling for the dead. +It seemed to the unhappy engineer that it +tolled for him, for that day he had died to +all his friends.</p> + +<p>Although he had only been out a little over +an hour now, he knew that in that hour the +story of his desertion had flashed out to +every division of the various brotherhoods +in the United States, Canada and Mexico, +and that a hundred thousand men and +women would curse him that night before +they slept. He recollected what a vigorous +striker he had been in the beginning, how he +had shouted, "Put him out" when the grand +master had said: "We are fighting a losing +fight." He recalled with some bitterness that +their leader had looked him straight in the +face when he added: "And you who fight +hardest here will be first to fall."</p> + +<p>Then the face of his ten-year-old boy rose +up before him, as it had appeared from the +street as he was leaving his home that evening, +all bruised and bleeding, with soiled +and torn clothes, and he heard the brave +child's explanation: "Mamma, I wouldn't +'ave fit, but Dugan's boy said my papa was +a scab."<a name="FNanchor4"></a><a href= + "#Footnote_4"><sup>[4]</sup></a></p> + +<p><a name="Footnote_4"></a><a href= + "#FNanchor4">[4]</a> <i>The reader must pardon the use of this vulgar word, for we must use +it here or spoil this story.</i></p> + +<p>Ordinarily it would require a great deal of +"sand" to enable a man to take out a train +of this kind and run at such a high rate of +speed through a country full of anarchy, but +in Cowels's case it required nothing in the +way of bravery. The great sacrifice he had +made in abandoning all that he held to be +honorable,—the breaking of his vow, the +violation of his oath, had left him utterly +indifferent to personal danger.</p> + +<p>It will be difficult for those unacquainted +with the vast army of daily toilers to appreciate +the sufferings of this youthful +engine-driver. A king, who in a night's +debauch loses an empire, loses no more +than the man who abandons all that he +holds sacred. The struggles and disappointments +of the poor mean as much to them +as similar sorrows mean to the rich. The +heart of a Bohemian milkmaid beats as +wildly, aches as sorely and breaks as surely +as does the heart of the proudest princess. +This man and his wife, on the day they +abandoned the cause of his comrades—of +the Brotherhood of which he had been so +proud, of whose strength he had boasted in +many a crowded hall—made a great sacrifice. +To stand disgraced in their little world +was to be disgraced before all the people of +all the earth, for in that world were the only +people they knew and cared about.</p> + +<p>When the fireman returned to the cab he +was almost overcome with terror. More than +once, as he worked his way along the side of +the rolling, plunging engine, he had nearly +been dashed to death. The very machine, he +fancied, was striving to shake him from her. +Once he had lost his footing on the running +board and only saved himself by clinging +to the hand rail while the rolling steed beat +and thrashed him against her iron side.</p> + +<p>"Never ask me to do that again," he +shouted, as he shook his clenched fist at +the engineer. The latter laughed, then +asked:</p> + +<p>"Why?"</p> + +<p>"Because it is dangerous; I nearly lost my +life."</p> + +<p>"And what if you had?" said the engineer, +and he laughed again. "Why, don't you +know that thousands would rejoice at the +news of your death and scarcely a man +would mourn? Don't you know that at +thousands of supper-tables to-night, working +men who could afford to buy an evening +paper read your name and cursed you before +their wives and children? Nearly lost +your life! Poor, miserable, contemptible +scab."</p> + +<p>"Never apply that name to me again!" +shouted Guerin, and this time it was not +his fist but the coal-pick he shoved up into +the very face of the engineer.</p> + +<p>"Why?"</p> + +<p>"Because it is dangerous; you nearly lost +<i>your</i> life."</p> + +<p>The engineer made no reply.</p> + +<p>"And what if you had?" the fireman went +on, for it was his turn to talk now.</p> + +<p>"If my action makes me contemptible in +the eyes of men, how much more contemptible +must yours make you? I take the place +of a stranger—you the place of a friend; a +man who has educated you, who has taught +you all you know about this machine. Right +well I know how I shall be hated by the +dynamiters who are blowing up bridges and +burning cars, and I tell you now that it +does not grieve me. Can you say as much? +Here's a copy of the message that went out +to your miserable little world to-night—read +it, it will do you good. I fancy your +friends will be too busy cursing you this +evening to devote any time to mere strangers."</p> + +<p>Cowels took the message with a jerk, turned +the gauge lamp to his corner and read:</p> + +<blockquote>The Denver Limited left to-night, two +hours late, Fireman George Cowels as engineer, +and Time-keeper Guerin as fireman. +Cowels is the man who wanted the grand +master thrown out of a hall in Chicago. He +was a great labor agitator and his desertion +is a great surprise. + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Hogan.</span></blockquote> + +<p><i>Later</i>—<blockquote>It is now understood that Cowels, +the scab who went out on engine Blackwings +to-night, was bought outright by a +Burlington detective. This fact makes his +action all the more contemptible. He is now +being burned in effigy on the lake front, and +the police are busy trying to keep an infuriated +mob from raiding and burning his house. +The action of Guerin was no surprise, as he +was employed in the office of the master-mechanic, +and has always been regarded as +a company man—almost as an official. + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Hogan.</span></blockquote> + +<p>Guerin, having put in a fresh fire, stood +watching the face of his companion, and +when the engineer crumpled the message +in his hand and ground his teeth together +the fireman shoved another message under +the nose of the unhappy man. This message +was on the same subject, but from quite +another source, and varied slightly from +those we have just read.</p> + + +<blockquote><span class="smcap">Official Bulletin</span>: <i>Burlington Route</i> + +<p>The Denver Limited went out on time to-night +with a reasonably well-filled train, Engineer +Cowels in the cab. Mr. Cowels has +been many years in the service of the company +and is highly esteemed by the officials. +Although he was, for a time, a prominent +striker, he saw the folly of further resistance +on the part of the employees, and this morning +came to the company's office and begged +to be allowed to return to his old run, which +request was granted. Cowels is a thoroughly +competent engineer and has been on this +same run for five years, and up to the time +of the strike had never missed a trip. It is +expected that his return to his engine will +be the signal for a general stampede. The +company has generously agreed to reïnstate +all old employees (unless guilty of some lawless +act) who return before noon to-morrow. + +<p> +<span class="smcap">Stonaker.</span></blockquote> + +<p>It would be difficult to say which of these +dispatches distressed him most. The first +said he had sold himself for so much money, +the second that he had gone to the company +and begged to be reïnstated. Slowly +he opened the first crumpled message and +read down to the word "scab." "George +Cowels, the scab,—burned in effigy—a +great mob about his house." All these things +passed swiftly before him, and the thought +of his wife and baby being in actual danger, +his boy being kicked and cuffed about, almost +made him mad. He crushed the crumpled +messages in his right hand while with +his left he pulled the throttle wide open. +The powerful Blackwings, built to make +time with ten cars loaded, leaped forward +like a frightened deer. The speed of the +train was now terrific, and the stations, +miles apart, brushed by them like telegraph +poles. At Mendota a crowd of men hurled +sticks and stones at the flying train. As the +stones hailed into the cab, and the broken +glass rained over him, the desperate driver +never so much as glanced to either side, but +held his place, his hand on the throttle and +his eye on the track. For the first time he +looked at his watch. He was still more than +an hour late. He remembered how the old +engineer had said, an hundred times perhaps: +"George, an express train should +never be late; she should be on time or +in the ditch."</p> + +<p>It was the first time Blackwings had ever +been an hour late anywhere, and with all +his greater sorrows this grieved the young +engineer. Now at the way stations the +crowd that awaited them invariably fell +back as the wild train dashed by, or, if they +hurled their missiles, those aimed at the locomotive +struck the sleeper or flew across the +track behind it, so great was the speed of +the train. Cowels yielded at last to the irresistible +desire to see how his companion was +taking it, but as he bent his gaze in that +direction it encountered the grinning face +of the fireman, into which he threw the +crumpled paper. Then, as he continued to +grin, the infuriated engineer grabbed a +hard-hammer and hurled it murderously at +Guerin's head. The latter saved his life by a +clever dodge, and springing to the driver's +side caught him by the back of the neck +and shoved his head out at the window and +held it there. They were just at that moment +descending a long grade down which +the most daring driver always ran with a +closed throttle. Blackwings was wide open, +and now she appeared to be simply rolling +and falling through space. Although we +have no way of knowing how fast she fell, +it is safe to say she was making ninety miles +an hour. While the fireman held on to the +engineer, squeezing and shaking away at +the back of his neck, the speed of the train +was increasing with every turn of the wheels. +Gradually the resistance of the engineer +grew feebler until all at once he dropped +across the arm-rest, limp and lifeless. Guerin, +finding himself alone on the flying engine, +had presence of mind enough to close the +throttle, but with that his knowledge of the +locomotive ended. He reasoned that in time +she must run down and stop of herself, and +then the train crew would come forward and +relieve his embarrassment. It never occurred +to him for a moment that he might be regarded +as a murderer, for he had only held +the engineer down to the seat, with no more +violence than boys use toward each other in +play. And while he stood staring at the still +form of the driver that hung out of the window +like a pair of wet overalls, the engine +rolled, the snow drifted deeper and deeper +on the headlight, and with every roll the +bell tolled! tolled!! like a church bell tolling +for the dead. The train, slowing down, rolled +silently over the shrouded earth, the fire in +the open furnace blackened and died, the +cold air chilled her flues and the stream of +water from the open injector flooded the +boiler of Blackwings and put the death-rattle +in her throat. When at last the train +rolled slowly into Galesburg the fireman +stood on the deck of a dead locomotive, with +snow on her headlight, and, as the crowd +surged round him, pointed to the limp form +of the young engineer that hung in the window, +dead.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER TWELFTH</h2> + + +<p>Judge Meyer's court was crowded when +the three big policemen, formed like a football +team, wedged their way into the building. +In the centre of the "A" walked the +prisoner, handcuffed and chained like a +murderer. When they had arrived in front +of the judge and the officers stepped back +they left the prisoner exposed to the gaze +of the spectators. Standing six feet two, +strong and erect, he looked as bold and +defiant as a Roman warrior, and at sight +of him there ran a murmur through the +court room which was promptly silenced by +the judge.</p> + +<p>In response to the usual questions the prisoner +said his name was Dan Moran, that his +occupation was that of a locomotive engineer. +He had been in the employ of the +Burlington for a quarter of a century—ever +since he was fifteen years old—but +being one of the strikers he was now out +of employment.</p> + +<p>"You are charged," said the clerk, "with +trespassing upon the property of the Chicago, +Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, +inciting a riot, attempting to blow up +a locomotive and threatening the life of the +engineer. How do you plead?"</p> + +<p>"Not guilty," said the old engine-driver, and +as he said this he seemed to grow an inch +and looked grander than ever.</p> + +<p>Being asked if he desired counsel the prisoner +said he did not, that the whole matter +could be explained by a single witness—an +employee of the company.</p> + +<p>The company detective and the police officers +exchanged glances, the judge coughed, +the crowd of loafers shifted ballast and rested +on the other foot. Only the prisoner stood +motionless and erect.</p> + +<p>The detective, the first witness for the prosecution, +testified that he had followed the +prisoner into the yards from among the +freight cars, watched him approach the engine +Blackwings and talk with the engineer. +He could not make out all that passed, but +knew that the men had quarrelled. He had +seen the prisoner stoop down and fumble +about the air-pump on the engineer's side +of the engine. He then rose and as he moved +off made some threat against the life of the +engineer and about "ditching" the train.</p> + +<p>Being asked to repeat this important part +of his testimony, the witness admitted that +he could not repeat the threat exactly, but +he was positive that the prisoner had threatened +the life of the engineer of the Denver +Limited. He was positive that the last +words uttered by the prisoner as he left +the engine were these: "This train, by this +time, ought to be in the ditch." The witness +followed the statement with the explanation +that the train was then nearly two +hours late. "This," said the witness, still +addressing the court, "was found in the +prisoner's inside coat pocket," and he held +up a murderous looking stick of dynamite. +After landing the would-be dynamiter safely +in jail the detective had hastened back to +the locomotive, which was then about to +start out on her perilous run, and had found +a part of the fuse, which had been broken, +attached to the air brake apparatus. This he +exhibited, also, and showed that the piece +of fuse found on the engine fitted the piece +still on the dynamite.</p> + +<p>It looked like a clear case of intent to kill +somebody, and even the prisoner's friends +began to believe him guilty. Three other +witnesses were called for the prosecution. +The company's most trusted detective, and +a Watchem man testified that the prisoner +had, up to now, borne a good reputation. +He had been one of the least noisy of the +strikers and had often assisted the police +in protecting the company's property. The +master-mechanic under whom Dan Moran +had worked as a locomotive engineer for +twenty years took the stand and said, with +something like tears in his voice, that Dan +<i>had been</i> one of the best men on the road. +Being questioned by the company's attorney +he gave it as his opinion that no dynamite +was attached to the air-pump of Blackwings +when she crossed the table, and that if it +was there at all it must have been put there +after the engine was coupled on to the +Denver Limited. Then he spoiled all this +and shocked the prosecuting attorney by +expressing the belief that there must be +some mistake.</p> + +<p>"Do you mean to say that you disbelieve +this gentleman, who, at the risk of his life, +arrested this ruffian and prevented murder?" +the lawyer demanded.</p> + +<p>"I mean to say," said the old man slowly, +"that I don't believe Dan put the dynamite +on the engine."</p> + +<p>When the master-mechanic had been excused +and was passing out Dan put out his +hand—both hands in fact, for they were +chained together—and the company's officer +shook the manacled hands of the prisoner +and hurried on.</p> + +<p>When the prosecution had finished, the +prisoner was asked to name the witness +upon whom he relied.</p> + +<p>"George Cowels," said the accused, and +there ran through the audience another murmur, +the judge frowned, and the standing +committee shifted back to the other foot.</p> + +<p>"Your Honor, please," said the attorney +rising, "we are only wasting time with +this incorrigible criminal. He must know +that George Cowels is dead for he undoubtedly +had some hand in the murder, +and now to show you that he had not, he +has the temerity to stand up here and pretend +to know nothing whatever about the +death of the engineer. I must say that, +quiet and gentle as he is, he is a cunning +villain to try to throw dust in the eyes of +the people by pretending to be ignorant +of Cowels's death. I submit, your Honor, +there is no use in wasting time with this +man, and we ask that he be held without +bail, to await the action of the grand jury."</p> + +<p>Dan Moran appeared to pay little or no +attention to what the lawyer was saying, +for the news of Cowels's death had been a +great shock to him. The fact that he had +been locked up over night and then brought +from the jail to the court in a closed van +might have accounted for his ignorance of +Cowels's death, but no one appeared to +think of that. But now, finding himself at +the open door of a prison, with a strong +chain of circumstantial evidence wound +about him, he began to show some interest +in what was going on.</p> + +<p>The judge, having adjusted his glasses, and +opened and closed a few books that lay on +his desk, was about to pronounce sentence +when the prisoner asked to be allowed to +make a statement.</p> + +<p>This the attorney for the company objected +to as a waste of time, for he was satisfied of +the prisoner's guilt, but the judge over-ruled +the objection and the prisoner testified.</p> + +<p>He admitted having had the dynamite in +his pocket when arrested, but said he had +taken it from the engine to prevent its +exploding and wrecking the locomotive. +He said he had quarrelled with the engineer +of Blackwings at first, but later they +came to an understanding. He then gave +the young runner some fatherly advice, and +started to leave when he was arrested.</p> + +<p>Although he told his story in a straightforward +honest way, it was, upon the face +of it, so inconsistent that even the loafers, +changing feet again, pitied the prisoner and +many of them actually left the room before +the judge could pronounce sentence. +Moran was held, of course, and sent to jail +without bail. He had hosts of friends, but +somehow they all appeared to be busy that +evening and only a few called to see him.</p> + +<p>One man, not of the Brotherhood, said to +himself that night as he went to his comfortable +bed: "I will not forsake the company, +neither will I forsake Dan Moran until he +has been proven guilty."</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER THIRTEENTH</h2> + + +<p>While Dan Moran was being examined +in Judge Meyer's ill-smelling court in Chicago +a coroner's jury was sitting on the body +of the dead engineer at Galesburg. Hundreds +of people had been at the station and +witnessed the arrival of the express train +that came in with a dead engine, with snow +on her headlight, and a dead engineer hanging +out of the window. Hundreds of people +could testify that this had happened, but +none of them knew what had caused the +death of the engine-driver. Medical experts +who were called in to view the body could +find no marks of violence upon it and, in +order to get out of a close place without +embarrassment, agreed that the engineer +had died of heart failure. This information, +having been absorbed by the jury, they +gave in a verdict to that effect. If the doctors +had said, "He died for want of breath," +the verdict would no doubt have agreed +perfectly with what the doctors said.</p> + +<p>After the train had arrived and the coroner +was called and had taken the dead man +from the engine, Barney Guerin had wandered +into a small hotel near the station +and engaged a room for the night. Being +the only person on the engine at the time +of the engineer's death, Guerin was very +naturally attracting the attention of the +railway officials, and calling about him, unconsciously, +all the amateur detectives and +newspaper reporters in the place. Fortunately +for him, he was arrested, upon a +warrant sworn out by the station agent, +and lodged in jail before the reporters got +at him. Here he was visited by a local +lawyer, for the company, and instructed to +say nothing whatever about the death of +Cowels.</p> + +<p>Upon the announcement of the verdict of +the coroner's jury the prisoner was released, +and returned to Chicago by the same train +that bore the remains of the dead engineer.</p> + +<p>Guerin, whose heart was as big as his body +and as tender as a woman's, hastened to the +home of his late companion and begged the +grief-sick widow to allow him to be of some +service to her. His appearance (she had +known him by sight) excited her greatly for +she knew he had been arrested as the murderer +of her husband.</p> + +<p>The news he brought of the verdict of the +coroner's jury, which his very presence corroborated, +quieted her and she began to ask +how it had all happened.</p> + +<p>Guerin began cautiously to explain how the +engineer had died, still remembering the +lawyer's advice, but before he had gone a +dozen words the poor woman wept so bitterly +that he was obliged to discontinue the +sad story.</p> + +<p>Then came the corpse, borne by a few faithful +friends—some of the Brotherhood and +some of the railway company—who met +thus on neutral ground and in the awful +presence of death forgot their feud. Not an +eye was dry while the little company stood +about as the mother and boy bent over the +coffin and poured out their grief, and the +little girl, not old enough to understand, but +old enough to weep, clung and sobbed at +her mother's side.</p> + +<p>The next day they came again and carried +Cowels away and buried him in the new +and thinly settled side of the grave-yard, +where the lots were not too high, and where +for nearly four years their second son, a +baby boy, had slept alone. Another day +came and the men who had mixed their +tears at the engineer's grave passed one +another without a nod of recognition, and, +figuratively speaking, stood again to their +respective guns.</p> + +<p>One man had been greatly missed at the +funeral, and the recollection that he had +been greatly wronged by the dead man did +not excuse him in the eyes of the widow. +Dan Moran had been a brother, a father, +everything to her husband and now when +he was needed most, he came not at all. +Death, she reasoned, should level all differences +and he should forgive all and come +to her and the children in their distress. At +the end of a week this letter came:</p> + +<blockquote> + <i>County Jail, —— 1888.</i><br> + +<i>My dear Mrs. Cowels</i>:<br> + +<p><i>Every day since George's death I have wanted to +write you to assure you of my innocence and of my +sympathy for you in this the hour of your sorrow. +These are dreadful times. Be brave, and believe me</i></p> + +<p> + <i>Your friend,</i><br> + + <i>Dan Moran.</i></p></blockquote> + +<p>This letter, and the information it contained, +was as great a surprise to Mrs. Cowels as +the news of Cowels's death had been to +Moran. She began at the beginning and +read it carefully over again, as women always +do. She determined to go at once to +the jail. She was shrewd enough to say +"Yes" when asked if the prisoner were related +in any way to her, and was shortly in +the presence of the alleged dynamiter. She +did not find him walking the floor impatiently, +or lying idly on his back counting +the cracks in the wall, but seated upon his +narrow bed with a book resting on his +cocked-up knees, for, unlike most railway +employees, Moran was a great reader.</p> + +<p>"I'm glad to see you, Mrs. Cowels," he +said in his easy, quiet way, as he arose and +took her hand, "but sorry we are compelled +to meet under such melancholy circumstances."</p> + +<p>At sight of their old friend her woman's +heart sent forth a fresh flood of tears, and +for some moments they stood thus with +heads bowed in silent grief.</p> + +<p>"I'm sorry I can't offer you a chair," said +the prisoner after she had raised her head +and dried her eyes. "This only chair I +have is wrecked, but if you don't mind the +iron couch—" and then they sat down side +by side and began to talk over the sad +events of the past week.</p> + +<p>"Your presence here is a great surprise," +began Moran, "and a great pleasure as +well, for it leads me to hope that you believe +me innocent."</p> + +<p>"How could I believe you otherwise, for I +do not know now of what you are accused, +nor did I know, until I received your note, +that you were imprisoned."</p> + +<p>"But the papers have been full of—"</p> + +<p>"Perhaps," she said interrupting him, "but +I have not looked at a paper since I read +of the death of George."</p> + +<p>Here she broke down again and sobbed so +that the guard outside the cell turned his +back; and the old engineer, growing nervous, +a thing unusual for him, decided to +scold her.</p> + +<p>"You must brace up now, Nora,—Mrs. +Cowels, and close your sand valve. You've +got a heavy load and a bad rail, and you +mustn't waste water in this way."</p> + +<p>"Oh! I shall never be able to do it, Dan, +I shall die—I don't want to live and I shall +die."</p> + +<p>"You'll do nothing of the sort—women +don't die so easy; thousands of others, not +half as brave as you are, have made the +same run, hard as it seems, and have come +in on time. There are few sorrows that +time will not heal. Engine-men are born to +die, and their wives to weep over them and +live on—you will not die."</p> + +<p>"But I—I <i>shall</i> die," sobbed the woman.</p> + +<p>Before he could reply the door opened and +an elderly man, plainly, but comfortably +dressed, stood before them.</p> + +<p>Moran gave his hand to the newcomer in +silence and it was taken in silence; then, +turning to the veiled figure he said: "Mrs. +Cowels, this is our master-mechanic."</p> + +<p>When the visitor had taken her hand and +assured her of his sympathy, Moran asked +them to be seated, and standing before +them said:</p> + +<p>"Mrs. Cowels has just asked me why I am +here, and I was at the point of replying +when you came in. Now, with your permission +I will tell her, for I am afraid, my +friend, that you did not quite understand me +that day in court. I am charged with trespassing +upon the property of the Chicago, +Burlington, and Quincy Railroad Company, +inciting a riot (although there was no +riot), attempting to blow up Blackwings +and threatening to kill George Cowels."</p> + +<p>"Oh! how could they say such dreadful +things?" said Mrs. Cowels, "and I suppose +that you were not even on the company's +ground!"</p> + +<p>"Oh yes, I was. I went to the engine, and +quarrelled with George, just as the detective +said I did, but we only quarrelled for +a moment because George could not know +why I came."</p> + +<p>"But you did not threaten to kill George?" +said the woman excitedly.</p> + +<p>"No."</p> + +<p>"Tell me, Dan," said the master-mechanic, +"had you that stick of dynamite when the +detective arrested you? Tell us truly, for +you are talking to friends."</p> + +<p>"There is something about the dynamite +that I may not explain, but I will say this +to you, my friends, that I went to the engine, +not to kill Cowels, but to save his +life, and I believe I did save it, for a few +hours at least."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Cowels looked at the man, who still +kept his seat on the narrow bed, as though +she wished him to speak.</p> + +<p>"Dan," he began, "I don't believe you put +that dynamite on the engine; I have said +so, and if I don't prove it I am to be dismissed. +That conclusion was reached to-day +at a meeting of the directors of the road. +I have been accused of sympathy with the +strikers, it seems, before, and now, after the +statement by the attorney that I used my +influence to have you discharged after he +had made out a clear case against you, I +have been informed by the general manager +that I will be expected to prove your innocence +or look for another place.</p> + +<p>"I have been with the Burlington all my +life and don't want to leave them, particularly +in this way, but it is on your account, +more than on my own, that I have come +here to-night to ask you to tell the whole +truth about this matter and go from this +place a free man."</p> + +<p>"To do that I must become an informer, +the result of which would be to put another +in my place. No, I can't do that; I've nothing +to do at present and I might as well remain +here."</p> + +<p>"And let your old friend here be discharged, +if not disgraced?" asked Mrs. Cowels.</p> + +<p>"No, that must not be," said Moran, and +he was then silent for a moment as if +trying to work out a scheme to prevent +that disaster to his much-loved superior. +"You must let me think it over," he +said, presently. "Let me think it over to-night."</p> + +<p>"And let the guilty one escape," Mrs. +Cowels added.</p> + +<p>"Some people seem to think," said Moran, +with just a faint attempt at a smile, "that +the guilty one is quite secure."</p> + +<p>"Don't talk nonsense, Dan," she said, "you +know I believe you."</p> + +<p>"And you, my friend?" he said as he extended +his hand to the official.</p> + +<p>"You know what I believe," said the visitor; +"and now good-night—I shall see you again +soon."</p> + +<p>"I hope so," said Dan. "It is indeed very +good of you to call, and of you, too," +he added, as he turned to his fairer visitor. +"I shall not forget your kindness to +me, and only hope that I may be of some +help to you in some way, and do something +to show my appreciation of this visit +and of your friendship. But," he added, +glancing about him, "one can't be of much +use to his friends shut up in a hole like +this."</p> + +<p>"You can do me a great favor, even while +in prison," she said.</p> + +<p>"Only say what it is and I shall try."</p> + +<p>"Tell us who put the dynamite on Blackwings."</p> + +<p>"I shall try," he said, "only let me have +time to think what is best to do."</p> + +<p>"What is right is what is best to do," said +Mrs. Cowels, holding out her hand—"Good-night."</p> + +<p>"Good-night," said the prisoner, "come +again when you can, both of you." And +the two visitors passed out into the clear, +cold night, and when the prisoner had seen +them disappear he turned to his little friend, +the book.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER FOURTEENTH</h2> + + +<p>"Mr. Scouping of <i>The London Times</i> +would like to see you for a few minutes," +said the jailor.</p> + +<p>"I don't care to see any newspaper man," +said Moran, closing his book.</p> + +<p>"I knew that," said the jailor, "but this +man is a personal friend of mine and in all +the world there is not his equal in his chosen +profession, and if you will see him just for a +few minutes it will be a great favor to me. +I feel confident, Dan, that he can be of service +to you—to the public at least—will +you see him?"</p> + +<p>The jailor had been extremely kind to the +engineer and when he put the matter as a +personal request, Moran assented at once +and Mr. Scouping was ushered in. He was +a striking figure with a face that was rather +remarkable.</p> + +<p>"Now, what are you thinking about?" asked +the visitor, as Moran held his hand and +looked him full in the face.</p> + +<p>"Oh!" said the prisoner, motioning the reporter +to a chair which the jailor had just +brought in, "I was thinking what a waste +of physical strength it was for you to spend +your time pushing a pencil over a sheet of +paper."</p> + +<p>"Are you sure?"</p> + +<p>"Quite sure. What were you thinking +about?"</p> + +<p>"The trial of the robbers who held up the +Denver Limited at Thorough-cut some +eight or ten years ago. You look like the +man who gave one of them a black eye, +and knocked him from the engine, branding +him so that the detectives could catch +him."</p> + +<p>Moran smiled. He had been thinking on +precisely the same subject, but, being modest, +he did not care to open a discussion of +a story of which he was the long-forgotten +hero. "It strikes me," said Moran, "as rather +extraordinary that we should both recall the +scene at the same time."</p> + +<p>"Not at all," said the reporter. "The very +fact that one of us thought of it at the +moment when our hands and eyes met +would cause the other to remember."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps you reported the case for your +paper, that we saw each other from day to +day during the long trial, and that I remembered +your face faintly, as you remembered +mine. Wouldn't that be a better explanation?"</p> + +<p>"No," said the journalist cheerfully. "I +must decline to yield to your argument, +and stick to my decision. What I want to +talk to you about, Mr. Moran, is not your +own case, save as it may please you, but +about the mysterious death of Engineer +Cowels."</p> + +<p>"I know less about that, perhaps, than any +man living," said Moran frankly.</p> + +<p>"But you know the fireman's story?"</p> + +<p>"No."</p> + +<p>"Well, he claims that they were running +at a maddening rate of speed, that he and +the engineer had quarrelled as to their relative +positions in the estimation of the +public in general, the strikers in particular. +Cowels threw a hammer at the fireman, +whereupon Guerin, as he claims, caught the +man by the left arm and by the back of the +neck and shoved his head out of the window. +The engineer resisted, but Guerin, +who is something of an athlete, held him +down and in a few moments the man collapsed."</p> + +<p>"How fast were they going?"</p> + +<p>"Well, that is a question to be settled by +experts. How fast will Blackwings go with +four cars empty?"</p> + +<p>"Ninety miles an hour."</p> + +<p>"How fast would she go, working 'wide +open in the first notch,' as you people say, +down Zero Hill?"</p> + +<p>"She would go in the ditch—she could +hardly be expected to hold the rail for more +than two minutes."</p> + +<p>"But she did hold it."</p> + +<p>"I don't believe it," said the old driver; +"but if she did, she must have made a +hundred miles an hour, and in that case the +mystery of Cowels's death is solved—he +was drowned."</p> + +<p>"But his clothes were not wet, and he was +still in the window when they reached +Galesburg."</p> + +<p>"I do not mean," said Moran, "that he was +drowned in the engine-tank, but in the cab +window—in the air."</p> + +<p>"That sounds absurd."</p> + +<p>"Try it," said the prisoner. "Get aboard of +Blackwings, strike the summit at Zero Hill +with her lever hooked back and her throttle +wide open, let a strong man hold your head +out at the window, and if she hangs to the +rail your successor will have the rare opportunity +of writing you up."</p> + +<p>"Do you mean that seriously?"</p> + +<p>"I do. If what you tell me is true, there +can be no shade of doubt as to the cause of +Cowels's death."</p> + +<p>"I believe," said the reporter, "that you +predicted his death, or that the train would +go in the ditch, did you not?"</p> + +<p>"No."</p> + +<p>"I was not present at the examination, but +it occurs to me that the man who claimed +to be a detective, and who made the arrest, +swore that you had made such a prediction."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps," said Moran. "The truth is when +that fellow was giving his testimony I was +ignorant of Cowels's death, upon whose evidence +I hoped to prove that the fellow was +lying wilfully, or that he had misunderstood +me, and later, I was so shocked and surprised +at the news of my old fireman's death +that I forgot to make the proper explanation +to the magistrate."</p> + +<p>"Why not make that explanation now? +These are trying times and men are not +expected to be as guarded in their action as +in times of peace."</p> + +<p>"If you hope to learn from me that I had +anything to do with Cowels's death, or with +the placing of the dynamite upon the locomotive, +I am afraid you are wasting your +time. Suppose you are an army officer, the +possessor of a splendid horse—one that has +carried you through hundreds of battles, +but has finally been captured by the enemy. +You are fighting to regain possession of the +animal with the chances of success and failure +about equally divided, but you have an +opportunity, during the battle, to slay this +horse, thereby removing the remotest chance +of ever having it for yourself again, to say +nothing of the wickedness of the act,—would +you do it?"</p> + +<p>"I should say not."</p> + +<p>"And yet, I venture to say," said the prisoner, +"that there is no love for a living +thing that is not human, to equal the love +of a locomotive engineer for his engine. To +say that he would wilfully and maliciously +wreck and ruin the splendid steed of steel +that had carried him safely through sun and +storm is utterly absurd."</p> + +<p>"But what was it, Mr. Moran, that you +said about the train going in the ditch?"</p> + +<p>"I have a little motto of my own," said +the engineer, with his quiet smile, "which +makes the delay of an express train inexcusable, +and I was repeating it to George, +as I had done scores of times before. It is +that there are only two places for an express +train; she should either be on time +or in the ditch. It may have been rather +reckless advice to a new runner, but I was +feeling a mite reckless myself; but, above +all the grief and disappointments (for the +disgrace of my fireman's downfall was in a +measure mine) arose the desire that Blackwings +should not be disgraced; such is the +love of the engineer for his engine."</p> + +<p>The old engineer had shown much feeling, +more than was usual for him to display, +while talking about his engine, and the reporter +was impressed very favorably. "This +has been most interesting to me," said the +journalist; "and now I must leave you to +your book, or to your bed," and then the +two men shook hands again and parted.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;"> + +<p>It was almost midnight when a closed carriage +stopped at the general office of the +Burlington Company, and the man who +had been representing <i>The London Times</i> +stepped out.</p> + +<p>The Philosopher, who was still on duty, +touched his cap and led the visitor to the +private office of the general manager.</p> + +<p>"By Jove, Watchem," said the railway +man, advancing to meet his visitor, "I had +nearly given you up—what success?"</p> + +<p>"Well," said the great detective, removing +his heavy coat, "I have had a talk with +Moran. Why, I know that fellow; he is the +hero of the celebrated Thorough-cut train +robbery, and he ought to be wearing a medal +instead of irons."</p> + +<p>"What! for attempting to blow up an engine?" +asked the general manager.</p> + +<p>"He never did it," said the dark man positively. +"He may know who did do it, but +he will not tell, and he ought to be discharged."</p> + +<p>"He will never be until he is proved innocent," +said the railroad man.</p> + +<p>"One of the conditions," began the detective +deliberately, "upon which I took charge +of this business was that I should have absolute +control of all criminal matters and I +am going to ask you to instruct the prosecuting +attorney's office to bring this man +before Judge Meyer to-morrow morning +and ask that he be discharged."</p> + +<p>"The prosecuting attorney will never consent," +said the general manager. "He believes +the man guilty."</p> + +<p>"And what do I care for his opinion or his +prejudice? What does it matter to the average +attorney whether he convicts or acquits, +so long as his side wins? Before we proceed +further with this discussion, I want it distinctly +understood that Dan Moran shall be +released at once. The only spark of pleasure +that comes into the life of an honest detective, +to relieve the endless monotony of +punishing the wicked, is the pleasure of +freeing those wrongfully accused. Dan Moran +is innocent; release him and I will be +personally responsible for him and will agree +to produce him within twenty-four hours at +any time when he may be wanted."</p> + +<p>The general manager was still inclined to +hold his ground, but upon being assured +that the Watchem detective agency would +throw the whole business over unless the +demands of the chief were acceded to, he +yielded, and after a brief conference the two +men descended, the Philosopher closed the +offices and went his way.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER FIFTEENTH</h2> + + +<p>Scores of criminals, deputies and strikers +were rounded up for a hearing before Judge +Meyer. So great was the crowd of defendants +that little room was left for the curious. +The first man called was a laborer, a +freight handler, whose occupation had gone +when the company ceased to handle freight. +The charge against him was a peculiar one. +His neighbor, a driver for one of the breweries, +owned a cow, which, although she +gave an abundance of milk at night, had +ceased almost entirely to produce at the +morning milking. The German continued +to feed her and she waxed fat, but there +was no improvement, and finally it was +decided that the cow should be watched. +About four <span class="smcap">A. M.</span> on the following morning +a small man came and leaned a ladder +against the high fence between the driver's +back-yard, and that of the laborer. Then the +small man climbed to the top of the fence, +balanced himself carefully, hauled the ladder +up and slid it down in the Dutchman's lot. +All this was suspicious, but what the driver +wanted was positive proof, so he choked his +dog and remained quiet until the man had +milked the cow and started for the fence. +Now the bull-dog, being freed from his master's +grasp, coupled into the climber's caboose +and hauled him back down the ladder. It +was found upon examination that a rubber +hot-water bag, well filled with warm milk, +was dangling from a strap that encircled the +man's shoulders, shot-pouch fashion.</p> + +<p>Upon being charged, the man pleaded +guilty. At first, he said, he had only taken +enough milk for the baby, who had been +without milk for thirty-six hours. The +thought of stealing had not entered his +mind until near morning of the second +night of the baby's fast. They had been +up with the starving child all night, and +just before day he had gone into the back-yard +to get some fuel to build a fire, when +he heard his neighbor's cow tramping about +in the barn lot, and instantly it occurred to +him that there was milk for the baby; that +if he could procure only a teacupful, it +might save the child's life. He secured a +ladder and went over the fence, but being +dreadfully afraid he had taken barely enough +milk to keep the baby during the day and +that night they were obliged to walk the +floor again. It was only a little past midnight +when he went over the fence for the +second time. Upon this occasion he took +more milk, so that he was not obliged to +return on the following night, but another +day brought the same condition of affairs +and over the fence he went, and he continued +to go every night, and the baby began +to thrive as it had not done in all its life.</p> + +<p>Finally the food supply began to dwindle, +he was idle, and his wife was unable to do +hard work; they had other small children +who now began to cry for milk, and the +father's heart ached for them and he went +over the fence one night prepared to bring +all he could get. That day all the children +had milk, but it was soon gone and then +came the friendly night and the performance +at the back fence was repeated.</p> + +<p>Emboldened by success the man had come +to regard it as a part of his daily or nightly +duty to milk his neighbor's cow, but alas! +for the wrong-doer there comes a day of +reckoning, and it had come at last to the +freight handler. The freight agent who was +called as a witness testified as to the good +character of the man previously, but he was +a thief. Put to the test it had been proven +that he would steal from his neighbor simply +to keep his baby from starving, so he +went to the workhouse, his family went to +the poor-house, and the strike went on.</p> + +<p>"If you were to ask who is responsible for +this strike," said the philosophic tramp to +Patsy, "which has left in its wake only +waste, want, misery, and even murder, the +strikers would answer 'the company'; the +company, 'the strikers'; and if Congress +came in a private car to investigate, the +men on either side would hide behind one +another, like cattle in a storm, and the +guilty would escape. The law intends to +punish, but the law finds it so hard to locate +the real criminals in a great soulless +corporation, or in a conglomeration of organizations +whose aggregate membership +reaches into the hundreds of thousands, +that the blind goddess grows weary, groping +in the dark, and finally falls asleep with +the cry of starving children still ringing in +her ears."</p> + +<p>Now an officer brought engineer Dan Moran, +the alleged dynamiter, into court for +a special hearing. He wore no manacles, +but stood erect in the awful presence of the +judge, unfettered and unafraid.</p> + +<p>Mr. Alexander, the lawyer for the strikers, +having had a hint from Billy Watchem, the +detective, asked that the prisoner be discharged, +but the young man who had been +sent down from the office of the prosecuting +attorney, being behind the procession, protested +vigorously. In the midst of a burning +argument, in which the old engineer was +unmercifully abused, the youthful attorney +was interrupted to receive a message from +the general manager of the Burlington +route. Pausing only long enough to read +the signature, the orator continued to pour +his argument into the court until a second +messenger arrived with a note from his +chief. It was brief and he read it: "Let go; +the house is falling in on you"; and he let +go. It was a long, hard fall, so he thought he +would drop a little at a time. The court was +surprised to see the attorney stop short in +what he doubtless considered the effort of his +life, and ask that the prisoner be released on +bail. Now the prosecuting attorney glanced +at Mr. Alexander, but that gentleman was +looking the other way. "Does that proposition +meet with the approval of the eminent +counsel on the other side?"</p> + +<p>"No," said the other side.</p> + +<p>"Then will you take the trouble to make +your wishes known to the court?"</p> + +<p>"No, you will do that for me," said the +eminent counsel, with a coolness that was exasperating. +"It would be unsafe to shut off +such a flow of eloquence all at once. Ask the +court, please, to discharge the prisoner."</p> + +<p>"Never," said the young lawyer, growing +red to the roots of his perfectly parted hair. +The counsel for the defence reached over +the table and flipped the last message toward +the lawyer, at the same time advising +the young man to read it again. Then the +young man coughed, the old lawyer laughed, +the judge fidgeted on his bench, but he +caught the prayer of the youthful attorney, +it was answered, and Dan Moran received +his freedom.</p> + +<p>"Do you observe how the law operates?" +asked the Philosopher, who had been the +bearer of the message from the general +manager, of Patsy Daly as they were leaving +the court.</p> + +<p>"I must confess," said Patsy, "that I am +utterly unable to understand these things. +Here is a lawyer abusing a man—an honest +man at that—unmercifully, and all of a sudden +he asks the court to discharge the prisoner. +It's beyond me."</p> + +<p>"But the side play! Didn't you get on to +the message that blackguard received? He +had a hunch from the prosecuting attorney +who had been hunched by the general manager, +who, as I happened to know, was severely, +but very successfully hunched by +Billy Watchem, to the effect that this man +was innocent and must be released. It was +the shadow-hand of old 'Never Sleep,' that +did the business and set an innocent man +free, and hereafter, when I cuss a copper +I'll say a little prayer for this man whose +good deeds are all done in the dark, and +therefore covered up."</p> + +<p>"Thank you," said Patsy, "I should never +have been able to work it out myself."</p> + +<p>"Well, it is not all worked out yet," said +the Philosopher, "and will not be until we +come up for a final hearing, in a court that +is infallible and unfoolable; and what a lot +of surprises are in store for some people. It +is not good to judge, and yet I can't help +picturing it all to myself. I see a sleek old +sinner, who has gone through this life perfectly +satisfied with himself, edging his way +in and sidling over where the sheep are. +Then in comes this poor devil who went to +jail this morning—that was his first trip, +but the road is easy when you have been +over it once—and he, having been herding +all along with the goats, naturally wanders +over that way. Then at the last moment I +see the Good Shepherd shooing the sleek +old buck over where the goats are and +bringing the milk-thief back with him, and +I see the look of surprise on the old gentleman's +face as he drops down the 'goat-chute.'"</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER SIXTEENTH</h2> + + +<p>In time people grew tired of talking and +reading about the strike, and more than one +man wished it might end. The strikers +wished it too, for hundreds of them were +at the point of starvation. The police courts +were constantly crowded, and often overflowed +and filled the morgue. Misery, disappointment, +want, and hunger made men +commit crimes the very thought of which +would have caused them to shudder a year +ago. One day a desolate looking striker was +warming his feet in a cheap saloon when a +well-dressed stranger came and sat near +him and asked the cause of his melancholia.</p> + +<p>"I'm a striker," said the man; "and I have +had no breakfast. More than that, my wife +is hungry at home and she is sick, too. She's +been sick ever since we buried the baby, +three weeks ago. All day yesterday I begged +for work, but there was nothing for me to +do. To-day I have begged for money to buy +medicine and food for her, but I have received +nothing, and now my only hope is +that she may be dead when I go home to-night, +empty-handed and hungry."</p> + +<p>The stranger drew his chair yet nearer to +that of the miserable man and asked in a +low tone why he did not steal.</p> + +<p>"I don't know how," said the striker, looking +his questioner in the face. "I have never +stolen anything and I should be caught at +my first attempt. If not, it would only be +a question of time, and if I must become a +thief to live we might as well all die and +have done with it. It'll be easier anyway +after she's gone, and that won't be long; +she don't want to live. Away in the dead +of night she wakes me praying for death. +And she used to be about the happiest +woman in the world, and one of the best, +but when a mother sits and sees her baby +starve and die, it is apt to harden her heart +against the people who have been the cause +of it all. I think she has almost ceased to +care for me, for of course she blames me +for going out with the strikers, but how's +a man to know what to do? If I could +raise the price I think I'd take a couple of +doses of poison home with me and put an +end to our misery. She'd take it in a holy +minute."</p> + +<p>"Don't do that," said the stranger, dabbing +a silk handkerchief to his eyes, one after the +other. "And don't steal, for if you do once +you will steal again, and by and by you'll +get bolder and do worse. I've heard men +tell how they had begun by lifting a dicer +in front of a clothing store, or stealing a +loaf of bread, and ended by committing +murder. They can't break this way always—brace +up."</p> + +<p>The switchman went over to the bar where +a couple of non-union men were shaking +dice for the drinks. He recognized one of +them as the man who had taken his place +in the yards, but he scarcely blamed him +now. Perhaps the fellow had been hungry, +and the striker knew too well what that +meant. Presently, the switchman went back +to the stove and began to button his thin +coat up about his throat.</p> + +<p>"I'm dead broke myself," said the well-dressed +stranger, "but I'm going to help +you if you'll let me."</p> + +<p>As the striker stared at the stranger the +man took off a sixty-dollar overcoat and +hung it over the switchman's arm. "Take +it," he said, "it's bran new; I just got it +from the tailor this morning. Go out and +sell it and bring the money to me and I'll +help you."</p> + +<p>When the striker had been gone a quarter +of an hour the well-dressed man strolled up +to the bar and ordered a cocktail. Fifteen +minutes later he took another drink and +went out in front of the saloon. It was +cold outside and after looking anxiously +up and down the street the philanthropist +reëntered the beer-shop and warmed himself +by the big stove. At the end of an +hour he ordered another dose of nerve food +and sat down to think. It began to dawn +upon him that he had been "had," as the +English say. Perhaps this fellow was an +impostor, a professional crook from New +York, and he would sell the overcoat and +have riotous pastime upon the proceeds.</p> + +<p>"The wife and baby story was a rank fake—I'm +a marine," said the well-dressed man +taking another drink. It seemed to him +that the task of helping the needy was a +thankless one, and he wished he had the +overcoat back again. He had been waiting +nearly two hours when the switchman +came in. "I had a hard time finding a purchaser," +explained the striker, "and finally +when I did sell it I could only get twelve +dollars and they made me give my name +and tell how I came to have such a coat. +I suppose they thought I had stolen it and +I dare say I looked guilty for it is so embarrassing +to try to sell something that +really doesn't belong to you, and to feel +yourself suspected of having stolen it."</p> + +<p>"And you told them that a gentleman had +given the coat to you to sell because he was +sorry for you?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I gave them a description of you and +told them the place."</p> + +<p>"That was right," said the gentleman, glancing +toward the door. "Here are two dollars; +come back here to-morrow and I'll +have something more for you—good-by." +And the philanthropist passed out by a side +door which opened on an alley.</p> + +<p>The striker gripped the two-dollar bill hard +in his hand and started for the front door. +All thought of hunger had left him now, +and he was thinking only of his starving +wife, and wondering what would be best +for her to eat. Two or three men in citizens' +dress, accompanied by a policeman, were +coming in just as he was going out, but he +was looking at the money and did not notice +them. "There goes the thief," said one +of the men, and an officer laid a heavy hand +on the striker's shoulder. The man looked +up into the officer's face with amazement, +and asked what the matter was.</p> + +<p>"Did you sell an overcoat to this gentleman +a little while ago?" asked the policeman.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said the striker glancing down at +the two dollars he still held in his hand.</p> + +<p>"Und yer sthold dot coats fum mine vindo'," +said a stout man shoving his fist under the +switchman's nose.</p> + +<p>"A gentleman gave me the coat in this +saloon," urged the striker. "Why, he was +here a moment ago."</p> + +<p>"Ah! dot's too tin," laughed the tailor, +"tak' 'im avay, Meester Bleasman, tak' 'im +avay," and the miserable man was hurried +away to prison.</p> + +<p>That night while the switchman sat in a +dark cell his young wife lay dying of cold +and hunger in a fireless room, and when an +enterprising detective came to search the +house for stolen goods on the following +morning, he found her there stiff and cold.</p> + +<p>Of course no one was to blame in particular, +unless it was the well-dressed gentleman +who had "helped" the striker, for no one, +in particular, was responsible for the strike. +It may have been the company and it may +have been the brotherhood, or both, but you +can't put a railroad company or a brotherhood +in jail.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH</h2> + + +<p>Mr. Watchem's plumber, as might have +been expected, had the good taste to leave +his modest lodgings after the downfall and +death of his landlord, and now the widow +was left alone with her two children. She +was a gentle soul, who had always been +esteemed by her neighbors, but since her +husband's desertion to the enemy, she had +been shamefully slighted. One would have +thought that her present helpless condition +would have shielded her from such slights, +but it did not.</p> + +<p>A few dollars still remained from the last +rent money received from the plumber, who +always paid in advance, and upon this she +lived for a week or more after the death of +her husband. She wondered how long it +would be before the Benevolent Building +Association would sell the house, and then +how long before they would put her and the +children into the street. Upon visiting the +undertaker she was surprised to learn that +all the expenses of her husband's funeral +had been paid. It must have been done by +the company, since, having left the Brotherhood, +her husband could have had no claim +upon the organization. Well, she was glad +it was paid, for the road that led into the +future was rough and uncertain.</p> + +<p>One evening, when the baby had gone to +sleep and the lone widow was striving to +entertain little Bennie, and at the same +time to hide her tears from him, for he +had been asking strange questions about +his father's death, the bell rang and two of +the neighbors came in. They were striking +firemen and she knew them well. One of +the men handed her a large envelope with +an enormous seal upon it. She opened the +letter and found a note addressed to her and +read it:</p> + + +<blockquote><p><i>Dear Mrs. Cowels:</i></p> + +<p><i>Although your husband had deserted us, he had not +been expelled, but was still a member in good standing +at the moment of his death, and therefore legally entitled +to the benefits of the order. For your sake I am +glad that it is so, and I take pleasure in handing you +a cheque for two thousand dollars, the amount of his +insurance, less the amount paid by the local lodge for +funeral expenses.</i></p> + +<i>Very truly yours</i>,<br> + +Eugene V. Debson,<br> + +<i>Grand Secretary and Treasurer.</i></blockquote> + +<p>She thanked them as well as she could and +the men tried to say it was all right, but +they were awkward and embarrassed and +after a few commonplace remarks withdrew.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Cowels sat for a long while looking +at the cheque, turning it over and reading +the figures aloud to Bennie and explaining +to him what an enormous amount of money +it was. And what a load had thus been +lifted from the slender shoulders of this +lone woman! Now she could pay off the +mortgage and have nearly fourteen hundred +dollars left. It seemed to her that that +amount ought to keep them almost for a +lifetime. This relief, coming so unexpectedly, +had made her forget for the moment +her great sorrow. She even smiled when +telling Bennie how very rich they were, +but when the boy looked up, with tears +swimming in his big, blue eyes, and said, +through the sobs that almost choked him: +"But I'd ruther have papa back again," it +pierced her heart and made the old wound +bleed anew.</p> + +<p>Patsy Daly and his friend, the Philosopher, +were at that moment approaching the +Cowels's house where they lodged—they +were room-mates now. They had seen the +two men leaving the house, and having +caught sight of the lonely woman and her +child, stood looking beneath the window +shade upon the pathetic scene. When they +saw the official envelope, with the big, red +seal, they readily guessed the errand of the +men, for they knew the rules and ways of +the Brotherhood, and that the dead engineer's +family was entitled to the insurance +upon his life. They saw the little mother +smiling upon her boy, saw him turn a tearful +face up to hers, and the change that +came, and the look of anguish upon the unhappy +woman's face touched them deeply. +"O God!" said the Philosopher, laying a +hand upon the shoulder of his friend, "if +it be true that we, who are so wicked, must +suffer for our sins, it is pleasant to feel that +these martyrs—the millions of mothers +whose hearts are torn in this world—will +have a pleasant place in the world to come."</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH</h2> + + +<p>Mr. Watchem, chief of the famous +Watchem detective agency, was pacing his +private office. He was a heavy man with +heavy features and a heavy, dark mustache, +at which he tugged vigorously as he walked. +In his left hand he carried a dozen or more +sheets of closely written note paper. Presently +the door opened, and a small man, +slightly stooped, entered and removed his +hat.</p> + +<p>"Is this your report, sir?" asked the chief.</p> + +<p>The man said it was.</p> + +<p>"And can you substantiate these charges? +Mind you, if an innocent man suffers I shall +hold you accountable, do you understand?"</p> + +<p>"I understand, and I am willing to swear to +that statement."</p> + +<p>"Have the men been arrested?"</p> + +<p>"They have, and are now on their way to +Chicago."</p> + +<p>"They will probably be arraigned to-morrow +morning," observed the great detective.</p> + +<p>"See that your witnesses are on hand—you +may go now."</p> + +<p>When the small man had stolen softly out, +down the stair and into the street, the chief +detective descended, entered a closed carriage +and was driven to his home.</p> + +<p>It was now past midnight, and all over the +city printers were setting up the story of +the arrest of a number of dynamiters on a +Burlington train. The wires were singing it +across the country, and cables were carrying +to the ends of the earth the story of the +disgrace and downfall of the Brotherhood.</p> + +<p>The headquarters of the strikers were +crowded with a host of anxious men, unwilling +to believe that their brothers had +been guilty of so dastardly a crime.</p> + +<p>On the following morning, when the daily +press had announced the arrest of the alleged +dynamiters, the city was thrown into +a fever of excitement, and thousands who +had been in sympathy with the men now +openly denounced them, and by so doing +gave aid and encouragement to the company. +The most conservative papers now +condemned the strikers, while the editor of +<i>The Chicago Times</i> dipped his quill still +deeper into the gallstand.</p> + +<p>Following close upon the heels of the arrest +of these strikers came the sensational arrest +of Mr. Hogan, director general of the +strike, charged with conspiracy. The private +secretaries of the strike committee +turned out to have been all along in the +employ of the Watchem detective agency, +but the charges of conspiracy were never +pushed. The men who were charged with +having and using dynamite, however, were +less fortunate. Two were imprisoned, one +was fined, the others proved to be detectives, +and of course were released.</p> + +<p>The effect of all this was very satisfactory +to the company, and disheartening to the +men.</p> + +<p>The daily meetings in the hall in town were +less crowded, and the speeches of the most +radical and optimistic members of the fraternity +failed to create the old-time enthusiasm. +The suits worn by the strikers were +becoming shiny, and the suffering in hundreds +of homes was enough to cause men +to forget the commandments. The way cars +and cabs of out-going freight trains were +crowded with old Burlington men starting +out to find work on other roads. They had +been losing heart for some time, and now +the shame and disgrace caused by the conviction +of the dynamiters made them long +to be away; to have a place in the world +where they might be allowed to win an +honest living, and forget the long struggle +of which they had grown weary. Unlike the +Philosopher, they were always sure of a +ride, but they found that nearly all the +roads in the country had all the men they +needed to handle their trains. The very fact +that a man had once been a Burlington engineer +was a sufficient recommendation, and +the fact that he had been a striker seems +not to have injured him in the estimation +of railway officials generally, but the main +trouble was that there was no place for +him.</p> + +<p>While the boycott on Burlington cars had +kept all roads, not operating under a receiver, +from handling Burlington business, +it made it all the easier for the company to +handle the little traffic that came to them +and gave the road the appearance of running +trains. All this was discouraging to the +men, and at last, having exhausted all fair +means, and some that were unfair, the strike +was declared off. While the company refused +to the last to accept anything short +of unconditional surrender it is pleasing to +be able to record here that the moment the +men gave in the officials did all they could, +consistent with the policy of the company +and past events, to lessen the pain of defeat. +The following letter, which was sent by the +president to the vice-president and general +manager, reminds us of the gentleness of +Grant, in receiving the surrender of a brave +and noble general:</p> + + +<blockquote><i>Boston, Jan. 3, 1889.</i><br> + +<i>To ——, Vice-President C. B. & Q. Railroad, Chicago.</i> + +<p><i>The company will not follow up, black-list, or in any +manner attempt to proscribe those who were concerned +in the strike, but on the contrary, will cheerfully give +to all who have not been guilty of violence, or other +improper conduct, letters of introduction, showing +their record in our service, and will in all proper ways +assist them in finding employment.</i></blockquote> + +<p>In making this letter known to the public +the general manager said:</p> + +<p>"It is important that no question should +arise as to the good faith of the company, +and it is our desire and intention that there +should be no opportunity for such question."</p> + +<p>He even offered to shield, as far as was consistent, +those who, in the heat of the fight, +had committed unlawful acts. He was a +generous conqueror. It was humane, and +manly, and noble in him to help those unfortunate +ones who were now in so much +need of help, and to protect them from the +persecution of the few little-souled officials +who were loath to stop fighting. It is all the +more creditable because he was not bound +to do it. He wrote: "While men who have +been guilty of improper conduct during the +late strike cannot be re-employed, and while +we cannot give letters to them, no officer or +employee should continue the animosities of +the conflict after it is over, or interfere to +prevent the employment of such men elsewhere."</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER NINETEENTH</h2> + + +<p>At last the agony was over—at least the +agony of suspense. The poor misguided men +knew now that all hope had died. They +would be re-employed when the company +needed them, but it was January—the dullest +month in the year. Every railroad in the +West was laying men off. Hundreds of the +new men were standing in line waiting for +business to pick up, and this line must be +exhausted before any of the old employees +could be taken back. The management considered +that the first duty of the company +was to the men who had helped to win the +strike. There was no disposition on the part +of the officials to make it harder for the +vanquished army. They admired the loyalty +and self-sacrifice, though deploring the judgment +of the mismanaged men; but they +were only officers in an opposing army, and +so fought the fight for the interest they represented, +and for the principles in which +they believed.</p> + +<p>Nothing in the history of the strike shows +more conclusively that the men were out-generalled +than the manner in which the +company handled the press. It is not to be +supposed for a moment that the daily papers +of Chicago, with possibly one exception, willfully +misrepresented the men, but the story +of the strikers was never told. Mr. Paul, the +accomplished "bureau of information," stood +faithfully at the 'phone and saw that the +public received no news that would embarrass +the company or encourage the men. +The cold, tired reporter found a warm welcome +and an easy chair in Mr. Paul's private +office, and while he smoked a fragrant cigar +the stenographer brought in the "news" all +neatly type-written and ready for the printer. +Mr. Paul was a sunny soul, who, in the presence +of the reporter laughed the seemingly +happy laugh of the actor-man, and when +alone sighed, suffered and swore as other +men did. Mr. Paul was a genius. By his +careful manipulation of the press the public +was in time persuaded that the only question +was whether the company, who owned +the road, should run it, or whether the brotherhoods, +who did not own it, should run it +for them. Every statement given out by the +company was printed and accepted, generally, +as the whole thing, while only two +papers in all the town pretended to print +the reports issued by the strikers. The others +cut them and doctored them so that +they lost their point. But all is fair in love +and war, and this was war—war to the knife +and the knife to the hilt—so Mr. Paul +should not be hated but admired, even by +his foes. He was a brilliant strategist. Many +there are who argue to this day that Mr. +Paul won the strike for the company, but +Mr. Paul says Watchem, the detective, did +it. At all events they each earned the deathless +hatred of the strikers. But, leaving this +question open, the fact remains that the +general in command—the now dead hero +of that fierce fight—deserves a monument +at the expense of American railroads, if, as +American railroad managers argue, that war +was an holy war.</p> + +<p>There had never been a moment when the +management feared defeat. They had met +and measured the amateur officials who +were placed in command of the strikers. +They were but children in the hands of +the big brainy men who were handling the +company's business. They could fire a locomotive, +"ride a fly," or make time on the +tick of the clock. They could awe a convention +of car-hands or thrill an audience +at a union meeting, but they had not the +experience, or mental equipment to cope +with the diplomatic officials who stood for +the company. Their heads had been turned +by the magnitude of their position. They +established themselves at a grand hotel +where only high-salaried railroad officials +could afford to live. They surrounded themselves +with a luxury that would have been +counted extravagant by the minister of +many a foreign land. They dissipated the +strength of the Brotherhood and wasted +their substance in high living. They had +gotten into clothes that did not fit them, +and, saddest of all, they did not know it. +The good gray chief of the Brotherhood, +who was perfectly at home in the office +of a president or a general manager, who +knew how to meet and talk with a reporter, +who was at ease either in overalls or evening +dress, was kept in the background. He +would sell out to the company, the deep-lunged +leaders said. He could not be +trusted, and so from the men directly interested +in the fight the strikers chose a +leader, and he led them to inglorious defeat; +though defeat was inevitable.</p> + +<p>At last, made desperate by the shadow of +coming events, this man, so the officials say, +issued a circular advising old employees to +return to work and when out on the road +to disable and destroy the company's locomotives, +abandoning them where they were +wrecked and ruined. The man accused of +this crime declared that the circular was a +forgery, committed by his secretary, who +was a detective. But that the circular went +out properly signed and sealed is beyond +dispute, and in reply to it there came protests +from hundreds of honest engine-drivers +all up and down the land. The chief of a +local division came to Chicago with a copy +of the circular and protested so vigorously +that he was expelled from the Brotherhood, +to the Brotherhood's disgrace.</p> + +<p>Smarting under what he deemed a great +wrong, he gave the letter into the hands of +the officials, and now whenever he secures a +position the road that employs him is forced +to let him go again or have a strike. He is +an outcast—a vagabond, so far as the union +is concerned. Ah, the scars of that conflict +are deep in the souls of men. The blight of +it has shadowed hundreds of happy homes, +and ruined many a useful life.</p> + +<p>With this "sal-soda" circular in their possession +the managers caused the arrest of its +author, charging him with conspiracy—a +serious offense in Illinois.</p> + +<p>A sunny-faced man, with big, soulful blue +eyes and a blond mustache, had been living +on the same floor occupied by the strike +committee. He had conceived a great interest +in the struggle. For a man of wealth +and culture he showed a remarkable sympathy +for the strikers, and so won the heart +and confidence of the striker-in-chief. It was +perfectly natural, then, that in the excitement +incidental to the arrest, the accused +should rush into the apartments of the sympathetic +stranger and thrust into his keeping +an armful of letters and papers.</p> + +<p>As the officers of the law led the fallen hero +away the blond man selected a number of +letters and papers from the bundle, abandoned +the balance and strolled forth. For +weeks, months, he had been planning the +capture of some of these letters, and now +they had all come to him as suddenly as +fame comes to a man who sinks a ship under +the enemy's guns.</p> + +<p>This blond man was a detective. His victim +was a child.</p> + +<p>Yes, the great struggle that had caused so +much misery and cost so many millions was +at an end, but it was worth to labor and +capital all it had cost. The lesson has lasted +ten years, and will last ten more.</p> + +<p>It had been a long, bitter fight in which +even the victorious had lost. They had lost +at least five million dollars in wrecked and +ruined rolling stock, bridges and buildings. +The loss in net earnings alone was nearly +five millions in the first five months of the +strike that lasted nearly a year. It would +cost five millions more to put the property +in the same excellent condition in which +the opening of hostilities had found it. It +would cost another five millions to win back +the confidence of the travelling and shipping +public. Twenty millions would not +cover the cost, directly and indirectly, to +the company, for there were no end of +small items—incidentals. To a single detective +agency they paid two hundred thousand +dollars. And there were others.</p> + +<p>It has taken nearly ten years to restore the +road to its former condition, and to man +the engines as they were manned before +the strike. It would have taken much longer +had the owners of the property not settled +upon the wise policy of promoting men who +had been all their lives in the employ of the +Burlington road, to fill the places as fast as +they became vacant, of men—the heroes of +the strike—who were now sought out by +other companies for loftier positions. In this +way the affairs of the company were constantly +in the hands of men who had gone +through it all, who could weed out the +worthless among the new men, and select +the best of those who had left the road at +the beginning of the strike. The result is +that there is scarcely an official of importance +in the employ of the company to-day +who has not been with it for a quarter of a +century. The man who took the first engine +out at the beginning of the strike—taking +his life in his hands, as many believed—is +now the general manager of the road.</p> + +<p>There was something admirable, even heroic, +in the action of the owners in standing +calmly by while the officials melted down +millions of gold. As often as a directors' +meeting was called the strikers would take +heart. "Surely," they would say, "when +they see what it costs to fight us they will +surrender." The men seem never to have +understood that all this was known to the +directors long before the sad news reached +the public. And then, when the directors +would meet and vote to stand by the president, +and the president would approve and +endorse all that the general manager had +done, the disheartened striker would turn +sadly away to break the melancholy news +to a sorrowing wife, who was keeping lonely +vigil in a cheerless home.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER TWENTIETH</h2> + + +<p>Dan Moran had not applied for re-employment +when the strike was off, but +chose rather to look for work elsewhere, +and he had looked long and faithfully, and +found no place. First of all he had gone +west, away to the coast, but with no success. +Then he swung around the southern +route, up the Atlantic coast and home +again. Three years,—one year with the +strikers,—four years in all of idleness, and +he was discouraged. "It's the curse of the +prison," he used to say to his most intimate +friends; "the damp of that dungeon clings +to me like a plague. It's a blight from +which I can't escape. Every one seems to +know that I was arrested as a dynamiter, +and even my old friends shun me."</p> + +<p>He had been saying something like that +to Patsy Daly the very day he returned to +Chicago. They were walking down through +the yards, for Patsy, who was close to the +officials, had insisted upon going personally +to the master-mechanic, and interceding for +the old engineer who had carried him thousands +of miles while the world slept, and +the wild storm raged around them. Patsy +had been telling the old engineer the news +of the road, but was surprised that Moran +should seem to know all that had taken +place, the changes and promotions, the vast +improvements that had been made by the +company, and the rapidly growing traffic. +Patsy stopped short, and looking his companion +in the eye, began to laugh.</p> + +<p>"Now what in thunder are you laughing +at?" asked Moran.</p> + +<p>"At Patsy Daly, the luny," said the conductor +(Patsy had been promoted); "why, +of course you know everything. I've been +rooming at the house, and I remember now +that <i>she</i> always knew just where you were +at all times. Ah! ye sly old rogue—"</p> + +<p>"Patsy," said Moran, seriously, putting up +his hand as a signal for silence.</p> + +<p>"That's all right, old man. She deserves a +decent husband, but it'll be something new +to her. Say, Dan, a fool has less sense than +anybody, an' Patsy Daly's a fool. Here +have I been at the point of making love to +her myself, and only her tears and that big +boy of hers have kept me from it. And all +the time I thought she was wastin' water on +that blatherskite of a Cowels, but I think +better of her now."</p> + +<p>"And why should she weep for any one +else?" asked the old engineer.</p> + +<p>"And why shouldn't she weep for you, +Dannie? wandering up and down the earth, +homeless and alone. Why I remember now. +She would cry in her coffee at the mention +of your name. And Dan, she's growin' +prettier every day, and she's that gentle +and—"</p> + +<p>Just then the wild scream of a yard engine +close behind them caused them to step +aside.</p> + +<p>"Wope!" cried a switchman, bang bang +went the bell—"Look out there," yelled +Patsy, for as the two pedestrians looked +back they saw a drunken man reel out +from among the cars. The driver of the +switch-engine saw the man as the engine +struck him, and, reversing, came to a quick +stop and leaped to the ground.</p> + +<p>The man lay with his lower limbs beneath +the machine, and a blind driver (those broad +wheels that have no flanges) resting on the +pit of his stomach, holding him to the rail. +The young engineer, having taken in the +situation, leaped upon his engine, and was +about to back off when Moran signalled him +to stand still. "Don't move," said the old +engineer, "he may want to say a word before +he dies, and if you move that wheel he +will be dead."</p> + +<p>"Why, hello Greene, old hoss; is this you?" +asked Moran, lifting the head of the unfortunate +man and pushing the unkept hair +back from his forehead.</p> + +<p>Greene opened his eyes slowly, looked at +his questioner, glanced all about and, as +Moran lifted his head, gazed at the great +wheel that had almost cut his body into +two pieces. He was perfectly sober now, +and asked why they didn't back up and +look him over.</p> + +<p>"We shall presently," said Moran, "only +we were afraid we might hurt you. You are +not in any pain now, are you?"</p> + +<p>"No," said the man, "I don't know when +I've felt more comfortable; but for all that I +guess I'm clean cut in two, ain't I, Dan?"</p> + +<p>"Oh no, not so bad as that."</p> + +<p>"Oh yes, I guess there's no use holdin' out +on me. Is the foreman here?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, here I am, Billy."</p> + +<p>"Billy!" said Greene, "now wouldn't that +drive you to cigarettes? Billy!—why don't +you call me drunken Bill? I'm used to +that."</p> + +<p>"Well, what is it, old man?" asked the foreman, +bending down.</p> + +<p>"You know this man? This is Dan Moran, +the dynamiter." And the foreman of the +round-house, recognizing the old engineer +for the first time, held out his hand, partly +to show to Moran and others that the strike +was off, and partly to please the dying man.</p> + +<p>"That's right," said Greene to the foreman, +"it'll be good for you to touch an honest +hand."</p> + +<p>By this time a great crowd had gathered +about the engine. Some police officers +pushed in and ordered the engineer to +"back away."</p> + +<p>"An' what's it <i>to</i> ye?" asked Greene with +contempt, for he hated the very buttons of +a policeman. "It's no funeral uf yours. Ye +won't grudge me a few moments with me +friend, will ye? Move on ye tarrier."</p> + +<p>The big policeman glanced about and recognizing +the foreman asked why the devil +he didn't "git th' felly out?"</p> + +<p>Now a red-haired woman came to the edge +of the crowd, put her bucket and scrubbing +brush down, and asked what had happened.</p> + +<p>"Drunk man under the engine," said one of +the curious, snappishly. The woman knew +that Greene had passed out that way only +a few moments ago. She had given him a +quarter and he had promised not to come +back to her again, and now she put her +head down and ploughed through the crowd +like a football player.</p> + +<p>"Hello Mag," said Greene, as the woman +threw herself upon her knees beside him. +"Here's yer money—I won't get to spend +it," and he opened his clinched fist and there +was the piece of silver that she had given +him.</p> + +<p>The big policeman now renewed his request +to have the man taken out, but the foreman +whispered something to him. "Oh! begorry, +is that so? All right, all right," said the officer.</p> + +<p>"Am I delayin' traffic?" asked Greene of +the foreman. "It takes a little time to die +ye know, but ye only have to do it onct."</p> + +<p>"Have ye's anythin' to say?" asked the +officer.</p> + +<p>"Yes," said Greene, for his hatred for a +policeman stayed with him to the end, "ye +can do me a favor."</p> + +<p>"An' phot is it?"</p> + +<p>"Jist keep your nose out of this business, +an' don't speak to me again till after I'm +dead. Do ye mind that, ye big duffer?"</p> + +<p>It was the first time in all his life when he +could say what was on his mind to a policeman +without the dread of being arrested.</p> + +<p>"Come closer, Mag—whisper, Dan. Here, +you," said Greene to the foreman, and that +official bent down to catch the words which +were growing fainter every moment. "I'm +goin' to die. Ye mind the time ye kicked +me out at the round-house? Well, ye don't +need to say; I mind, an' that's sufficient. I +swore to git even with the Burlington for +that. I hated George Cowels because he +married a woman that was too good fur 'im,—she +was too good for me, for that matter. +Well, when he went back on the Brotherhood +and took his old engineer's job I went +to this man Moran and offered to blow the +engine up, and he put me out of his room. +I then put the dynamite on the engine +myself an' Moran followed me and took it +off, and saved Cowels's life, prevented me +from becoming a murderer, and went to +jail. Good-by, Mag. Give me your hand +Dan, old man. Back up."</p> + +<p>The old engineer nodded to the foreman, +who signalled the man on the engine, and +the great wheel moved from above the +body. More than one man turned his back +to the machine. The woman fainted. Moran +had covered the eyes of the unfortunate +man with his hand, and now when he removed +it slowly the man's eyes were still +closed. He never moved a finger nor uttered +a sound. It was as if he had suddenly fallen +asleep.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST</h2> + + +<p>The Denver Limited had backed into the +depot shed at Chicago, and was loading +when the Philosopher came through the +gate. He was going down to Zero Junction +where he was serving the company in the +capacity of station agent. Patsy Daly was +taking the numbers of the cars, and at his +elbow walked a poorly-dressed man, and +the Philosopher knew in a moment that the +man wanted to ride.</p> + +<p>The Philosopher, with a cigar in his mouth, +strolled up and down catching snatches of +the man's talk. In a little while he had +gathered that the anxious stranger's wife +lay dying in Cheyenne, and that he had +been tramping up and down the land for +six months looking for work. If Patsy could +give him a lift to Omaha he could work his +way over the U. P. where he knew some +of the trainmen, having worked on the Kansas +Pacific out of Denver in the early days +of the road. His story was so lifelike and +pathetic that Patsy was beginning to look +troubled. If he could help a fellow-creature +up the long, hard hill of life—three or four +hundred miles in a single night—without +straining the capacity of the engine, he felt +that he ought to do it.</p> + +<p>Patsy had gone to the head end (the stranger +standing respectfully apart) to ask the +engineer to slow down at the Junction, and +let the agent off. He hoped the man might +go away and try a freight train, but as the +conductor turned back the unfortunate traveller +joined him.</p> + +<p>Now the eyes of Patsy fell upon the face +of the Philosopher, and a brilliant thought +flashed through his mind. He marvelled, +afterwards, that he had not thought of it +sooner.</p> + +<p>"Here, old man," said Patsy, "take this +fellow's testimony, try his case, and let me +have your opinion in nine minutes—it's +just ten minutes to leaving time."</p> + +<p>Now it was the Philosopher to whom the +prospective widower rehearsed his tale of +woe.</p> + +<p>There was not much time, so the station +agent at Zero began by offering the man +a cigar, which was accepted. In the midst +of his sorrowful story the man paused to +observe a handsome woman, who was at +that moment lifting her dainty, silken skirts +to step into the sleeper. The Philosopher +had his eyes fastened to the face of the +man, and he thought he saw the man's +mustache quiver as though it had been agitated +by the passing of a smothered smile.</p> + +<p>"Well," the man was saying, "we had been +married only a year when I lost my place +and started out to look for work."</p> + +<p>By this time he had taken a small pocket +knife from his somewhat ragged vest, clipped +the end off the cigar neatly, put the cut end +between his teeth, and the knife back into +his pocket. Without pausing in his narrative +(he knew he had but nine minutes) he held +out a hand for a match. The Philosopher +pretended not to notice the movement, +which was graceful and perfectly natural. +As they turned, up near the engine, the +sorrowful man went into his vest again and +brought up a small, silver match-box which +he held carefully in his closed fist, but +which snapped sharply, as the knife had +done when he closed it.</p> + +<p>"Excuse me," said the Philosopher, reaching +for the match-box, "I've lost my fire."</p> + +<p>The melancholy man made a move towards +his vest, paused, changed his mind, and +passed over his lighted cigar.</p> + +<p>"Go on," said the examining judge, when +he had got his cigar going again.</p> + +<p>Now at each turn the Philosopher quickened +his pace, and the man, eager to finish +his sad story, walked beside him with a +graceful, springy walk. The man's story was +so like his own—so like the tale he had told +to Patsy when the strikers had chased him +into a box car—that his heart must have +melted, had it not been for the fact that he +was becoming more and more convinced, +as the story grew upon him, that the man +was lying. Now and then he said to himself +in spite of himself, "This must be true," for +there were tears in the man's voice, and yet +there were things about him that must be +explained before he could ride.</p> + +<p>"Patsy," said the Philosopher, pausing before +the conductor, "if you'll stand half the +strain, I'll go buy a ticket for this man to +Cheyenne."</p> + +<p>"N' no," said the man, visibly affected by +this unexpected generosity, "n' no, I can't +let you do that. I should be glad of a ride +that would cost you nothing and the company +nothing; but I can't—I can't take +your money," and he turned away, touching +the cuff of his coat, first to his right and +then to his left eye.</p> + +<p>Patsy sighed, and the two men walked +again. Five minutes more and the big engine +would begin to crawl from the great +shed, and the voyager began wondering +whether he would be on board. The engineer +was going round the engine for the last +time. The fireman had spread his fire and +was leaning leisurely on the arm-rest. The +Pullman conductors, with clean cuffs and +collars, were putting away their people. +The black-faced porters were taking the +measures of men as they entered the car. +Here comes a gray-haired clergyman, carrying +a heavy hand-satchel, and by his side an +athletic looking commercial tourist.</p> + +<p>One of the black porters glides forward, +takes the light hand-grip, containing the +travelling man's tooth-brush, nightshirt, and +razor, and runs up the step with it.</p> + +<p>Now a train arrives from the West, and the +people who are going away look into the +faces of the people who are coming home, +who look neither to the right nor left, but +straight ahead at the open gates, and in +three minutes the empty cars are being +backed away, to be washed and dusted, and +made ready for another voyage. How sad +and interesting would be the story of the +life of a day coach. Beaten, bumped, battered, +and banged about in the yards, trampled +and spat upon by vulgar voyagers, who +get on and off at flag stations, and finally, +in a head-end collision, crushed between the +heavy vestibuled sleepers and the mighty +engine.</p> + +<p>But sadder still is the story of a man who +has been buffeted about and walked upon +by the arrogant of this earth, and to such +a story the Philosopher was now listening. +The man was talking so rapidly that he +almost balled up at times, and had to go +back and begin again. At times it seemed +to him that the Philosopher, to whom he +was talking, was giving little or no attention +to his tale; but he was. He was making +up his mind.</p> + +<p>It is amazing the amount of work that can +be done in ten minutes, when all the world +is working. Tons of trunks had passed in +and out, the long platform had been peopled +and depopulated twice since the two +men began their walk, and now another +train gave up its human freight to the already +crowded city.</p> + +<p>Now, as they went up and down, the Philosopher, +at each turn, went a little nearer to +the engine. Only three minutes remained to +him in which to render his decision, which +was to help the unhappy man a half-thousand +miles on the way to his dying wife, or +leave him sadder still because of the failure—to +pine and ponder upon man's inhumanity +to man.</p> + +<p>Patsy, glancing now and then at the big +clock on the station wall, searched the sad +face of his friend and tried to read there the +answer to the man's prayer.</p> + +<p>It would be that the man should ride, he +had no doubt, for this story was so like the +story of this same man, the Philosopher, +with which he had come into Patsy's life, +and Patsy had resolved never to turn his +back upon a man who was down on his luck.</p> + +<p>The Philosopher's face was indecipherable. +Finally when they had come to the turning +point in the shadow of the mail car, he +stopped, leaned against the corner of the +tank and said: "I can't make you out, and +you haven't made out your case."</p> + +<p>"I don't follow you," said the man.</p> + +<p>"No? Well suppose I say, for answer, that +I'll let you go—sneak away up through the +yards and lose yourself; provided you promise +not to do it again."</p> + +<p>"You talk in riddles. What is it that I am +not to do again? You say you have hit the +road yourself, and you ought to have sympathy +for a fellow out o' luck."</p> + +<p>"I have, and that's why I'm going to let +you go. Your story is a sad one, and it has +softened my heart. It's the story of my own +life."</p> + +<p>"Then how can you refuse me this favor, +that will cost you nothing?"</p> + +<p>"Hadn't you better go?"</p> + +<p>"No, I want you to answer me."</p> + +<p>"Well, to be frank with you, you are not a +tramp. You've got money, and you had red +wine with your supper, or your dinner, as +you would say."</p> + +<p>The man laughed, a soundless laugh, and +tried to look sad.</p> + +<p>"You've got a gold signet ring in your +right trousers pocket."</p> + +<p>The man worked his fingers and when the +Philosopher thought he must have the ring +in his hand, he caught hold of the man's +wrist, jerked the hand from his pocket, and +the ring rolled upon the platform. When +the man cut off the end of his cigar the +Philosopher had seen a white line around +one of the fingers of the man's sea-browned +hand. Real tramps, thought the Philosopher, +don't cut off the ends of their cigars. They +bite them off, and save the bite. They don't +throw a half-smoked cigar away, but put it, +burning if necessary, in their pocket.</p> + +<p>"What do you mean?" demanded the man, +indignantly.</p> + +<p>"Pick up your ring."</p> + +<p>"I have a mind to smash you."</p> + +<p>"Do, and you can ride."</p> + +<p>"You've got your nerve."</p> + +<p>"You haven't. Why did you stare at that +lady's feet, when she was climbing into the +car?"</p> + +<p>"That's not your business."</p> + +<p>"It's all my business now."</p> + +<p>"I'll report you for this."</p> + +<p>The man started to walk past the big station +master, but a strong hand was clapped +to the man's breast pocket and when it came +away it held a small pocket memorandum.</p> + +<p>"See what's in that, Patsy," said the Philosopher, +passing the book to the conductor, +who had gone forward for the decision.</p> + +<p>The man made a move, as if he would +snatch the book, but the big hand at his +throat twisted the flannel shirt, and choked +him. Patsy, holding the book in the glare of +his white light, read the record of a man +who had been much away from home. He +had, according to the book, ridden with +many conductors, whose names were familiar +to Patsy, and had, upon divers occasions, +noticed that sometimes some people +rode without paying fare. In another place +Patsy learned that trainmen and other employees +drank beer, or other intoxicating +beverages. A case in point was a couple of +brakemen on local who, after unloading a +half-dozen reapers and a threshing machine +at Mendota, had gone into a saloon with the +shipper and killed their thirst.</p> + +<p>While Patsy was gleaning this interesting +information the man writhed and twisted, +fought and fumed, but it was in vain, for +the hand of the Philosopher was upon his +throat.</p> + +<p>"Let me go," gasped the man, "an' we'll +call it square, an' I won't report you."</p> + +<p>"Oh! how good of you."</p> + +<p>"Let me go, I say, you big brute."</p> + +<p>"I wanted to let you go a while ago, and +you wouldn't have it."</p> + +<p>The man pulled back like a horse that won't +stand hitched and the button flew from his +cheap flannel shirt.</p> + +<p>"I'm a goat," said the Philosopher, stroking +the man's chest with his big right hand, "if +he hasn't got on silk underwear."</p> + +<p>"Come now, you fellahs," said the man +changing his tune, "let me go and you'll +always have a friend at Court."</p> + +<p>"Be quiet," said the Philosopher, "I'm +going to let you go, but tell me, why did +you want to do little Patsy, that everybody +likes?"</p> + +<p>"Because Mr. Paul was so cock sure I +couldn't. He bet me a case of champagne +that I couldn't ride on the Omaha Limited +without paying fare."</p> + +<p>"And now you lose the champagne."</p> + +<p>"It looks that way."</p> + +<p>"Poor tramp!"</p> + +<p>Patsy had walked to the rear of the train, +shouted "All aboard," and the cars were +now slipping past the two men.</p> + +<p>"Have you still a mind to smash me?"</p> + +<p>"I may be a wolf but this is not my night +to howl."</p> + +<p>"Every dog has his day, eh?"</p> + +<p>"Curse you."</p> + +<p>"Good night," said the Philosopher, reaching +for a passing car.</p> + +<p>"Go to—" said the tramp, and the train +faded away out over the switches.</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER TWENTY-SECOND</h2> + + +<p>The old master-mechanic, who had insisted +that Dan Moran was innocent, from the +first, had gone away; but the new man was +willing to give him an engine after the confession +of Bill Greene. Having secured work +the old engineer called upon the widow, for +he could tell her, now, all about the dynamite. +Three years had brought little change +to her. She might be a little bit stouter, but +she was handsomer than ever, Dan thought. +The little girl, whom he remembered as a +toddling infant, was a sunny child of four +years. Bennie was now fourteen and was +employed as caller at the round-house, and +his wages, thirty dollars a month, kept up +the expenses of the home. He had inherited +the splendid constitution of his father with +the gentleness and honesty of his mother. +The foreman was very fond of him, and +having been instructed by the old general +manager to take good care of the boy, for +his mother's sake, he had arranged to send +him out firing, which would pay better, as +soon as he was old enough. So Moran found +the little family well, prosperous, and reasonably +happy. Presently, when she could +wait no longer, Mrs. Cowels asked the old +engineer if he had come back to stay, and +when he said he had, her face betrayed so +much joy that Moran felt half embarrassed, +and his heart, which had been so heavy for +the past four years, gave a thump that +startled him. "Oh! I'm <i>so</i> glad," she said +earnestly, looking down and playing with +her hands; and while her eyes were not +upon his, Moran gazed upon the gentle face +that had haunted him day and night in his +three years' tramp about the world.</p> + +<p>"Yes," he said at length, "I'm going back +to the 'Q.' It's not Blackwings, to be sure, +and the Denver Limited, but it's work, +and that's something, for it seems to me +that I can bear this idleness no longer. It's +the hardest work in the world, just to have +nothing to do, month in and month out, +and to be compelled to do it. I can't stand +it, that's all, and I'm going out on a gravel +train to-morrow."</p> + +<p>Moran remembered now that Bennie had +come to him that morning in the round-house +and begged the engineer to "ask for +him," to go out as fireman on the gravel +train, for it was really a boy's work to keep +an engine hot on a side track, but he would +not promise, and the boy had been greatly +disappointed.</p> + +<p>"I'd like to ask for the boy," said Moran, +"with your permission. He's been at me all +morning, and I'm sure the foreman won't +object if you consent."</p> + +<p>"But he's so young, Dan; he could never +do the work."</p> + +<p>"I'll look out for him," said the engineer, +nodding his head. "I'll keep him busy +waiting on me when we lay up, and when +we have a hard run for a meeting-point +there's always the head brakeman, and they +can usually fire as well as a fireman."</p> + +<p>"I will consent only to please him," she +said, "and because I should like to have +him with you."</p> + +<p>He thanked her for the compliment, and +took up his hat to go.</p> + +<p>"And how often shall I see you now? I +mean—how soon—when will Bennie be +home again?"</p> + +<p>They were standing close together in the +little hall, and when he looked deep into +her eyes, she became confused and blushed +like a school-girl.</p> + +<p>"Well, to be honest, we never know on a +run of this sort when we may get back to +town. It may be a day, a week, or a +month," said Moran. "But I'll promise you +that I will not keep him away longer than +is necessary. We don't work Sundays, of +course, and I'll try and dead-head him in +Saturday nights, and you can send him back +on the fast freight Sunday evenings. The +watchman can fire the engine in an emergency, +you know."</p> + +<p>"But the watchman couldn't run her in an +emergency?" queried the little woman.</p> + +<p>"I'm afraid not," said Moran, catching the +drift of her mind, and feeling proud of the +compliment concealed in the harmless query. +"But I shall enjoy having him come to you +once a week to show you that I have not +forgotten my promise."</p> + +<p>"And I shall know," she answered, putting +up a warning finger, "by his actions whether +you have been good to him."</p> + +<p>"And by the same token I can tell whether +you are happy," rejoined the engineer, taking +both her hands in his to say good-bye.</p> + +<p>Moran went directly to the round-house +and spoke to the foreman, and when Bennie +came home that evening he threw himself +upon his mother's neck and wept for very +joy. His mother wept, too, for it means +something to a mother to have her only boy +go out to begin life on the rail. After supper +they all went over to the little general store, +where she had once been refused credit—where +she had spent their last dollar for +Christmas presents for little Bennie and his +father, chiefly his father—and bought two +suits of bright blue overclothes for the new +fireman. "Mother, I once heard the foreman +say that Dan Moran had been like a +father to papa," said Bennie that evening. +"Guess he'll start in being a father to me +now, eh! mother?"</p> + +<p>Mrs. Cowels smiled and kissed him, and +then she cried a little, but only a little, for +in spite of all her troubles she felt almost +happy that night.</p> + +<p>It was nearly midnight when Bennie finished +trying on his overclothes and finally +fell asleep. It was only four <span class="smcap">A. M.</span> when he +shook his mother gently and asked her to +get up and get breakfast.</p> + +<p>"What time is it, Bennie?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know, exactly," said Bennie, "but it +must be late. I've been up a long, long time. +You know you have to put up my lunch, and +I want to get down and draw my supplies. +Couldn't do it last night 'cause they didn't +know what engine we were going to have."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Cowels got up and prepared breakfast +and Bennie ate hurriedly and then began to +look out for the caller. He would have gone +to the round-house at once but he wanted +to sign the callbook at home. How he had +envied the firemen who had been called by +him. He knew just how it would be written +in the callbook:</p> + + +<blockquote><i>Extra West, Eng.—Leave 8:15 A. M.</i><br> +<i>Engineer Moran,—D. Moran 7:15.</i><br> +<i>Fireman Cowels.</i>—</blockquote> + +<p>And there was the blank space where he +would write his name. At six o'clock he +declared to his mother that he must go +down and get his engine hot, and after a +hasty good-bye he started. Ten minutes +later he came into the round-house and +asked the night foreman where his engine +was.</p> + +<p>"Well," said the foreman, "we haven't got +<i>your</i> engine yet," and the boy's chin dropped +down and rested upon his new blue blouse. +"I guess we'll have to send you out on one +of the company's engines this trip."</p> + +<p>There was a great roar of laughter from the +wiping gang and Bennie looked embarrassed. +He concluded to say no more to the foreman, +but went directly to the blackboard, +got the number and found the engine which +had been assigned to the gravel train because +she was not fit for road work. A sorry +old wreck she was, covered with ashes and +grease, but it made little difference to Bennie +so long as she had a whistle and a bell, +and he set to work to stock her up with supplies.</p> + +<p>He had drawn supplies for many a tired +fireman in his leisure moments and knew +very nearly what was needed. But the first +thing he did was to open the blower and +"get her hot." He got the foreman hot, +too, and in a little while he heard that official +shout to the hostler to "run the scrap +heap out-doors, and put that fresh kid in the +tank."</p> + +<p>Bennie didn't mind the reference to the +"fresh kid," but he thought the foreman +might have called her something better than +a scrap heap, but he was a smart boy and +knew that it would be no use to "kick."</p> + +<p>It was half-past seven when Mrs. Cowels +opened the door in answer to the bell, and +blushed, and glanced down at her big apron.</p> + +<p>"I thought I'd look in on my way to the +round-house," said Moran, removing his hat, +"for Bennie."</p> + +<p>"Why, the dear boy has been gone an hour +and a half, but I'm glad (won't you come +in?) you called for he has forgotten his +gloves."</p> + +<p>"Thank you," said the engineer, "the fact +is I'm a little late, for I don't know what +sort of a scrap pile I have to take out and +I'd like, of course, to go underneath her before +she leaves the round-house, so I can't +come in this morning."</p> + +<p>When Mrs. Cowels had given him the +gloves he took her hand to say good-bye, +and the wife of one of the new men, who +saw it, said afterwards that he held it longer +than was necessary, just to say good-bye.</p> + +<p>When Dan reached the round-house Bennie +was up on top of the old engine oiling the +bell. What would an engine without a bell +be to a boy? And yet in Europe they +have no bells, but there is a vast difference +between the American and the European +boy.</p> + +<p>Moran stopped in the round-house long +enough to read the long list of names on the +blackboard. They were nearly all new to +him, as were the faces about, and he turned +away.</p> + +<p>The orders ran them extra to Aurora, avoiding +regular trains. Moran glanced at the +faces of all the incoming engineers as he +met and passed them, but with one exception +they were all strangers to him. He recognized +young Guerin, who had been fireman +on Blackwings the night George Cowels was +killed, and he was now running a passenger +engine.</p> + +<p>"How the mushrooms have vegetated hereabouts," +thought Moran, as he glanced up +at the stack of the old work engine, but he +was never much of a kicker, so he would +not kick now. This wasn't much of a run, +but it beat looking for a better one.</p> + +<p>"Not so much coal, Bennie. Take your +clinker hook and level it off. That's it,—see +the black smoke? Keep your furnace +door shut. Now look at your stack again. +See the yellow smoke hanging 'round? +Rake her down again. Now it's black, and +if it burns clear—see there? There is no +smoke at all; that shows that her fire is +level. Sweep up your deck now while you +rest."</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD</h2> + + +<p>One night when the Limited was roaring +up from the Missouri River against one of +those March rains that come out of the +east, there came to Patsy one of the temptations +that are hardest for a man of his +kind nature to withstand. The trial began +at Galesburg. Patsy was hugging the rear +end of the day coach in order to keep out +of the cruel storm, when his eyes rested +upon the white face of a poorly clad woman. +She stood motionless as a statue, +voiceless as the Sphinx, with the cold rain +beating upon her uplifted face, until Patsy +cried "All aboard." Then she pulled herself +together and climbed into the train. The +conductor, leaving his white light upon the +platform of the car, stepped down and +helped the dripping woman into the coach. +When the train had dashed away again up +the rain-swept night, Patsy found the wet +passenger rocking to and fro on the little +seat that used to run lengthwise of the car +up near the stove, before the use of steam +heat.</p> + +<p>"Ticket," said the conductor.</p> + +<p>The woman lifted her eyes to his, but +seemed to be staring at something beyond.</p> + +<p>"Ticket, please."</p> + +<p>"Yes—y-e-a-s," she spoke as though the +effort caused her intense pain. "I want—to—go +to Chicago."</p> + +<p>"Yes. Have you a ticket?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"Where is it?"</p> + +<p>"Where's what?"</p> + +<p>"Where's your ticket?"</p> + +<p>"I ain't got no ticket."</p> + +<p>"Have you got money?"</p> + +<p>"No. I do' want money. I jist want you to +take me to Chicago."</p> + +<p>"But I can't take you without you pay +fare."</p> + +<p>"Can't you? I've been standin' there in +the rain all night, but nobody would let +me on the train—all the trains is gone but +this one. I'd most give up when you said, +'Git on,' er somethin'."</p> + +<p>"Why do you want to go to Chicago?"</p> + +<p>"Oh! I must be there fur the trial."</p> + +<p>"Who's trial?"</p> + +<p>"Terrence's. They think my boy, Terrence, +killed a man, an' I'm goin' up to tell th' +judge. Of course, they don't know Terrence. +He's wild and runs around a heap, but he's +not what you may call bad."</p> + +<p>The poor woman was half-crazed by her +grief, and her blood was chilled by the cold +rain. She could not have been wetter at the +bottom of Lake Michigan. When she ceased +speaking, she shivered.</p> + +<p>"It was good in you to let me git on, an' I +thank you very kindly."</p> + +<p>"But I can't carry you unless you can pay."</p> + +<p>"Oh! I kin walk soon's we git ther."</p> + +<p>"But you can't get there. I'll have to stop +and put you off."</p> + +<p>The unhappy woman opened her eyes and +mouth and stared at the conductor.</p> + +<p>"Put—me—off?"</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>"It's rainin' ain't it?" She shivered again, +and tried to look out into the black night.</p> + +<p>"Don't you know better than to get onto +a train without a ticket or money to pay +your fare?"</p> + +<p>"Yes; but they'll hang Terrence, they'll +hang 'im, they'll hang 'im," and she moaned +and rocked herself.</p> + +<p>Patsy went on through the train and when he +came back the woman was still rocking and +staring blankly at the floor, as he had found +her before. She had to look at him for some +time before she could remember him.</p> + +<p>"Can't you go no faster?"</p> + +<p>Patsy sighed.</p> + +<p>"What time is it?"</p> + +<p>"Six o'clock."</p> + +<p>"Will we git there by half after nine?—th' +trial's at ten."</p> + +<p>"Yes."</p> + +<p>Patsy sat down and looked at the wreck.</p> + +<p>"Now, a man who could put such a woman +off, in such a storm, at such an hour, and +with a grief like that," said Patsy to himself, +"would pasture a goat on his grandmother's +grave."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;"> + +<p>When Patsy woke at two o'clock that afternoon, +he picked up a noon edition of an all-day +paper, and the very first word he read +was "Not guilty." That was the heading of +the police news.</p> + +<p>"There was a pathetic scene in Judge +Meyer's court this morning at the preliminary +hearing of the case of Terrence Cassidy, +charged with the murder of the old farmer +at Spring Bank on Monday last. All efforts +to draw a confession from Cassidy had failed, +and the detectives had come to the conclusion +that he was either very innocent or +very guilty—there was no purgatory for +Terrence; it was heaven or the hot place, +according to the detectives. For once the +detectives were right. Terrence was very innocent. +It appears that the tramp who was +killed on the Wabash last night made a +confession to the trainmen, after being hit +by the engine, to the effect that he had +murdered the old farmer, and afterwards, +at the point of an empty pistol, forced a +young Irishman, whom he met upon the +railroad track, to exchange clothes with +him. That accounts for the blood stains +upon Cassidy's coat, but, of course, nobody +credited his story.</p> + +<p>"The tramp's confession, however, was wired +to the general manager of the Wabash by +the conductor of the out-going train, together +with a description of the tramp's +clothes, which description tallies with that +given of those garments worn by Cassidy.</p> + +<p>"This good news did not reach the court, +however, until after the prisoner had been +arraigned. When asked the usual question, +'Guilty, or not guilty?' the boy stood up +and was about to address some remarks to +the court, when suddenly there rushed into +the room about the sorriest looking woman +who ever stood before a judge. She was +poorly clad, wet as a rat, haggard and pale. +Her voice was hoarse and unearthly. Nobody +seemed to see her enter. Suddenly, as +if she had risen from the floor, she stood at +the railing, raised a trembling hand and +shouted, as well as she could shout, 'Not +guilty!'</p> + +<p>"Before the bewildered judge could lift his +gavel, the prosecuting attorney rose, dramatically, +and asked to be allowed to read +a telegram that had just been received, +which purported to be the signed confession +of a dying man.</p> + +<p>"As might be expected, there were not +many dry eyes in that court when, a moment +later, the boy was sobbing on his +mother's wet shoulder, and she, rocking to +and fro, was saying softly 'Poor Terrence, +my poor Terrence.'"</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;"> + +<p>As Patsy was walking back from Hooley's +Theatre, where he had gone to get tickets +(this was his night off), he met the acting +chief clerk in one of the departments to +which, under the rules then in vogue, he +owed allegiance.</p> + +<p>"I want to see you at the office," said the +amateur official, and Patsy was very much +surprised at the brevity of the speech. He +went up to his room and tried to read, +but the ever recurring thought that he was +"wanted at the office" disturbed him and +he determined to go at once and have it +out.</p> + +<p>The conductor removed his hat in the august +presence and asked, timidly, what was +wanted.</p> + +<p>"You ought to know," said the great judge.</p> + +<p>"But I don't," said Patsy, taking courage +as he arrayed himself, with a clear conscience, +on the defensive.</p> + +<p>"Are you in the habit of carrying people +on the Denver Limited who have no transportation?"</p> + +<p>"No, sir."</p> + +<p>"Then, how does it happen that you carried +a woman from Galesburg to Chicago +last night who had neither ticket nor +money, so far as we know? It will do you +no good to deny it, for I have the report of +a special agent before me, and—"</p> + +<p>"I have no desire to deny it, sir. All I deny +is that this is your business."</p> + +<p>"What?" yelled the official.</p> + +<p>"I beg your pardon, sir. I should not have +spoken in that way; but what I wish to say +and wish you to understand is that I owe +you no explanation."</p> + +<p>"I stand for the company, sir."</p> + +<p>"So do I, and have stood as many years as +you have months. I have handled as many +dollars for them as you have ever seen +dimes, and, what's more to the point, I +stand ready to quit the moment the management +loses confidence in me, and with +the assurance of a better job. Can all the +great men say as much?"</p> + +<p>The force and vehemence of the excited and +indignant little Irishman caused the "management" +to pause in its young career.</p> + +<p>"Will you tell me why you carried this +woman who had no ticket?"</p> + +<p>"No. I have rendered unto Cæsar that which +is Cæsar's. For further particulars, see my +report," and with that Patsy walked out.</p> + +<p>"Let's see, let's see," said the "management"; +"'Two passengers, Galesburg to +Chicago, one ticket, one cash fare.' What +an ass I've made of myself; but, just wait +till I catch that Hawkshaw."</p> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH</h2> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">"<i>Always together in sunshine and rain,</i><br></span> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>Facing the weather atop o' the train,</i><br></span> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>Watching the meadows move under the stars;</i><br></span> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>Always together atop o' the cars.</i>"<br></span> + + + +<p>Patsy was just singing it soft and low to +himself, and not even thinking of the song, +for he was not riding "atop o' the cars" +now. With his arm run through the bail +of his nickel-plated, white light, he was +taking the numbers and initials of the cars +in the Denver Limited. He was a handsome +fellow, and the eight or ten years that had +passed lightly over his head since he came +singing himself into the office of the general +manager to ask for a pass over a competing +line, had rounded out his figure, and given +him a becoming mustache, but they had +left just a shade of sadness upon his sunny +face. The little mother whom he used to +visit at Council Bluffs had fallen asleep +down by the dark Missouri, and he would +not see her again until he reached the end +of his last run. And that's what put the +shadow upon his sunny face. The white +light, held close to his bright, new uniform, +flashed over his spotless linen, and set his +buttons ablaze.</p> + +<p>"Ah there, my beauty! any room for dead-heads +to-night?"</p> + +<p>Patsy turned to his questioner, closed his +train-book and held out his hand: "Always +room for the Irish; where are you tagged +for?"</p> + +<p>"The junction."</p> + +<p>"But we don't stop there."</p> + +<p>"I know, but I thought Moran might slow +her down to about twenty posts, and I can +fall off—I missed the local."</p> + +<p>"I've got a new man," said Patsy, "and +he'll be a bit nervous to-night, but if we +hit the top of Zero Hill on the dot we'll +let you off; if not, we'll carry you through, +and you can come back on No. 4."</p> + +<p>"Thank you," said the Philosopher, "but +I'm sorry to trouble you."</p> + +<p>"And I don't intend you shall; just step +back to the outside gate and flag Mr. and +Mrs. Moran, and don't let him buy a ticket +for the sleeper; I've got passes for him +right through to the coast."</p> + +<p>As the Philosopher went back to "flag," +Patsy went forward to the engine. "If you +hit Zero Junction on time, Guerin, I wish +you'd slow down and let the agent off," +said the conductor.</p> + +<p>"And if I'm late?"</p> + +<p>"Don't stop."</p> + +<p>"Well," said the young driver, "we'll not +be apt to stop, for it's a wild night, Patsy; +a slippery rail and almost a head wind."</p> + +<p>"Nothing short of a blizzard can check +Blackwings," said Patsy, going to the rear.</p> + +<p>The day coaches were already well filled, +and the sleeping-car conductors were busy +putting their people away when the Philosopher +came down the platform accompanied +by the veteran engineer, his pretty +wife, and her bright little girl. Mrs. Moran +and her daughter entered the sleeper, while +her husband and the station master remained +outside to finish their cigars.</p> + +<p>"What a magnificent train," observed the +old engineer, as the two men stood looking +at the Limited.</p> + +<p>"Finest in all the West," the Philosopher replied. +"Open from the tank to the tail-lamps: +all ablaze with electric lights; just like the Atlantic +liners we read about in the magazines. +Ever been on one of those big steamers, Dan?"</p> + +<p>"No, and I never want to be. Never get +me out o' sight o' land. Then they're too +blamed slow; draggin' along in the darkness, +eighteen and twenty miles an hour, +and nowhere to jump."</p> + +<p>"And yet they say we kill more people +than they do."</p> + +<p>"I know they say so," said the engineer, +"but they kill 'em so everlastingly dead. A +man smashed up in a wreck on the road +<i>may</i> recover, but a man drowned a thousand +miles from anywhere has no show."</p> + +<p>Patsy, coming from the station, joined the +two dead-heads, and Moran, glancing at his +watch, asked the cause of delay.</p> + +<p>"Waiting for a party of English tourists," +said Patsy; "they're coming over the Grand +Trunk, and the storm has delayed them."</p> + +<p>"And that same storm will delay you to-night, +my boy, if I'm any guesser," observed +the old engineer. "I'd go over and ride with +Guerin, but I'm afraid he wouldn't take +it well. That engine is as quick as chain-lightning, +and with a greasy rail like this +she'll slip going down hill, and the more +throttle he gives her the slower she'll go. +And what's more, she'll do it so smoothly, +that, blinded by the storm, he'll never +know she's slipping till she tears her fire all +out and comes to a dead stall."</p> + +<p>The old engineer knew just how to prevent +all that, but he was afraid that to offer any suggestion +might wound the pride of the young +man, whom he did not know very well. True, +he had asked the master-mechanic to put +Guerin on the run, but only because he disliked +the Reading man who was next in line. +Mrs. Moran came from the car now, and +asked to be taken to the engine where she +and her daughter might say good-bye to +Bennie who was now the regular fireman +on Blackwings. "Bennie," said his stepfather, +"see that your sand-pipes are open."</p> + +<p>While Bennie talked with his mother and +sister, Moran chatted with the engineer. "I +want to thank you," said Guerin, "for helping +me to this run during your absence, and +I shall try to take good care of both Bennie +and Blackwings."</p> + +<p>"It isn't worth mentioning," said Moran +with a wave of his hand, "they do these +things to suit themselves."</p> + +<p>"Now, if she's got any tricks," said Guerin, +"I'd be glad to know them, for I don't +want to disgrace the engine by losing time. +I've been trying to pump the boy, but he's +as close as a clam."</p> + +<p>"Well, that's not a common fault with firemen," +said Moran, with his quiet smile. +"The only thing I can say about Blackwings," +he went on, for he had been aching +to say it, "is that she's smart, and on a rail +like this you'll have to humor her a little—drop +her down a notch and ease up on the +throttle, especially when you have a heavy +train. She's mighty slippery."</p> + +<p>Guerin thanked him for the tip, and the old +engineer, feeling greatly relieved, went back +to where Patsy and the Philosopher were +"railroading." They had been discussing the +vestibule. The Philosopher had remarked +that recently published statistics established +the fact that when a solid vestibuled train +came into collision with an old-fashioned +open train of the same weight, the latter +would go to splinters while the vestibuled +train would remain intact, on the principle +that a sleeping car is harder to wreck when +the berths are down, because they brace the +structure. "The vestibule," continued the +Philosopher, "is a life-saver, and a great +comfort to people who travel first class, but +this same inventor, who has perfected so +many railway appliances, has managed in +one way or another to help all mankind. +He has done as much for the tramp as for +the millionaire. Take the high wheel, for instance. +Why, I remember when I was 'on +the road' that you had to get down and +crawl to get under a sleeper, and sit doubled +up like a crawfish all the while. I remember +when the Pennsylvania put on a lot of big, +twelve-wheeled cars. A party of us got together +under a water tank down near Pittsburgh +and held a meeting. It was on the +Fourth of July and we sent a copy of our +resolutions to the president of the sleeping +car company at Chicago. The report was +written with charcoal upon some new shingles +which we found near, and sent by express, +'collect.' I remember how it read:</p> + +<p>'At the First Annual Convention of the +Tramps' Protective Association of North +America, it was</p> + +<p>'<i>Resolved:</i> That this union feels itself deeply +indebted to the man who has introduced +upon American railways the high wheel and +the triple truck. And be it further</p> + +<p>'<i>Resolved:</i> That all self-respecting members +of this fraternity shall refrain from +riding on, or in any way encouraging, such +slow-freight lines as may still hold to the +old-fashioned, eight-wheeled, dirt-dragging +sleeper, blind to their own interest and dead +to the world.'"</p> + +<p>"All aboard," cried Patsy, and the Denver +Limited left Chicago just ten minutes late. +The moment they had passed beyond the +shed the storm swept down from the Northwest +and plastered the wet snow against the +windows. Slowly they worked their way out +of the crowded city, over railway crossings, +between guarded gates, and left the lights +of Chicago behind them. The scores of passengers +behind the double-glassed windows +chatted or perused the evening papers.</p> + +<p>Nearly all the male members of the English +party had crowded into the smoking-rooms +of the sleepers to enjoy their pipes. Patsy, +after working the train, sat down to visit +with the Morans. The old engineer had +been hurt in a wreck and the company had +generously given him a two months' leave +of absence, with transportation and full +pay, and he was going to spend the time +in Southern California. The officials were +beginning to share the opinion of Mr. +Watchem, the famous detective who had +declared, when Moran was in prison, that +he ought to be wearing a medal instead of +handcuffs. He had battled, single-handed +and alone, with a desperado who was all +fenced about with firearms, saved the company's +property and, it might be, the lives +of passengers. Later he had taken the dynamite +from the engine to prevent its exploding, +wrecking the machine and killing the +crew. And rather than inform upon the +wretch who had committed the crime he +had gone to prison, and had borne disgrace.</p> + +<p>With the exception of Patsy, Moran, and +his wife, none of the passengers gave a +thought to the "fellows up ahead." Before +leaving Chicago Guerin had advised the +youthful fireman to stretch a piece of bell-rope +from the cab to the tank to prevent +him from falling out through the gangway, +for he intended to make up the ten minutes +if it were in the machine. The storm had +increased so that the rail had passed the +slippery stage, for it is only a damp rail +that is greasy. A very wet rail is almost +as good as a dry one, and Blackwings was +picking her train up beautifully. This was +the engine upon which Guerin had made +his maiden trip as fireman, and the thought +of that dreadful night saddened him. Here +was where Cowels sat when he showed him +the cruel message. Here in this very window +he had held him, and there was the +identical arm-rest over which hung the +body of the dead engineer. And this was +his boy. How the years fly! He looked at +the boy, and the boy was looking at him +with his big, sad eyes. The furnace door +was ajar, and the cab was as light as day. +Guerin had always felt that in some vague +way he was responsible for Cowels's death, +and now the boy's gaze made him uncomfortable. +Already the snow had banked +against the windows on his side and closed +them. He crossed over to the fireman's side, +and looked ahead. The headlight was almost +covered, but they were making good time. +He guessed, from the vibration that marked +the revolutions of the big drivers, that she +must be making fifty miles an hour. Now +she began to roll, and her bell began to +toll, like a distant church-bell tolling for +the dead, and he crossed back to his own +side. Both Moran and Patsy were pleased +for they knew the great engine was doing +her work. "When one of these heavy +sleepers stops swinging," said Patsy, "and +just seems to stand still and shiver, she's +going; and when she begins to slam her +flanges up against the rail, first one side +and then the other, she has passed a sixty-mile +gait, and that's what this car is doing +now."</p> + +<p>Mrs. Moran said good-night, and disappeared +behind the silken curtain of "lower +six," where her little girl was already sound +asleep. Only a few men remained in the +smoking-rooms, and they were mostly English.</p> + +<p>Steam began to flutter from the dome +above the back of Blackwings. The fireman +left the door on the latch to keep her cool +and save the water; the engineer opened +the injector a little wider to save the steam; +the fireman closed the door again to keep +her hot; and that's the way men watch each +other on an engine, to save a drop of water +or an ounce of steam, and that's the best +trick of the trade.</p> + +<p>Guerin looked out at the fireman's window +again. The headlight was now entirely +snowed in and the big black machine was +poking her nose into the night at the rate of +a mile a minute.</p> + +<p>"My God! how she rolls," said Guerin, going +back to his place again. Of a sudden she +began to quicken her pace, as though the +train had parted. She might be slipping—he +opened the sand lever. No, she was holding +the rail, and then he knew that they +had tipped over Zero Hill. He cut her back +a notch, but allowed the throttle to remain +wide open. Bennie saw the move and left +the door ajar again. He knew where they +were and wondered that Guerin did not +ease off a bit, but he had been taught by +Moran to fire and leave the rest to the engineer. +Guerin glanced at his watch. He +was one minute over-due at Zero Junction, +a mile away. At the end of another minute +he would have put that station behind him, +less than two minutes late. He was making +a record for himself. He was demonstrating +that it is the daring young driver who has +the sand to go up against the darkness as +fast as wheels can whirl. He wished the +snow was off the headlight. He knew the +danger of slamming a train through stations +without a ray of light to warn switchmen +and others, but he could not bring himself +to send the boy out to the front end in +that storm the way she was rolling. And +she did roll; and with each roll the bell +tolled! tolled!! like a church bell tolling +for the dead. The snow muffled the rail, and +the cry of the whistle would not go twenty +rods against that storm; and twenty rods, +when you're making a mile and a half in +a minute, gives barely time to cross yourself.</p> + +<p>About the time they tipped over the hill +the night yard master came from the telegraph +office, down at the junction, and +twirled a white light at a switch engine that +stood on a spur with her nose against an +empty express car. "Back up," he shouted: +"and kick that car in on the house track."</p> + +<p>"The Limited's due in a minute," said the +switch engineer, turning the gauge lamp +upon his watch.</p> + +<p>"Well, you're runnin' the engine—I'm +runnin' the yard," said the official, giving +his lamp another whirl, and the engine with +the express car backed away. The yard master +unbent sufficiently to say to the switchman +on the engine that the Limited was +ten minutes late, adding, that she would +probably be fifteen at the junction, for it +was storming all along the line. The snow +had packed in about the switch-bridle and +made it hard to move, but finally, with +the help of the fireman, the switch was +turned, and the yard engine stood on the +main track. The engineer glanced over his +shoulder, but there was nothing behind him +save the storm-swept night. Suddenly he +felt the earth tremble, and, filled with indescribable +horror, he pulled the whistle open +and leaped through the window. The cry +of the yard engine was answered by a wild +shriek from Blackwings. Guerin closed the +throttle, put on the air and opened the sand-valves. +The sound of that whistle, blown +back over the train, fell upon the ears of +Patsy and the two dead-heads, and filled +them with fear. A second later they felt the +clamp of brake-shoes applied with full force; +felt the grinding of sand beneath the wheels, +and knew that something was wrong. The +old engineer tore the curtains back from +"lower six," and spread out his arms, placing +one foot against the foot of the berth, +and threw himself on top of the two sleepers. +Patsy and the Philosopher braced themselves +against the seat in front of them, and +waited the shock. Bennie heard the whistle, +too, and went out into the night, not knowing +where or how he would light. Young +Guerin had no time to jump. He had work +to do. His left hand fell from the whistle-rope +to the air-brake, and it was applied +even while his right hand shoved the throttle +home, and opened the sand-valves—and +then the crash came. Being higher built, +Blackwings shot right over the top of the +yard engine, turned end for end, and lay +with her pilot under the mail car, which +was telescoped into the express car. The +balance of the train, surging, straining, and +trembling, came to a stop, with all wheels +on the rail, thanks to the faithful driver, +and the open sand-pipes. The train had +scarcely stopped when the conductor and +the two dead-heads were at the engine, +searching, amid the roar of escaping steam, +for the engine crew. A moment later Bennie +came limping in from a neighboring +field where he had been wallowing in a +snow-drift. The operator, rushing from the +station, stumbled over the body of a man. +It was Guerin. When the engine turned +over he had been hurled from the cab +and slammed up against the depot, fifty +feet away. The rescuers, searching about +the wreck, shouted and called to the occupants +of the mail car, but the wail of the +wounded engine drowned their voices. In a +little while both men were rescued almost +unhurt. Now all the employees and many +passengers gathered about the engineer. The +station master held Guerin's head upon his +knee, while Moran made a hasty examination +of his hurt. There was scarcely a bone +in his body that was not broken, but he was +still alive. He opened his eyes slowly, and +looked about. "I'm cold!" he said distinctly. +Patsy held his white light close to +the face of the wounded man. His eyes +seemed now to be fixed upon something +far away. "Mercy, but I'm cold!" he said +pathetically. Now all the women were weeping, +and there were tears in the eyes of most +of the men. "Raise him up a little," said +Moran. "It's getting dark," said the dying +man, "Oh, <i>so</i> dark! It must be the snow—" +and he closed his eyes again—"snow—on—the +headlight."</p> + + + + +<h2>THE END</h2> + + +<br> +<br> +<br> + + +<h2><span class="smcap">THE STORY of the WEST SERIES.</span></h2> + +<h3><i>Edited by</i> <span class="smcap">Ripley Hitchcock</span>.</h3> + +<h3><i>Each, Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, $1.50.</i></h3> + + +<h3>THE STORY OF THE RAILROAD.</h3> + +<h3><i>By</i> <span class="smcap">Cy Warman</span>, <i>author of "The Express Messenger," +etc. With Maps, and many Illustrations by B. West +Clinedinst and from Photographs</i>.</h3> + +<p>As we understand it, the editor's ruling idea in this series has +not been to present chronology or statistics or set essays on the +social and political development of the great West, but to give +to us vivid pictures of the life and the times in the period of +great development, and to let us see the men at their work, +their characters, and their motives. The choice of an author +has been fortunate. In Mr. Warman's book we are kept constantly +reminded of the fortitude, the suffering, the enterprise, +and the endurance of the pioneers. We see the glowing imagination +of the promoter, and we see the engineer scouting the +plains and the mountains, fighting the Indians, freezing and +starving, and always full of a keen enthusiasm for his work +and of noble devotion to his duty. The construction train and +the Irish boss are not forgotten, and in the stories of their +doings we find not only courage and adventure, but wit and +humor.—<i>The Railroad Gazette.</i></p> + + +<h2>THE STORY OF THE COWBOY.</h2> + +<h3><i>By</i> <span class="smcap">E. Hough</span>, <i>author of "The Singing Mouse Stories," +etc. Illustrated by William L. Wells and C. M. Russell</i>.</h3> + +<p>Mr. Hough is to be thanked for having written so excellent a +book. The cowboy story, as this author has told it, will be the +cowboy's fitting eulogy. This volume will be consulted in years +to come as an authority on past conditions of the far West. For +fine literary work the author is to be highly complimented. +Here, certainly, we have a choice piece of writing.—<i>New York +Times.</i></p> + + + +<h2>THE STORY OF THE MINE.</h2> + +<h3><i>As Illustrated by the Great Comstock Lode of Nevada.</i></h3> + +<h3><i>By</i> <span class="smcap">Charles Howard Shinn</span>.</h3> + +<p>Mr. Shinn writes from ... such acquaintance as could only +be gained by familiarity with the men and the places described, +... and by the fullest appreciation of the pervading spirit of +the Western mining camps of yesterday and to-day. Thus his +book has a distinctly human interest, apart from its value as +a treatise on things material.—<i>Review of Reviews.</i></p> + + +<h2>THE STORY OF THE INDIAN.</h2> + +<h3><i>By</i> <span class="smcap">George Bird Grinnell</span>, <i>author of "Pawnee Hero +Stories," "Blackfoot Lodge Tales," etc.</i></h3> + +<p>Only an author qualified by personal experience could offer us +a profitable study of a race so alien from our own as is the Indian +in thought, feeling, and culture. Only long association +with Indians can enable a white man measurably to comprehend +their thoughts and enter into their feelings. Such association +has been Mr. Grinnell's.—<i>New York Sun.</i></p> + + + + +<h3><i>Books by Graham Travers.</i></h3> + + +<h2>WINDYHAUGH.</h2> + +<h3><i>A Novel. By</i> <span class="smcap">Graham Travers</span>, <i>author of "Mona +Maclean. Medical Student," "Fellow Travellers," etc. +12mo. Cloth, $1.50</i>.</h3> + +<p>"Windyhaugh" shows an infinitely more mature skill and more +subtle humor than "Mona Maclean" and a profounder insight +into life. The psychology in Dr. Todd's remarkable book is all +of the right kind; and there is not in English fiction a more +careful and penetrating analysis of the evolution of a woman's +mind than is given in Wilhelmina Galbraith; but "Windyhaugh" +is not a book in which there is only one "star" and +a crowd of "supers." Every character is limned with a conscientious +care that bespeaks the true artist, and the analytical +interest of the novel is rigorously kept in its proper place and +is only one element in a delightful story. It is a supremely interesting +and wholesome book, and in an age when excellence +of technique has reached a remarkable level, "Windyhaugh" +compels admiration for its brilliancy of style. Dr. Todd paints +on a large canvas, but she has a true sense of proportion.—<i>Blackwood's +Magazine.</i></p> + +<p>For truth to life, for adherence to a clear line of action, for +arrival at the point toward which it has aimed from the first, +such a book as "Windyhaugh" must be judged remarkable. +There is vigor and brilliancy. It is a book that must be read +from the beginning to the end and that it is a satisfaction to +have read.—<i>Boston Journal.</i></p> + +<p>Its easy style, its natural characters, and its general tone of +earnestness assure its author a high rank among contemporary +novelists.—<i>Chicago Tribune.</i></p> + + +<h2>MONA MACLEAN.</h2> + +<h3><i>Medical Student. 12mo. Paper, 50 cents. Cloth, $1.00.</i></h3> + +<p>A pleasure in store for you if you have not read this volume. +The author has given us a thoroughly natural series of events, +and drawn her characters like an artist. It is the story of a +woman's struggles with her own soul. She is a woman of resource, +a strong woman, and her career is interesting from +beginning to end.—<i>New York Herald.</i></p> + +<p>"Mona Maclean" is a bright, healthful, winning story.—<i>New +York Mail and Express.</i></p> + +<p>A high-bred comedy.—<i>New York Times.</i></p> + + +<h2>FELLOW TRAVELLERS.</h2> + +<h3><i>12mo. Paper, 50 cents. Cloth, $1.00.</i></h3> + +<p>The stories are well told; the literary style is above the average, +and the character drawing is to be particularly praised. +... Altogether, the little book is a model of its kind, and its +reading will give pleasure to people of taste.—<i>Boston Saturday +Evening Gazette.</i></p> + +<p>"Fellow Travellers" is a collection of very brightly written +tales, all dealing, as the title implies, with the mutual relations +of people thrown together casually while travelling.—<i>London +Saturday Review.</i></p> + + + + +<h3>"<i>A Book that will Live.</i>"</h3> + +<h2>DAVID HARUM.</h2> + +<h3><i>A Story of American Life. By</i> <span class="smcap">Edward Noyes Westcott</span>. +<i>12mo. Cloth, $1.50.</i></h3> + + +<p>Thoroughly a pure, original, and fresh American type. David +Harum is a character whose qualities of mind and heart, eccentricities, +and dry humor will win for his creator noble distinction. +Buoyancy, life, and cheerfulness are dominant notes. +In its vividness and force the story is a strong, fresh picture of +American life. Original and true, it is worth the same distinction +which is accorded the <i>genre</i> pictures of peculiar types and +places sketched by Mr. George W. Cable, Mr. Joel Chandler +Harris, Mr. Thomas Nelson Page, Miss Wilkins, Miss Jewett, +Mr. Garland, Miss French, Miss Murfree, Mr. Gilbert Parker, +Mr. Owen Wister, and Bret Harte.—<i>Boston Herald.</i></p> + +<p>Mr. Westcott has done for central New York what Mr. Cable, +Mr. Page, and Mr. Harris have done for different parts of the +South, and what Miss Jewett and Miss Wilkins are doing for +New England, and Mr. Hamlin Garland for the West.... +"David Harum" is a masterly delineation of an American +type.... Here is life with all its joys and sorrows.... +David Harum lives in these pages as he will live in the mind +of the reader.... He deserves to be known by all good +Americans; he is one of them in boundless energy, in large-heartedness, +in shrewdness, and in humor.—<i>The Critic.</i></p> + +<p>True, strong, and thoroughly alive, with a humor like that of +Abraham Lincoln and a nature as sweet at the core.—<i>Boston +Literary World.</i></p> + +<p>We give Edward Noyes Westcott his true place in American +letters—placing him as a humorist next to Mark Twain, as a +master of dialect above Lowell, as a descriptive writer equal to +Bret Harte, and, on the whole, as a novelist on a par with the +best of those who live and have their being in the heart of +hearts of American readers. If the author is dead—lamentable +fact—his book will live.—<i>Philadelphia Item.</i></p> + +<p>The main character ... will probably take his place in time +beside Joel Chandler Harris's and Thomas Nelson Page's and +Miss Wilkins's creations.—<i>Chicago Times-Herald.</i></p> + + +<h3>D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.</h3> + + + +<p class="center"><i>D. B. Updike<br> +The Merrymount Press<br> +104 Chestnut St.<br> +Boston</i></p> + +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30447 ***</div> +</body> +</html> diff --git a/30447-h/images/cover.jpg b/30447-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0874c16 --- /dev/null +++ b/30447-h/images/cover.jpg |
