to the tank for water. There was another telegram from
Agnew, saying that the Pendleton special was on time, and that Mr.
Kittrick was following us with another train "in case of need."

The operator was full of wild stories of the Brushy Creek flood, caused
by the thaw and the cloudburst. We cut him short in this narration, and
asked him of the conditions along the Elk Fork.

"She's up and boomin'," said he. "The trestle was most all under water
an hour ago, and they say the ice was runnin' in blocks. You may find
the track left without any underpinnin'. Look out for yourselves."

"Al," said Jim slowly, "can you fire an engine?"

"I guess so," said I, seeing his meaning dimly. "Why?"

"Al," said he, as if stating the conclusion of a complicated
calculation, "we must run this train in alone!"

I saw his intent fully, and knew why he walked so resolutely up to the
engine, now backed down to take us on again. Schwartz leaned out of his
cab, a man of snow and ice. Ole stood with his shovel in his hand white
and icy like his brother worker. Both had been drenched, as we had; but
they had had no red-hot stove by which to sit; and buffeted by the
blizzard and powdered by the snow, they had endured the benumbing cold
of the hurricane-swept cab.

"Get down here, boys," said Jim. "I want to talk with you."

Ole leaped lightly down, followed by Schwartz, who hobbled laboriously,
stiffened with cold. Youth and violent labor had kept the fireman warm.

"Schwartz," said Jim, "there is a chance that we'll find the trestle
weakened and dangerous. We'll stop and examine it if we have time, but
if it is as close a thing as I think it will be, we propose to make a
run for it and take chances. Barslow and I are the ones, and the only
ones, who ought to do this, because we must make this connection. We can
run the engine. You and Ole and Corcoran stay here. Mr. Kittrick will be
along with another train in a few hours. Uncouple the caboose and we'll
run on."

Schwartz blew his nose with great deliberation.

"Ole," said he, "what d'ye think of the old man's scheme?"

"Ay tank," said Ole, "dat bane hellufa notion!"

"Come," said Mr. Elkins, "we're losing time! Uncouple at once!"

We started to mount the engine; but Schwartz and Ole were before us,
barring the way.

"Wait," said Schwartz. "Jest look at it, now. It's quite a run yet; and
the chances are you'd have the cylinder-heads knocked out before you'd
got half way; and t