Page:Cy Warman--The express messenger and other tales of the rail.djvu/21

Rh carried away the bridge which we had just crossed, and there we were, on about three hundred yards of track, and nothing before nor behind us.

The freight train, having a clear track, backed away to the junction, told the story of our distress, and at midnight the company agent came to the top of the cañon with a white light, and in a little while we were all taken out, and, after tramping over a mountain trail for a half hour, loaded into wagons and hauled back to the junction.

II

" have a drink afore we go."

"Nary drink," said the dark man at the head of the table, and one could see at a glance that wherever he sat would be the head of the table. "You promised me up in the gulch that day that you'd never get drunk again, an I promise you right now, Skinny, that if you do you'll never get sober, for I intend to have you shot while yer happy."

Nobody replied to this. The man addressed only glanced across the table, and then,