It
was obviously no car to support the special powder train story: its end was
broken open wide, and the sixteen men within were waiting in readiness to
swing off and fight.
Brown and Knight adjusted the water pipe. Andrews hurried forward to meet
the keeper. Tom was a few yards behind him, prepared to run back and call
the men out.
"Special train," said Andrews. "Running through to Corinth."
"Through to Corinth?" demanded the man incredulously.
"All right!" yelled Knight.
Andrews and Tom turned and ran back to the engine without waiting to answer
questions. The _General_ with Knight at the throttle now, went roaring past
the amazed agent. He stood rooted to the ground while the men in the
freight car waved derisively.
Brown had collapsed in the fireman's seat, his head thrown back against the
cab wall and his eyes closed. The strain of driving a locomotive at full
speed over a strange track was beginning to tell upon him.
"There is nothing for us to do until we get past Dalton," said Andrews. "On
the other side of the tunnel is a bridge. We'll set fire to it." He glanced
at his watch. "We're ahead of the passenger train's schedule, and we may
find the tracks blocked at the switches in Dalton.
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