captains courageous-第23部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


anyhow。〃

〃I'll　ask。〃

When　he　returned　with　the　father's　message　bidding　Harvey　meet
them　in　Boston　at　an　appointed　hour；　he　found　Miss　Kinzey
laughing　over　the　keys。　Then　Milsom　laughed　too；　for　the　frantic
clicks　from　Los　Angeles　ran：　〃We　want　to　know　why…why…why？
General　uneasiness　developed　and　spreading。〃

Ten　minutes　later　Chicago　appealed　to　Miss　Kinzey　in　these
words：　~'lf　crime　of　century　is　maturing　please　warn　friends　in
time。　We　are　all　getting　to　cover　here。〃

This　was　capped　by　a　message　from　Topeka　（and　wherein　Topeka
was　concerned　even　Milsom　could　not　guess）：　〃Don't　shoot；
Colonel。　We'll　come　down。〃

Cheyne　smiled　grimly　at　the　consternation　of　his　enemies　when　the
telegrams　were　laid　before　him。　〃They　think　we're　on　the　warpath。
Tell　'em　we　don't　feel　like　fighting　just　now；　Milsom。　Tell　'em
what　we're　going　for。　I　guess　you　and　Miss　Kinsey　had　better　come
along；　though　it　isn't　likely　I　shall　do　any　business　on　the　road。　Tell
'em　the　truth…for　once。〃

So　the　truth　was　told。　Miss　Kinzey　clicked　in　the　sentiment　while
the　secretary　added　the　memorable　quotation；　〃Let　us　have　peace；〃
and　in　board　rooms　two　thousand　miles　away　the　representatives
of　sixty…three　million　dollars'　worth　of　variously　manipulated
railroad　interests　breathed　more　freely。　Cheyne　was　flying　to　meet
the　only　son；　so　miraculously　restored　to　him。　The　bear　was
seeking　his　cub；　not　the　bulls。　Hard　men　who　had　their　knives
drawn　to　fight　for　their　financial　lives　put　away　the　weapons　and
wished　him　God…speed；　while　half　a　dozen　panic…smitten　tin…pot
roads　perked　up　their　heads　and　spoke　of　the　wonderful　things　they
would　have　done　had　not　Cheyne　buried　the　hatchet。

It　was　a　busy　week…end　among　the　wires；　for　now　that　their　anxiety
was　removed；　men　and　cities　hastened　to　accommodate。　Los
Angeles　called　to　San　Diego　and　Barstow　that　the　Southern
California　engineers　might　know　and　be　ready　in　their　lonely
roundhouses；　Barstow　passed　the　word　to　the　Atlantic　and　Pacific；
and　Albuquerque　flung　it　the　whole　length　of　the　Atchinson；　
Topeka；　and　Santa　Fe　management；　even　into　Chicago。　An　engine；
combination…car　with　crew；　and　the　great　and　gilded　〃Constance〃　
private　car　were　to　be　〃expedited〃　over　those　two　thousand　three　
hundred　and　fifty　miles。　The　train　would　take　precedence　of　one　
hundred　and　seventy…seven　others　meeting　and　passing；　despatchers　
and　crews　of　every　one　of　those　said　trains　must　be　notified。　Sixteen
locomotives；　sixteen　engineers；　and　sixteen　firemen　would　be
needed…each　and　every　one　the　best　available。　Two　and　one　half
minutes　would　be　allowed　for　changing　engines；　three　for
watering；　and　two　for　coaling。　〃Warn　the　men；　and　arrange　tanks
and　chutes　accordingly；　for　Harvey　Cheyne　is　in　a　hurry；　a　hurry…a
hurry；〃　sang　the　wires。　〃Forty　miles　an　hour　will　be　expected；　and
division　superintendents　will　accompany　this　special　over　their
respective　divisions。　From　San　Diego　to　Sixteenth　Street；　Chicago；
let　the　magic　carpet　be　laid　down。　Hurry！　Oh；　hurry！〃

〃It　will　be　hot；〃　said　Cheyne；　as　they　rolled　out　of　San　Diego　in　the
dawn　of　Sunday。　〃We're　going　to　hurry；　Mama；　just　as　fast　as　ever
we　can；　but　I　really　don't　think　there's　any　good　of　your　putting　on
your　bonnet　and　gloves　yet。　You'd　much　better　lie　down　and　take
your　medicine。　I'd　play　you　a　game　of　dominoes；　but　it's　Sunday。〃

〃I'll　be　good。　Oh；　I　will　be　good。　Only…taking　off　my　bonnet　makes
me　feel　as　if　we'd　never　get　there。〃

〃Try　to　sleep　a　little；　Mama；　and　we'll　be　in　Chicago　before　you
know。〃

〃But　it's　Boston；　Father。　Tell　them　to　hurry。〃

The　six…foot　drivers　were　hammering　their　way　to　San　Bernardino
and　the　Mohave　wastes；　but　this　was　no　grade　for　speed。　That
would　come　later。　The　heat　of　the　desert　followed　the　heat　of　the
hills　as　they　turned　east　to　the　Needles　and　the　Colorado　River。
The　car　cracked　in　the　utter　drouth　and　glare；　and　they　put　crushed
ice　to　Mrs。　Cheyne's　neck；　and　toiled　up　the　long；　long　grades；　past
Ash　Fork；　towards　Flagstaff；　where　the　forests　and　quarries　are；
under　the　dry；　remote　skies。　The　needle　of　the　speed…indicator
flicked　and　wagged　to　and　fro；　the　cinders　rattled　on　the　roof；　and
a　whirl　of　dust　sucked　after　the　whirling　wheels。　The　crew　of　the
combination　sat　on　their　bunks；　panting　in　their　shirtsleeves；　and
Cheyne　found　himself　…　among　them　shouting　old；　old　stories　of
the　railroad　that　every　trainman　knows；　above　the　roar　of　the　car。
He　told　them　about　his　son；　and　how　the　sea　had　given　up　its　dead；
and　they　nodded　and　spat　and　rejoiced　with　him；　asked　after　〃her；
back　there；〃　and　whether　she　could　stand　it　if　the　engineer　〃let　her
out　a　piece；〃　and　Cheyne　thought　she　could。　Accordingly；　the　great
fire…horse　was　〃let~ut〃　from　Flagstaff　to　Winslow；　till　a　division
superintendent　protested。

But　Mrs。　Cheyne；　in　the　boudoir　stateroom；　where　the　French
maid；　sallow…white　with　fear；　clung　to　the　silver　door…handle；　only
moaned　a　little　and　begged　her　husband　to　bid　them　〃hurry。〃　And
so　they　dropped　the　dry　sands　and　moon…struck　rocks　of　Arizona
behind　them；　and　grilled　on　till　the　crash　of　the　couplings　and　the
wheeze　of　the　brake…hose　told　them　they　were　at　Coolidge　by　the
Continental　Divide。

Three　bold　and　experienced　men…cool；　confident；　and　dry　when
they　began；　white；　quivering；　and　wet　when　they　finished　their
trick　at　those　terrible　wheels…swung　her　over　the　great　lift　from
Albuquerque　to　Glorietta　and　beyond　Springer；　up　and　up　to　the
Raton　Tunnel　on　the　State　line；　whence　they　dropped　rocking　into
La　Junta；　had　sight　of　the　Arkansaw；　and　tore　down　the　long　slope
to　Dodge　City；　where　Cheyne　took　comfort　once　again　from
setting　his　watch　an　hour　ahead。

There　was　very　little　talk　in　the　car。　The　secretary　and　typewriter
sat　together　on　the　stamped　Spanish…leather　cushions　by　the
plate…glass　observation…window　at　the　rear　end；　watching　the　surge
and　ripple　of　the　ties　crowded　back　behind　them；　and；　it　is
believed；　making　notes　of　the　scenery。　Cheyne　moved　nervously
between　his　own　extravagant　gorgeousness　and　the　naked
necessity　of　the　combination；　an　unlit　cigar　in　his　teeth；　till　the
pitying　crews　forgot　that　he　was　their　tribal　enemy；　and　did　their
best　to　entertain　him。

At　night　the　bunched　electrics　lit　up　that　distressful　palace　of　all
the　luxuries；　and　they　fared　sumptuously；　swinging　on　through　the
emptiness　of　abject　desolation。　　

124　　Rudyard　Kipling

Now　they　heard　the　swish　of　a　water…tank；　and　the　guttural　voice
of　a　Chinaman；　the　click…clink　of　hammers　that　tested　the　Krupp
steel　wheels；　and　the　oath　of　a　tramp　chased　off　the　rear…　platform；
now　the　solid　crash　of　coal　shot　into　the　tender；　and　now　a　beating
back　of　noises　as　they　flew　past　a　waiting　train。　Now　they　looked
out　into　great　abysses；　a　trestle　purring　beneath　their　tread；　or　up　to
rocks　that　barred　out　half　the　stars。　Now　scaur　and　ravine　changed
and　rolled　back　to　jagged　mountains　on　the　horizon's　edge；　and
now　broke　into　hills　lower　and　lower；　till　at　last　came　the　true
plains。

At　Dodge　City　an　unknown　hand　threw　in　a　copy　of　a　Kansas
paper　containing　some　sort　of　an　interview　with　Harvey；　who　had
evidently　fallen　in　with　an　enterprising　reporter；　telegraphed　on
from　Boston。　The　joyful　journalese　revealed　that　it　was　beyond
question　their　boy；　and　it　soothed　Mrs。　Cheyne　for　a　while。　Her
one　word　〃hurry〃　was　conveyed　by　the　crews　to　the　engineers　at
Nickerson；　Topeka；　and　Marceline；　where　the　grades　are　easy；　and
they　brushed　the　Continent　behind　them。　Towns　and　villages　were
close　together　now；　and　a　man　could　feel　here　that　he　moved
among　people。

〃I　can't　see　the　dial；　and　my　eyes　ache　so。　What　are　we　doing？〃

〃The　very　best　we　can；　Mama。　There's　no　sense　in　getting　in　before
the　Limited。　We'd　only　have　to　wait。〃

〃I　don't　care。　I　want　to　feel　we're　moving。　Sit　down　and　tell　me　the
miles。〃

Cheyne　sat　down　and　read　the　dial　for　her　（there　were　some　miles
which　stand　for　records　to　this　day）；　but　the　seventy…foot　car　never
changed　its　long　steamer…like　roll；　moving　through　the　heat　with
the　hum　of　a　giant　bee。　Yet　the　speed　was　not　enough　for　Mrs。
Cheyne；　and　the　heat；　the　remorseless　August　heat；　was　making
her　giddy；　the　clock…hands　would　not　move；　and　when；　oh；　when
would　they　be　in　Chicago？

It　is　not　true　that；　as　they　changed　engines　at　Fort　Madison；　Cheyne
passed　over　to　the　Amalgamated　Brotherhood　of　Locomotive
Engineers　an　endowment　sufficient　to　enable　them　to　fight　him
and　his　fellows　on　equal　terms　for　evermore。　He　paid　his
obligations　to　engineers　and　firemen　as　he　believed　they　deserved；
and　only　his　bank　knows　what　he　gave　the　crews　who　had　
sympathized　with　him。　It　is　on　record　that　the　last　crew　took　entire　
charge　of　switching　operations　at　Sixteenth　Street；　because　〃she〃　was　
in　a　doze　at　last；　and　Heaven　was　to　help　any　one　who　bumped　her。

Now　the　highly　paid　specialist　who　conveys　the　Lake　Shore　and
Michigan　Southern　Limited　from　Chicago　to　Elkhart　is　something
of　an　autocrat；　and　he　does　not　approve　of　being　told　how　to　back
up　to　a　car。　None　the　less　he　handled　the　〃Constance〃　as　if　she
might　have　been　a　load　of　dynamite；　and　when　the　crew　rebuked
him；　they　did　it　in　whispers　and　dumb　show。

〃Pshaw！〃　said　the　Atchinson；　Topeka；　and　Santa　Fe　men；
discussing　life　later；　〃we　weren't　runnin'　for　a　record。　Harvey
Cheyne's　wife；　she　were　sick　back；　an'　we　didn't　want　to　jounce
her。　'Come　to　think　of　it；　our　runnin'　time　from　San~Diego　to
Chicago　was　57。54。　You　can　tell　that　to　them　Eastern　way…trains。
When　we're　tryin'　for　a　record；　we'll　let　you　know。〃

To　the　Western　man　（though　this　would　not　please　either　city）
Chicago　and　Boston　are　cheek　by　jowl；　and　some　railroads
encourage　the　delusion。　The　Limited　whirled　the　〃Constance〃　into
Buffalo　and　the　arms　of　the　New　York　Central　and　Hudson　River
（illustrious　magnates　with　white　whiskers　and　gold　charms　on　their
watch…chains　boarded　her　here　to　talk　a　little　business　to　Cheyne）；
who　slid　her　gracefully　into　Albany；　where　the　Boston　and　Albany
completed　the　run　from　tide…water　to　tide…　water…total　time；
eighty…seven　hours　and　thirty…five　minutes；　or　three　days；　fifteen
hours　and　one　half。　H