e was on his feet,
pallid, but cool. "Well, what are you doing to stop her?" he demanded
sharply.

The chief pulled himself together. "It only happened this moment, sir.
The man at the yard tower just reported. One of the western spans was
struck by something. Only the upper-structure is hanging," he says.

"Can't you send someone over on foot, with a flag, or torpedoes?"

"There are no torpedoes at the bridge house, and there's not time to send
them down. As to flagging--look at the mist over the whole valley
bottom," said the despatcher pointing. "Except directly opposite, where
the wind between the hills breaks it up at times, the engineer couldn't
see three feet ahead of him."

The superintendent gripped his hands convulsively. Suddenly he turned to
Alex. "Ward, can't you suggest something?" he appealed. "You have always
shown resource in emergencies."

"I have been trying to think of something, sir. But, as the chief says,
even if we could get a man across the bridge, what could he do? I was
down by the river yesterday morning, and the haze was like a blind wall."

"Couldn't a fire be built on the tracks?"

"Not quickly enough, sir. Everything is soaking wet."

The superintendent strode up and down helplessly. "And of course it had
to happen after the Riverside Park station had closed for the season," he
said bitterly. "If we had had an operator there we--"

The interruption was a cry from Alex. "I've something! Oil!"

He dashed for the tower wire.

"What? What's that?" cried the superintendent, running after.

"Oil on a pile of ties, or anything, sir--providing Orr can get over the
bridge," Alex explained hurriedly as he whirled off the letters of Jack's
call. The official dropped into the chair beside him.

"I, I, TR," answered Jack.

"OR, have you any oil in the tower?" shot Alex.

"No, but there's some in the lamp-shed just below."

"Look here, could you possibly get across the bridge?"

"I might manage it. There is a rail bicycle in the lamp-house. If the
rails are hanging together perhaps I could shoot over with that. Why?"

"46 is due in twenty minutes, and apparently we have no way of stopping
her except through you."

"Why, certainly I'll risk it," buzzed the sounder. "I suppose the oil is
to make a quick blaze, to flag her?" Jack added, catching Alex's idea.

"That's it. Make it just this side of the Riverside Park station."

"OK! Here goes!"

"Good luck," sent Alex, with a sudde