Page:McClure's Magazine volume 10.djvu/335

Rh In the meantime there was the gravest trouble up the road. At W three locomotives had been run into the turntable pit. A rock cut, about a mile west of the station, had been choked by tumbling its natural walls into itself. This was accomplished by dropping cartridges into the seams and cracks along the top and on both sides and exploding them, the natural consequence being that huge blocks were split off and tumbled into the cut. The idea was to close the road and prevent the passage of trains; but after the job was done it occurred to the perpetrators that there was a branch that would enable them to run around the obstruction; so a hand-car was loaded with rend-rock, and four men took it to an iron bridge five miles further east, and before the second morning of the strike dawned, the bridge lay in the creek and the road was most effectually "cut in two."

It took them three days to get the trains in. Then, with such men as they could pick up, they began to operate the road—after a fashion. The president, having now presumably recovered from the first shock of the strike, swore out warrants for the arrest of all the members of the committee. Not caring to gratify the gentleman's animosity by serving the State at his request, I left town between two days, in company with my friend Manly. It was some time before, with hand on throttle and head out of window, I again went spinning over the iron.

I had noticed that the flanges on the leading engine truck wheels were getting worn pretty thin and sharp, and had spoken to the foreman about turning the truck round, so as to bring the good wheels ahead. He had promised to do so, but, as I suppose he didn't consider it a matter of immediate importance, he let it go a week. I let it run for another week, and then, as I didn't consider the engine to be quite safe with them, I told the foreman that I should have to go to the master mechanic about it, if he didn't attend to it right away.

"All right," said he; "I'll surely do it next trip in. I've been so busy for the last couple of weeks that I couldn't possibly spare a man a minute for any purpose."

"Very well," said I; "I'll take her out this trip; but I won't take her out again until that truck's turned round; 'tain't safe."