On the Iron at Big CloudPackard, Frank L. (Frank Lucius)
General
On the Iron at Big Cloud
Packard, Frank L. (Frank Lucius)
Canadian fiction -- 20th century; Railroad stories; Short stories, Canadian
Healy scratched his head. “I will,” he said; “I’ll do ut. He’s a foine
lad.”
Regan crossed the yard to the gates of the big shops. They were still
unlocked, and he went through into the storekeeper’s office. Grumpy was
sorting the brass time-checks. He glanced up as Regan came in.
“I suppose you’re lookin’ fer yer kid again,” he said sourly.
“That’s what I am, Steve,” Regan returned, diplomatically dispensing
with the other’s nickname.
“Well, he ain’t here,” Grumpy announced, returning to his checks. “I’ve
just been through the shops, an’ I’d seen him if he was.”
The engineer’s face clouded. “He must be somewhere about, Steve. John
said he saw him come over here, and the wife was down to the roundhouse
looking for him, so he didn’t go home. Let’s go through the shops and
see if we can’t find him.”
“I don’t get no overtime fer chasin’ lost kids,” growled Grumpy.
Nevertheless, he got up and walked through the door leading into the
forge-shop, which Regan held open for him. The place was gloomy and
deserted. Here and there a forge-fire, dying, still glowed dully. At
the end of the room the men stopped, and Grumpy, noting Regan’s growing
anxiety, gave surly comfort.
“Wouldn’t likely be here, anyhow,” he said. “Fitting-shop fer him; but
we’ll try the machine-shop first on the way through.”
The two men went forward, prying behind planers, drills, shapers, and
lathes. The machines took grotesque shapes in the deepening twilight,
and in the silence, so incongruous with the usual noisy clang and clash
of his surroundings, Regan’s nervousness increased.
He hurried forward to the fitting-shop. Engines on every hand were
standing over their respective pits in all stages of demolition, some on
wheels, some blocked high toward the rafters, some stripped to the bare
boiler-shell. Regan climbed in and out of the cabs, while Grumpy peered
into the pits.
“Aw! he ain’t here,” said Grumpy in disgust, wiping his hands on a piece
of waste. “I told you he wasn’t. He’s home, mabbe, by now.”
Regan shook his head. “Bunty! Ho, Bunt-_ee_” he called. And again:
“Bun-_tee!_”
There was no answer, and he turned to retrace his steps when Grumpy
caught him by the shoulder. The big iron door of the engine before them
swung slowly back on its hinges, and from the front end there emerged
a diminutive pair of shoes, topped by little short socks that had once
been white, but now hung in grimy folds over the tops of the boots. A
pair of sturdy, but very dirty, bare legs came gradually into view as
their owner propelled himself forward on his stomach. They dangled for
a moment, seeking footing on the plate beneath; then a very small boy,
aged four, in an erstwhile immaculate linen sailor suit, stood upright
on the foot-plate. The yellow curls were tangled with engine grease and
cemented with cinders and soot. Here and there in spots upon his face
the skin still retained its natural color.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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