"
"What then?" asked Knight.
"We'll have to fight our way through," answered Andrews. "Tom, tell the men
to stand ready to jump out and fight at Dalton. You stay up on the tender
and don't let any man show a head until I give the signal." Then, to
Knight: "Stop a couple of hundred yards below the station while I run ahead
and see if the switches are clear. If the way is open, we'll rush it."
"Right," answered the engineer. "More wood, Tom."
Tom climbed up on the tender and passed the orders back to the men; then he
turned to stoking the fire.
"Here we are," said Andrews. Once again he was calm and deliberate. He
seemed to be gathering himself together for the conflict with the station
authorities at Dalton.
Tom glanced ahead and saw the town looming up before them--the big station,
with its high roof sweeping out over the tracks, the passenger coaches and
freight cars standing upon the side-tracks, and the maze of switches. It
seemed like a network, spread out to catch them. He climbed up on the wood
pile in the tender where he could see Andrews and repeat a signal for help
to the men.
As the _General_ stopped, Andrews sprang off and walked ahead. He paused to
talk with several men who were coming down the track, then walked on toward
the station.
Pages:
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139