Francis Lynde

“ If it leaves Bent's at three twenty, it will pass the bridge in the canyon within a minute or two of four o'clock."
Reddick was visibly impressed for a moment, but he shook himself free with a laugh.
"It is only a raw coincidence. You don't let that old man's fantastic pipe-dream weigh an ounce, and you know it, Rader."
"Perhaps not. But you are opening up a big vein when you sling a pick on that claim. Ninety-nine men out of a hundred will laugh and tell you that superstition has been choked out and reasoned out long since, with witchcraft and all the devil-business of the ignorant ages. ”

“ Still there was no word from Upham or Brice; no signs of relief on the eastern horizon.
"How much longer can we keep this up, Dawson?" he asked desperately, when the second night watch of the wires began.
The despatcher's smile was sardonic. "Till one or the other of us falls asleep over the key and pulls down the very thing we're trying to stand off, I reckon."
"But there must be a let-up, sometime," insisted Rader. "It can't last forever."
"It'll last until we have that third smash; all right," said Dawson grimly. ”

“ He had two full hours to wait before the departure of the Dolomite train, and in the interval he chanced to foregather with Sanborn, the Castle Cliff baggage agent. Sanborn was a New Hampshire man, with an itch for prying into the mental interstices of other folk. He got the story of the Hinchcliffe vision, scoffed at it in his own inner consciousness, but did not fail to pass it on to Jurgins, the hostler who brought Number Two's engine up from the coal track. ”

“ Age is in some sort venerable, even in this the century of the young. But Rader shook his head.
"I don't know about Mr. Reddick, here. He is a passenger man. But I have never had one that a late supper wouldn't sufficiently account for." ”

“ The gray dawn was dimming the incandescent lights in the despatcher's room when Dawson aroused the sleeping substitute. A relief despatcher from the mountain division was at the train-sheet, and Rader sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Why the devil didn't you call me to take my trick?" he demanded crustily.
Dawson's laugh showed his strong white teeth.
"There wasn't any need of it. Lewison came down on Three, and so did Mr. Brice and Mr. Upham. They both said to let you sleep, and I did. Come on down to the lunch-counter and we'll have a cup of coffee. You look as if you were dead on your feet." ”

“ Martin Carnagan was a young man when that first clicking call from Callidonia made him put down the paper-back tale of train robbers to reply to the demand for orders for Train Two-two. But before the Arreta mine call had broken for the second time into the horrible silence of the Castle Cliff wire office, he was staggering up and down under a weight of years crowded into minutes ”

“ Why has there got to be three?"
"Because three out of every four of the men think so—that's all. And they'll keep on thinking so till it is."
"Will they come down to earth again after the third rip-up?"
"I never knew it to fail," said the despatches snapping his key to reopen the battle with the fates. "About all you can do is to pray it won't be a man-killer." ”

“ Bimeby I heard a train comin' from somewheres up along in the gulch. Down she come, rippin' and snortin' and th'owin' fire; and when she hit the bridge—bing! there she was! a mixed-up mess o' broke-up keers and twisted irons piled down into the river. Hit was a passenger train, and I could see 'em tryin' to climb out through the winders; and—and say, I can hear 'em groanin' and shriekin' even to this minute!"
Reddick got up and walked to the window. After a little he heard Rader say: "But about the time—how do you know this is to happen to-morrow morning?" ”

“ Rader flung himself upon the cot to snatch a little rest, and harassed as he was, sleep came quickly. Dawson called him at ten o'clock, made the transfers, and gave his verbal report.
"Worse and more of it, David; you'll have to hold them down hard. Every man jack of 'em is looking for that third wreck, and wondering if he is going to be in it."
Rader took his place at the train table, and for an hour his hands were full. Then came a lull, and he sat back, soberly thoughtful. At midnight the rush was on again, and he called Dawson. ”

“ It was Reddick who broke it with a remark critical.
"There is one screw loose in the prophecy, and it's a rather important one, when you come to think of it. If our trains are anywhere near on time, we shall have no passenger within thirty miles of Black Rock bridge at four o'clock in the morning."
Rader smiled and tossed the pencilled schedule of the Iowa excursion special across to the passenger agent. ”

“ But suppose the old man's story does leak out, and by some trick of coincidence there should be a wreck to fit it? I know railroad human nature well enough to do a little prophesying on my own account. Every man in the service might take the sensible view of it; but the chances are ten to one the other way."
Reddick had made a copy of the Iowa train's schedule ”

“ There's goin' to be a terr'ble smash-up on your railroad at four o'clock to-morrow, jes' before day."
Rader's thought went instantly to train-wreckers. How else could a disaster be so confidently predicted? ”