| Show the danger signal i Y you 0 u cannot jo do it sald said Meeli enas ain suro sure they will not consent arid and lie ho added taking ft baso bago ad advantage of my sensibility to ro mark if I 1 were you id sit down mid lid riot not wriggle you dont know knon how satirically adov r P Is watching you now I 1 had no lear fear of tho the regard of I 1 hat across tho ilia aisle and I 1 resented this duplicity isyou if you dont RO go and bring hither tile conductor I 1 threatened 1 I will go to him myself yonder among all these men and ask him nas I 1 think the common monto to most men dislikes to bo be made conspicuous and lie ho k flows my pertinacity A moment later the strong square face ol of ilia conductor bent over me ino as I 1 preferred my request with an ur admixture of appeal and assurance this artfulness waa rewarded ut at tile tho next net station he came back to tile tho platform whore where I 1 perched breathless with suspense tho the engineer says yon ou may come tauntingly then I 1 protruded my chin newt you see sea all men have not your obduracy 11 Mec Afe ionas emnas signed ah Being so be very willful you must go it was with no common commonplace sensation that I 1 shadowed my guide through ilia microcosmic ufa tire of tile the platform h hustled u 9 tied by a varied throng here stalked tall or sturdy prospectors rough boarded bearded rough clad equipped in ill nil all the pioneer paraphernalia pher nalia nalla of tho ilia section liero here towered lowered tho stately form and grand gray head of a man I 1 had often marked and revered reve F from tile the chaos of this crowd and tho the babel of their voices tile conductor swung me up to the engine here is the young lady who wants to try tho the cab willi a prompt businesslike business like liko air the engineer lifard me to the cushioned ledge where lie ho had boen been leaning tucked my scant skirts beyond reach of the great shining lover lever of the air brakes showed me how hov to brace myself rang the warning bell blow off tile the prescribed amount of water and spell sped his engine forward to tome we that was vuis a wild weird aldo the sun BUD shone in at the iho open cab windows but tho the wind blow cold from n snow arnow clad range at the right section men along the 11 line no grimy stern faced caucasians and stolid coolies loaned leanea on their picks to gozo gazo in wonder at it womans comans face loo kingon them from such buell unwonted masculine surroundings as wo we flew past forward For waid burward fui wari sped tile engino along the ringing ging rails fairly bounding over long straight stretches punting up heavy grades reeling swaying in ill ward as the centrifugal force around short effort shary bends tile tho dismal surroundings horrified me I 1 trembled that ilia great monster I 1 mounted should go careering on apparently unguided Iv I 1 wanted anted to know how it dominated to see the hand of man on tho the curb of the insensate creature I 1 leaned out of tho the window and spoke back to the engineer standing ou on the ilia tender come acome and stand eland by me I 1 am afraid he smiled indulgent to weakness as strong throng men iuca are and came in at once lie ile taught me the the trick of the throttle learned ino ilia the lore of the lover lever arid and showed me the secure index of tile the water inter gauge where the aerated milky fluid ran up and down the tube with our motion suddenly I 1 clinched his board shoulder with it a jie ryous hand that man ou on tho the track I 1 you will run bana donoll but ills his hand was already on the boll bell rope that Js Is a track walker do you see sea his bis red flag flaig g they are stationed all along here every five to a eteen mlle miles lie he will leave in good time the roan man but a few rods away stepping from tie to tie between the ralls rails swung an ling himself leisurely aside as we wa flew past I 1 tried to my cowardice you see sec I 1 have been weak and ill III and I 1 have seen two men killed by cars yes I 1 know what that horror borror la Is ills his voice dropped 1 I once killed a man so BO presently he opened a sort of locker beti cath my feet saying baying 1 lq I must see BOO time table this la Is only my second trip over the road lt As ai I 1 drew draw up my feet to give way a gust ot of wind swi swirled rieti in and swept my skirts back from the low shoes and scarlet hose that matched III tile the rest 0 of f it rather masculine costume in despite of himself the ibe en alneer bialla d nt my consternation correctness of detail la Is my pride and weakness let leamo me tell you sou a story lie ho said it can hardly seem impertinent now that wo we have laughed together before too the junction of these roads I 1 was running between N and BI I 1 I 1 he named two stations on tho eastern line lacy the station man at austin hada had a laughter A half grown girl al 71 il ru rn antelope austin was tie no place at nil all just the station house in part of which luc lucis pa family lived and wo we never naver storied i there thera signaled it I 1 I 1 il was only four nail anil lacad daughter wa walked aked dally to tile pueblo to school and back we passed austin between 4 and 6 5 in tile the afternoon and I 1 used to meet trudging along the ties homeward sometimes she would bring my heart to my threat by keeping to tho ilia track till I 1 thought blie must hut she always escaped just in time and stood mock int at us like nn an imp swinging her firms and whirling about like it 11 niad mad creature I 1 spoke to her father about tile rak site ran buthe seem I 1 d to have no control over her I 1 poso pose it I 1 t wits ft as the sol solitude I 1 ind a of her home that made lier her so wild one day a hot box lud hall delayed us and we were tearing along lit at unusual speed making up time profit tile the moment we flashed past austin I 1 was on oil tile the watch for Al barcla arcla rearing fearing thod shed bo be caught if she should be cureless careless or slower than usual about half a mile beyond the station on a long down downgrade grado I 1 saw her far away just a mere speck on the sand arid and its as well us its I 1 could judge at the distance all of a heap bel p on oil tile the ground up tearing fearing something had befallen the bo girl As we came tolerably near she jumped to bolier her fuel feet and began waving a red ilag flag that had the singular appearance of being in two narrow pieces that was wai enough to stop ilia train tie no man would be reckless enough to disregard that signal even from such a mad piece as Bl arela I 1 left the ilia engine to joe and rm ran to the girl the conductor had reached tier her already and held beld her where she stood a bravo little woman as ever lived hot exhausted dirty and barefoot the rustlers have chopped tho the trusties trust les down in Il ileya cut she sho gasped them timbers timber is weakened enough to wreck ft reek trains and I 1 knowel yol yo see it from above and yol yo behind time and coin lit fast and I 1 run and ruo run to tell teh daddy in time and when I 1 see sea yo 1 I 1 knowel it no use to in make signs at youl you 1 cause pin im always a edoin doln some fuel buol caper but tile the flag was waa sure to retch fetch yol yo and so BO I 1 just pulled off my red stoc kinsland shuck lem em out and hyer byer yol yo are 0 KI talk about fainting a as S a consequence of over refinement t delicate doll cato rearing and hereditary exhaustion of nerve tension 1 that child panted through her explanation and then roll fell back in a swoon as naturally ns as imsho if she had been a princess and now mis you see why I 1 admire cardinal stockings maid bald the engineer I 1 oddly enough the speech did not impress mo me ns as impertinent argonaut |
