t, and I can't see, but I can hear
it. Can you see it from up there?"

Alex and the chief despatcher moved to one of the western windows, raised
it, and in the first gray light of dawn gazed out across the valley
below. Instead of the dark waters of the river, and the yellow embankment
of the railroad following it, winding away north was a broad blanket of
fog, stretching from shore to shore. But distinctly to their ears came a
rumble as of thunder.

"It must be a veritable Niagara," remarked the chief with some
uneasiness. "I never heard a bore come down like that before."

"Here she comes," clicked Jack from the tower. They stepped back to his
instruments.

"Say!--"

There was a pause, while the chief and Alex exchanged glances of
apprehension, then came quickly, "Something has struck one of the western
spans of the bridge and carried it clean away--

"No--No, it's there yet! But it's all smashed to pieces! Only the
upper-structure seems to be holding!"

Sharply the despatcher turned to an operator at one of the other wires.
"McLaren, Forty-six hasn't passed Norfolk?"

"Yes, sir. Five minutes ago."

A cry broke from the chief, and he ran back to the window. Alex followed,
and found him as pale as death.

"What's the matter, Mr. Allen?" he exclaimed.

"Matter! Why, Norfolk is the last stop between that train and the bridge!
She'll be down here in twenty minutes! And even if we can get someone
across the bridge immediately, how can they flag her in that wall of
mist?" Hopelessly he pointed where on the farther shore the tracks were
completely hidden in the blanket of white vapor. "And there's no time to
send down torpedoes."

At the thought of the train rushing upon the broken span, and plunging
from sight in the whirling flood below, Alex felt the blood draw back
from his own face.

"But we will try something! We must try something!" he cried.

At that moment the office door opened and Division Superintendent Cameron
appeared. "Good morning, boys," he said genially. "I'm quite an early
bird this morning, eh? Came down to meet the wife and children. They're
getting in from their vacation by Forty-six.

"Why, Allen, what is the matter?"

The chief swayed back against the window-ledge. "One of the bridge
spans--has just gone," he responded thickly, "and Forty-six--passed
Norfolk!"

The superintendent stared blankly a moment, started forward, then
staggered back into a chair. But in another instant h