ties, roused at the sound and tremor of the
coming train to squirm off into the sage-brush, but no sign of animation
had been seen since the crossing of the big divide near Promontory. The
long, winding train, made up of mail-, express-, baggage-, emigrant-,
and smoking-cars, "tourists' coaches," and huge sleepers at the rear,
with a "diner" midway in the chain, was packed with gasping humanity
westward bound for the far Pacific--the long, long, tortuous climb to
the snow-capped Sierras ahead, the parched and baking valley of the
Great Salt Lake long, dreary miles behind. It was early June of the year
'98, and the war with Spain was on.

There had been some delay at Ogden. The trains from the East over the
Union Pacific and the Denver and Rio Grande came in crowded, and the
resources of the Southern Pacific were suddenly taxed beyond the
expectation of its officials. Troops had been whirling westward
throughout the week, absorbing much of the rolling stock, and the empty
cars were being rushed east again from Oakland pier, but the nearest
were still some hundreds of miles from this point of transfer when a
carload of recruits was dumped upon the broad platform, and the
superintendent scratched his head, and screwed up the corner of his
mouth, and asked an assistant how in a hotter place than even Salt Lake
Valley the road could expect him to forward troops without delay "when
the road took away the last car in the yard getting those Iowa boys
out."

"There ain't nuthin' left 'cept that old tourist that's been rustin' and
kiln-dryin' up 'longside the shops since last winter," said the junior
helplessly. "Shall we have her out?"

"Guess you'll have to," was the answer. "It's that or nothin';" and the
boss turned on his heel and slammed the office door behind him. "Ten to
one," said he, "there'll be a kick comin' when the boys see what they've
got to ride in, an' I'll let Jim take the kick."

The kick had come as predicted, but availed nothing. A score of lusty
young patriots were the performers, but, being destined for service in
the regulars, they had neither Senator nor State official to "wire" to
in wrathful protest, as was usual on such occasions. The superintendent
would have thought twice before ever suggesting that car as a component
part of the train bearing the volunteers from Nebraska, Colorado, or
Iowa so recently shipped over the road. "They could have made it hot for
the management," said he. But these fe