"Yes, across the Great Divide--dead." "That's tough," said I, for I saw Jim felt bad. "The Kid and you were like two brothers." "John, I loved the--" Then Jim broke down. He got his hat and coat, and said: "John, let's get out into the air--I feel all choked up here; and I'll tell you a strange, true story--the Kid's story." As we got out of the crowd and into Boston Common, Jim told his story, and here it is, just as I remember it--and I'm not bad at remembering. "I'll commence at the beginning, John, so that you will understand. It's a strange story, but when I get through you'll recall enough yourself to prove its truth. "Before I went beyond the Mississippi and under the shadows of the Rocky Mountains, I fired, and was promoted, on a prairie road in the Great Basin well known in the railway world. I was much like the rest of the boys until I commenced to try to get up a substitute for the link motion. I read an article in a scientific paper from the pen of a jackass who showed a Corliss engine card, and then blackguarded the railroad mechanics of America for being satisfied with the link because it was handy. I started in to design a motion to make a card, but--well, you know how good-for-nothing those things are to pull loads with. "After my first attempt, I put in many nights making a wooden model for the Patent Office. I was subsequently informed that the child of my brain interfered with about ten other motions. Then I commenced to think--which I ought to have done before. I went to studying _what had been done_, and soon came to the conclusion that I just knew a little--about enough to get along running. I gave up hope of being an inventor and a benefactor of mankind, but study had awakened in me the desire for improvement; and after considerable thought I came to the conclusion that the best thing I could do was to try to be the best runner on the road, just as a starter. In reality, in my inmost soul, my highest ideal was the master mechanic's position. "I was about twenty-five years old, and had been running between two or three years, with pretty good success, when one day the general master mechanic sent for me. In the office I was introduced to a gentleman, and the G. M. M. said to him in my presence: "'This is the engineer I spoke to you of. We have none better. I think he would suit you exactly, and, when you are through with him, send him back; we are only lending him, mind,' and he went out into the shop.