Francis Lynde

“ With the board down, no train would pass Broken Arrow without stopping, and at least one danger—the danger of a collision in mid canyon—would be averted for the young people who were making a coasting course of a live railroad track.
Half an hour later, Gavin began to grow nervous. The push-car had not yet returned; and the general manager's special, with Mr. Brice and a party of the Castle Cliff officials in the private car, was on the line below Broken Arrow, moving eastward. With an ear sharply attuned for the news of the wire, Gavin had been keeping up with the special's movements. ”

“ For an hour or more the wire chatter kept him awake and he listened to it purposefully, with the wakeful determination well emphasized. But later the little safe under the ticket cases drew him irresistibly, and he forgot the clicking sounder and sat staring gloomily at his responsibility with unwinking eyes that grew heavy-lidded from the effort. ”

“ Somewhere on the steep thirty-six-mile grade in Black Rock Canyon they would release the push-car for a flying coast back to the Broken Arrow portal. The risks were plentiful. The stick used for a lever-brake on the wheels might snap; the car might run away and jump the track; and there was always the chance of meeting a "wild" engine, or an unscheduled special train, going in the opposite direction.
The push-car adventurers were ignoring these risks, but Gavin took thought for them as he could. ”

“ She doesn't care much for Faulkner, and she is disposed to 'mother' Maisie. She says Gavin's devotion is absolutely idyllic—dates back to the age of chivalry. Maisie tramples on it; snubs him, pitches Faulkner at his head, and rubs the Malachite millions into him good and hard."
"What does her father have to say about all this?" queried the big boss, interesting himself chiefly because Upham was interested.
"French? Oh, he's like most American fathers of girls: thinks he's out of it when it comes to a sentimental crisis. He has probably never heard of Gavin as a potential son-in-law." ”

“ This time it was the auditor who asked for delay. "There's another matter which ought to be mentioned," he said. "As you all know, Gavin has been suspected of stealing ore in transit. A telephone this morning from the Malachite tells me that Goresby, the jack freighter, is the thief. Let that weigh for what it is worth."
"It merely moves the suspicion peg up to this mystery of last night," said the general manager. Then, to Upham: "Bring your man in again, and see if he will tell us about the tea train affair." ”

“ A westbound freight had overrun Chrysolite, at the upper end of the canyon where it should have side-tracked for a fast eastbound extra carrying a cargo of tea.
Dempsey, the night despatcher, had no means of knowing whether the tea train had or had not passed Broken Arrow; hence his attempt to call Gavin, though Gavin's station was only a "day" office. Now he was wiring Chrysolite to send one of the "pusher" engines down the canyon after the escaped freight. ”

“ Somewhere in the nearer reaches of the great gorge the push-car with its living freight must be racing westward. A few miles in the opposite direction the special train was flying eastward. Gavin hoped that the narrowing gap would close safely on the side of immunity for the push-car coasters. Explanations to the general manager would be awkward for all concerned. ”

“ He was looking straight in her eyes, and to his surprise they clouded instantly.
"Don't say that, Martin," she pleaded. "I always like to think of you as the one person to whom money—the having it or the lacking it—doesn't make any difference." ”

“ I've just had Dempsey on the wire. Gavin prevented a canyon wreck last night at eleven-forty. Sixteen ran past her meeting point with the tea extra, and Gavin, who was supposed to be abed and asleep, must have heard the wire panic it stirred up. Anyway, he stopped the tea train."
"Have you asked him about that?" queried Arthur, the general freight agent.
"No. But that isn't all," Upham went on. "We've been keeping quiet about this thing; but in spite of that it is known downstairs that there is trouble, and that Gavin is practically under arrest. The women know it ”

“ Before going to work on his records, he dropped the station signal board to "Stop for orders," and adjusted the spring of the telegraph relay so that he would be sure to hear anything that might go through over the wires. ”