Fuller and Murphy climbed to the top of it; Murphy, staying at the rear end
to repeat the signals of Fuller, who was perched on the front.
At the sight of ties lying across the track, Fuller's arms shot up. An
instant later, the _Texas_ was laboring to a stop under reversed power, her
brakes grabbing at the wheels. Then, when the decreasing speed of the train
gave his legs the advantage, Fuller was ahead, heaving ties from the road.
Far to the northward, across the bend which hid the Reseca bridge from
view, Fuller caught a glimpse of the _General_ speeding on its way. He saw
that the train had been shortened once more, that the engine was hauling
only one box-car. He dreaded that first sight of the Reseca bridge, for, if
Andrews had left it in flames, the race was over for the _Texas_. Then they
swept around the curve and the bridge lay before them, indistinct in the
drizzle of rain. It appeared intact, but Fuller knew that long curving shed
too well through his years of travel over the road not to be suspicious of
what lurked inside.
He waved a signal to approach gradually; then, as they came to the
entrance, his arms shot up. The _Texas_ came to a stop.
"Wait here," he yelled, sliding down the ladder.
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