John Carisford

“ You can't stop our rails being laid, and your train will not get to Arundel in time to prevent your rails being torn up."
Jack, although hope was now almost dead in him, managed to smile sarcastically. He could not trust himself to utter a word. After a few minutes he made his way to Sullivan again through the baggage-car.
To the driver he repeated Aylward's words.
"We're beat, then," said the driver dismally.
"It looks as if we've no hope," replied Jack. "They may be laying the cross rails this very moment." ”

“ The colonel was listening to every word now with tremendous interest.
"You know," continued Aylward, "that the time limit mentioned in that franchise, or law, whichever you like to call it, expires today."
"Yes, of course it does," said the colonel rather testily; "but what has that to do with it? The road has been built two years."
"Quite so," was the composed answer, "but there were conditions; there was a clause to the effect that the Sunset should run a passenger train over the line."
"Well, that's done," interrupted the colonel. "The Sunset has scored there. ”

“ The president was out of reach, and nothing was done toward saving the Arundel branch from destruction.
Winder still stood by expectantly.
"What's to be done, Mr Fletcher?" he asked. "We're losing time."
"For heaven's sake, shut up, Winter," Jack cried irritably. "Do you think there's nothing in the world that's important except to get your blamed train on time? I'm going to talk to Sullivan."
The big driving wheels of the locomotive were beginning to revolve when Jack reached the engineer's cab. Sullivan had become impatient of the delay.
"Stop this train!" commanded Jack sharply. ”

“ They ran a passenger train over it. It was rather sharp practice, of course, running only one; but it fulfilled the letter of the law."
"That's just it," snapped the lawyer triumphantly; "they have not fulfilled the letter of the law, and after today citizens of Arundel County are at liberty to destroy the Sunset branch line, to tear up their tracks, and never allow the Sunset to run another train on any part of their territory."
"Aylward!" gasped the colonel, excitedly. "Surely you must be crazy." ”

“ Scarcely noticing what Kenneth Webster was talking about, Jack recalled that some few years before there had been very keen competition between the Kansas Central and Sunset lines for powers to open up a branch line which in itself was of little importance, but would eventually be of immense value to the railway company controlling it, as it tapped an entirely new territory of vast but undeveloped resources. In this contest the Sunset had been victorious. This line had secured the coveted powers, on condition that the branch line was built within three years and a passenger train run over it. ”

“ The engine bounded over the rails like a rubber ball, while Jack hung on for sheer life. He would not leave the locomotive. "If there's an accident now I don't want to come out alive," he told Sullivan. ”

“ Three hours later John Fletcher reached Arundel in a special. Coleman had found him and explained all he knew of the mysterious disappearance of the express. When the president reached headquarters a message from the injured operator at Bywater had at last arrived telling of the switching of the express on to the Arundel line.
Wild with rage against his nephew, the president had made a record run in a hastily prepared special. At Arundel he found that Jack had been in bed for two and a half hours, but Sullivan, who was gloriously celebrating the affair, explained vaguely, but sufficiently. ”

“ It's true, and Arundel County, indignant with its treatment by the Sunset, is with us to a man. The moment twelve o'clock strikes tonight the Sunset franchise is so much waste-paper, and at the first stroke of the hour there will be a gang of men at work tearing up the Sunset tracks in Arundel County. ”

“ All three occupants of the cab shouted to the determined man, but he only bent more forcefully to the task which his Italian laborers had skulked from at the first scent of danger.
In an instant the engine was fairly upon him. The pilot struck the instrument he was using, and man and spike-puller were tossed unceremoniously into the ditch. ”

“ The colonel seemed to be reflecting, for it was a moment or two before he replied to Aylward. At last he said: "Yes, I suppose you could. Somehow, I have not much faith in our present scheme. I know, of course, that the Sunset people don't watch that branch line through Arundel County. They feel quite secure; but I don't like counting my chickens before they're hatched. Anything may happen to spoil our plans."
Aylward laughed quietly.
"I was not depending much on that," he said, "if the Kansas Central can get the track laid before the Sunset discovers the game I shall be glad, of course ”

“ While the train was running to Bassett's Crossing Jack discussed with Winter as to what was likely to happen if John Fletcher did not know, and had not provided against the flaw in the franchise.
"It's impossible to get a special made up nearer than Chicago," said Winter, "and that's three hundred miles from Bywater; then the branch to the Arundel County boundary is one hundred and fifty miles." ”

“ It was impossible, he argued, that a first-class train, consisting of two day coaches, a Pullman sleeper, a smoking-car, and observation-car, a baggage and a mail car drawn by the finest engine on the system, should melt into thin air. ”

“ I won't have you. It'll be no fun here when she bumps."
"Do you think she'll really get through? Won't it derail the train?" asked Jack nervously.
"Not likely. The house is a flimsily built shack."
"Perhaps we'd better uncouple the cars."
"No," said Sullivan firmly. "We want their weight behind."
During this conversation the train had backed nearly a mile. Suddenly it slowed down and stopped. Jack climbed down from the cab at Sullivan's request, and retired to the smoking-car.
Then Sullivan opened the throttle and the express shot forward. He let her out the last notch of speed. ”

“ Can't tell, except that Goldstone is the little town at the end of the lines that the Kansas Central branch drove up to the country that the Arundel County branch covers. They'd got that far toward reaching the N.P. junction when the Sunset got the Arundel County franchise. They've never built beyond Goldstone. ”

“ Impossible," said Jack. "There's nothing ahead of us."
"Not on our road," said Sullivan gravely. "But you know the Kansas Central were building up their track from Goldstone. They have a construction train with them, of course. ”

“ If it has escaped the notice of the Sunset line that they should run a passenger train over the Arundel County line today there will be the dickens to pay."
To seek Winter, the conductor, was Jack's next thought. Perhaps he might have some helpful suggestion to offer. He found him punching tickets in the smoking-car, and took an early opportunity of having a quiet talk with him. ”

“ The situation was a terrible strain on Coleman. He was responsible for the movements of every train on the system. Had he made some little error that was responsible for a terrible disaster? This question, which worried him insistently, he was compelled to answer in the negative. He fell back, then, on the only possible explanation, and that was, he decided, that after leaving Bywater the express had left the rails; and with the entire train tumbled over a high embankment. The Bywater operator must be at the scene of the accident, and train No. ”