ver argued over the incident and they each got ten days,--not
for the delay, but because they could not see to sign the call-book next
morning and were not fit to be seen by other people.

The next train stopped was the International Limited on the Grand Trunk,
then the Sunset by the South Coast.

The strange phenomenon became so general that officials lost patience.
One road issued an order to the effect that any engineer who heard
signals when there were no signals should get thirty days for the first
and his time for the second offence.

Within a week from the appearance of the unusual and unusually offensive
bulletin, "Baldy" Hooten heard the stop signal as he neared a little
Junction town where his line crossed another on an overhead bridge.

When the signal sounded, the fireman glanced over at the driver, who
dived through the window up to his hip pockets.

When the engine had crashed over the bridge, the driver pulled himself
into the cab again, and once more the signal. The fireman, amazed,
stared at the engineer. The latter jerked the throttle wide open; seeing
which, the stoker dropped to the deck and began feeding the hungry
furnace. Ten minutes later the Limited screamed for a regular stop, ten
miles down the line. As the driver dropped to the ground and began
touching the pins and links with the back of his bare hand, to see if
they were all cool, the head brakeman trotted forward whispering
hoarsely, "The ol' man's aboard."

The driver waved him aside with his flaring torch, and up trotted the
blue-and-gold conductor with his little silver white-light with a
frosted flue. "Why didn't you stop at Pee-Wee Junction?" he hissed.

"Is Pee-Wee a stop station?"

"On signal."

"I didn't see no sign."

"_I_ pulled the bell."

"Go on now, you ghost-dancer," said the engineer.

"You idiot!" gasped the exasperated conductor. "Don't you know the old
man's on, that he wanted to stop at Pee-Wee to meet the G.M. this
morning, that a whole engineering outfit will be idle there for half a
day, and you'll get the guillotine?"

"Whew, you have _shore_ got 'em."

"Isn't your bell working?" asked a big man who had joined the group
under the cab window.

"I think so, sir," said the driver, as he recognized the superintendent.
"Johnny, try that cab bell," he shouted, and the fire-boy sounded the
big brass gong.

"Why didn't you take it at Pee-Wee?" asked the old man, holding his
temper beautifully.

The dri