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It was still raining heavily, and on the first cut beyond Porchester Junction his train was stopped by a flagman, sent back from a freight-train. There was a wash-out just ahead, and the way would be blocked for several hours yet, if not longer.
A white-sheeted road crossed the rails. There were two or three houses in sight and a big general store, over the door of which was painted: EMORYVILLE P. O. But the train had stopped and the rear brake-man, or flagman, seized his lamp and ran back to wait for the engineer to recall him. It was growing dusk and the lamps had been lighted the length of the train.
The engineers leaned over, watching Neale's progress. Larry King did not look over the precipice. He watched the slowly slipping rope as knot by knot it passed over. It fascinated him. "He's reached the bulge of rock," called Baxter, craning his neck. "There, he's down out of sight!" exclaimed Henney. Casey, the flagman, leaned farther out than any other.
The Irishman sidled over to Neale. "Say, did yez hear about Casey?" he inquired, in very friendly fashion. "No, I didn't," replied Neale. He remembered Casey, the flagman, but probably there were many Caseys in that camp. "There wus a foight, out on the line, yisteddy," went on the fellow, "an' the dom' redskins chased the gang to the troop-train. Phwat do you think?
She checked the pony before the bar which the flagman at the railroad crossing had let down, while a long freight train clattered deafeningly by, and then drove bumping and jouncing across the tracks. "I suppose you remember what 'Over the Track' means in Hatboro'?" "Oh yes," said Annie, with a smile. "Social perdition at the least. You don't mean that Mrs. Wilmington lives 'Over the Track'?"
A moment or so later, a very pretty young lady was standing beside a trunk on the platform, trying to get some information from the flagman. "Can you tell me where Mr. Foster lives?" "That's the gimlet-eyed lawyer from New Yark?" "Yes, he's from New York," said the young lady, smiling in his face. "Where does he live?" "He's got the sassiest boy, thin. Is it him as took the Kinzer house?"
They literally stripped Kelly to the waist; but there was not a scratch to be found upon his body. When the doctor declared it to be his opinion that Kelly was not hurt at all, but had merely fainted, Kelly was indignant. A tin torpedo left on the rail by a flagman was exploded by the wheel of the hand-car. A piece of tin flew up, caught Lucien in the neck, making a nasty wound.
Three shrill whistle calls sent a sleepy flagman racing to set the switch of the siding. With a clang the reversing lever came over and the steam roared into the cylinders. The Scotchman had the grade to help him, which was fortunate. When he had the string of empties fairly in retreat, the beam of Gallagher's headlight was shining full in his face and blinding him.
The flagman picked up his lantern and went forward; and in a minute or two later the index finger of the speed-recorder began to mount slowly toward the fifties. At fifty-two miles to the hour, Ford, sitting in the observation end of the car where he could see the ghostly lines of the rails reeling backward into the night, smelled smoke the unmistakable odor of burning oil.
The hazards are multiplied the minute you pass the throat, and a yard wreck is a dreadful tangle; it makes everybody from road-master to flagman furious, and not even Bartholomew wanted to face an inquiry on a yard wreck. On the other hand, he couldn't afford to be caught by Foley, who was chasing him out of pure caprice.
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