Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 128: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

126 that might ensue; it sprang ‘solely from his conscience—that maybe in the heat of this fight, clean-cut enough though it had been, he had taken the life of a fellow man. As he sought to straighten out the chaos of thought that surged through his brain, there came bustling in the doctor, a busi- ness-like little man. With professional adeptness, he éxamined Burke, then looked at Cunningham. “We've got to get this man to a hospital. Is there one near here?” Cunningham shook his head negatively. “Nothing nearer than Valhalla,”’. he replied, “and the road is blocked with snow.” “Then he won’t live four hours. operation can save him.”’ Danny started. A wave of relief had swept over him at the first words of the physician. Burke was not dead, then. And then came a succeeding wave of despair. Burke would die unless taken to Valhalla. Yet Cunningham had spoken the truth; the road was blocked tightly with wet snow that packed more solidly every minute. Still, must they wait helplessly here while Burke, big, blustering Burke, who, mayhap, after all was no more than a spoiled boy, died on their hands? Man, as a rule, comes to a decisive con- clusion slowly. Yet, in a crisis, the mind works lightning-like; events and _possi- bilities flashing before it like cinema photo- graphs, each to be weighed and catalogued according to its importance. And Danny for the last few minutes, ever since Burke had applied the epithet to him, had been deciding quickly and acting quickly. He did so now. He rebuttoned the neck of his jumper which had been torn open in the fight and took his cap which some one handed to him. “Load him aboard the twenty-seven,” he directed. ‘“T’ll take him to Valhalla.” Cunningham looked incredulous. “You're crazy!” he declared. ‘You can’t get through in a million years.” Malone’s brows drew down. “T can and I will, me and the twenty- seven. Do I have to carry him alone to the cab?”’ The doctor broke in, “By all means let him try,” he urged. “Otherwise the man will die. I’ll go too, if the engineer will let me.” Danny nodded, then threw open the door Only an Adventure and started toward the juice hog which had been patiently awaiting his return. The blizzard shrieked in ghoulish glee, tossing the great snowflakes in wild abandon in its mad dance through the mountains. He climbed into the cab, and glanced over everything to see that it was right. And soon they brought the unconscious form of Burke, which they bolstered with pillows from the sleeping cars. Hadley, the helper or “‘fireman’”’ of the twenty-seven, took his place; the doctor seated himself close to Burke, where he could watch over the injured man and then with a mild grunt the twenty-seven obediently moved out of the side-track, whose switch had been opened by Cunning- ham himself. Ss her motors, the twenty-seven rolled ~Mi@ up the grade toward Valhalla. So far it was easy; the real climb had not be- gun; the first snow-filled cut was more than a mile distant. Yet they were running almost blindly. So thickly were the flakes falling that the strong ray from the hog’s big headlight scarcely penetrated the opaque curtain of white that seemed to unreel end- lessly before them. A minute, two minutes passed; then Danny spoke. ‘““We’re comin’ to the first cut now,’ he said. “Hold on to him and yerself, because I’m goin’ to ram it.’ As he spoke, he moved -the controller handle and the motors responded with a new note. The swaying of the bulky ma- chine grew more pronounced. There was a slight shock, and then, whoosh! they were into it! It was as if one buried his head inside a feather tick. The snow packed solidly against the windows of the cab, until Danny could see nothing. The pressure increased; the twenty-seven began to slow down. Danny fed her more juice, and her octuple motors snarled as if in rage at the white obstacle. They growled and groaned and then the juice hog suddenly lurched ahead— free. They were\through! Danny patted the controller handle fond- ly and slowed her down a bit, for she was now roaring along at top speed. “Good old girl!” he praised. “I knew ye’'d do it. There’s but one cut worse than that between here and Valhalla.” SILENTLY, except for the purr of And the twenty-seven, as if encouraged ~ COMmMiCMOooks (C@