by the icy hurricane, finding his homely duty
inextricably entangled with death, calmly took them both, and went his
way.

This mine for the historian will also disclose to him the fact that the
rescued crew and passengers were brought home by a relief-train in
charge of General Manager Kittrick, and that Mr. Elkins was taken
directly to the home of Mr. Barslow, where he at once became subject to
the jurisdiction of physicians and nurses and "could not be seen." But
as to the reasons for the insane dash in the dark the historian will
look in vain. I am disposed now to think that our motives were entirely
creditable; but for them we got no credit.

Much less than a nine days' wonder, however, was this tragedy of the Elk
Fork trestle, for other sensations came tumbling in an army upon its
very heels. Times of war, great public calamities, and panic are the
harvest seasons of the newspapers; and these were great days for the
newspapers in Lattimore. Not that they learned or printed all the news.
I received a telegram, for instance, the day after the accident, which
merely entered up judgment on the verdict of the day before. It was a
message from Mr. Pendleton in Chicago.

"In matter of Lattimore & Great Western," this telegram read, "directors
refuse to ratify contract. This sent to save you trip to Chicago."

"No news in that," said I to Mr. Hinckley; "I wonder that he bothered to
send it."

But, in the era of slug heads which set in about three days after, and
while Jim was still helpless up at my house, it would have received
recognition as news--although they did very well without it.

"Great Failure!" said the _Times_. "Grain Belt Trust Company Goes to the
Wall! Business Circles Convulsed! Receiver Appointed at Suit of Charles
Harper of Chicago! Followed by Assignment of Hinckley & Macdonald,
Bankers! Western Portland Cement Company Assigns! Atlas Power Company
Follows Suit! Reason, Money Tied up in Banks and Trust Company. Where
will it Stop? A Veritable Black Friday!"

Thus the headlines. In the news report itself the _Times_ remarked upon
the intimate connection of Mr. Elkins and myself with all the failed
concerns. The firm of Elkins & Barslow, being primarily a real-estate
and insurance agency, would not assign. As to the condition of the
business of James R. Elkins & Company, whose operations in bonds and
debentures had been enormous, nothing could be learned on account of the
critical illness of Mr. E