Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

SHELBY’S HEAD-ON CRASH. The despatcher opened his key. Shelby could vision him leaning forward to it, get- ting himself together before he asked the second question. ‘* Kighty-nine tr?” ‘“‘ Haven’t seen ’em.”’ The thing was done. Shelby could see the 88 and the 80 crashing into each other just beyond the station somewhere. Un- less the engine crews saw the oncoming en- gines in time and had a chance to jump, somebody might be pinned down in the wreckage of torn metal. Shelby’s head whirled, and he had a sickish feeling in the pit of his stomach. And then his brain cleared like a flash. What did the despatcher mean by asking him if he had delivered an order to the 88? Only one thing, Shelby grim!'y told himself. The despatcher had put out the order to the 89, and had neglected, for some reason, to put it out to the 88, the superior train. He recalled now that he had heard the despatcher calling the first station west of him for some time a while ago. The sta- tion had not answered. Shelby had paid no attention then to what had followed. He had been shining his tan shoes. Well, by thunder, the despatcher wasn’t going to stand from under and let the mis- take fall on Shelby’s shoulders! Shelby leaned forward and opened his key, but he kept the circuit closed with a long fore- finger. The night chief had come in on the wire and was calling the eastern terminal of the district. The eastern terminal answered at once. The night chief sent a message, or- dering out a relief train, full force. A feeling of isolation came over Shelby. The chief and the trick despatcher could momentarily drown their worry in a spell of activity; all Shelby could do was to sit there and wait. The message ordering the relief train had just been sent when Andover, the station which had reported the 88 by, called the despatcher’s office. The night chief an- swered steadily. ‘“ They’ve either got together beyond the curve, or else they plugged ’em hard,” the operator reported. ‘Some jam, anyhow.”’ The terminal yard office came in and 53 reported the relief train would be ready soon. ‘The trick man put out the necessary orders. Then he called Andover again. ‘“‘ Somebody’s coming back now,” Ando- ver reported. ‘‘ Let you know in a min- ute.” While he waited the despatcher took up the routine which the situation had devel- oped. He put them into clear and arranged to have a couple of passengers cross over to a parallel road. Then Andover called again, “Sweeney is here,” Andover reported. “Says they got together just around the curve. Both engines off the track, and ten cars in the 88 and half a dozen in the 89 off. King, on the 88, has busted a leg; got caught between the tender and the en- gine when he started to jump. Nobody else hurt.” Shelby leaned back with a sigh of relief. King’s leg would mend; the relief train would clear the track; the engines and the wrecked cars could be repaired. It wasn’t so bad as if some one had been killed. He blessed all men who jump when there is nothing else to do. And then his anger rose. The wreck was not so bad, but somebody was going to lose his job on account of it. In fact, somebody had automatically lost his job the minute the two trains struck. Who the somebody would be was to be determined by the facts. But facts could be juggled. The des- patcher was already juggling them by ask- ing Shelby for sigs on an order which had never been sent. The despatcher was lying like a horse-thief. Prompt counter-action on Shelby’s part seemed to be indicated. He shoved his chair along till he was in front of the way wire. As he sat waiting for a chance to break in the first- trick man entered the office. “* New style of shaving?” he asked jovial- ly, being fat and forty. Shelby turned angry, ‘smoldering eyes on him, The first-trick man’s face grew grave. He saw that something was amiss. ‘““'What’s up, kid?” he asked. ‘ Get ’em together ?”’ “I didn’t,” Shelby retorted. ‘‘ Thornton did.” comicloool C©