Page:Frank Packard - On the Iron at Big Cloud.djvu/276

 Who ever heard of a new super comin' on the job ridin' a local on a ticket! An' me askin' when he was goin' to turn up. Oh, yes, it sure would sting you! That funny boy Spence'll pass this along an'—oh, punk! I ain't sure it wouldn't have been better if I'd kept my mouth shut about knowin' Hale, but who'd ever thought he'd come up on my train! How was I to know, h'm?" And during all that afternoon's layup at Elk River, Haggerty pondered the matter. He continued to ponder it as they pulled out for the return trip in the evening, and he was still pondering it when they whistled for Big Cloud.

There was no moon up that night, and it was pretty dark as they ran in. Haggerty, with his lantern, was standing on the rear end. As the train slowed itself to a halt, a man came tearing down the station platform at a run.

"Where's Haggerty?" he called breathlessly. "Where's"

"Here," said Haggerty promptly, leaning out over the steps and showing his light. "What d'ye want?"

"Oh, all right," said the man. "I'll be back—" and he disappeared in the shadow of the station.

"He acts like he was nutty," muttered Haggerty, and swung himself off the steps.

But, though Haggerty waited, the man did not come back, and he had not come back when the train began to roll out of the station, and Haggerty was again on the rear platform of the car. Then, just as his hand reached out to open the door, he stopped and started suddenly as though he had been stung.