“Seen him! I guess not! If I did, I’d have him behind the bars so quick
’twould make his head swim. But I’ve got to have some more men, and the
trouble is that the more I get, the more danger there is of gettin’ some
strike sympathizers among them. I think I’d better patrol the yards and
track clear through to the city limits.”
“So do I,” Allan agreed. “I’d keep everybody out of the yards and off
the right of way who hasn’t business there. And if there’s any sign of
trouble, let me know at once.”
“I will,” Stanley promised; “I’m mighty glad to have somebody to talk
things over with. I’ve felt like I was goin’ to bust the last few days.
And I’m glad you’re gettin’ better.”
“Thank you,” Allan answered. “It’s just a question now of getting my
strength back.”
“Well, don’t you worry none; let me do that,” and the detective took his
leave, much to the satisfaction of Mrs. Welsh, who had been fuming
outside the door for the last five minutes, without daring to break in
upon the conversation.
“And now,” said Allan, cheerfully, when she returned from showing
Stanley out, “I wish you’d call Tom Murray, our chief lineman, and tell
him I want my instrument put on a board, so that I can use it here in
bed. Of course,” he added, as Mary frowned mutinously, “I could get up
and go over there to the table, but I thought maybe you’d rather I
stayed in bed.”
“Yes,” said Mary grimly, “it’ll save us the trouble o’ puttin’ you there
after you’ve kilt yerself,” but she went and summoned the lineman, and
in half an hour, the little instrument was removed from the table to a
board, and Allan was working it with his left hand, for his right arm
was incapacitated by reason of the broken collar-bone.
Ever since the day when he and Jim Anderson had rigged up a little
private line for the study of telegraphy, he had kept an instrument in
his room, connected with headquarters, so that he could be called at any
hour of the night, without anyone else in the house being disturbed. For
he had long since acquired that sixth sense of the telegrapher, which
responds to its call, even though its possessor may be sound asleep, and
awakens him much as an alarm clock might.
So now, with the instrument under his hand, he first called up the
offices and had a little chat with the dispatcher who was looking after
his work as chief—work which was not exacting since traffic was so
light; and then, calling Cincinnati, he asked for Mr. Schofield. But Mr.
Schofield was out somewhere, and Allan was forced to content himself for
the time being with the assurance of the man who answered him that
everything seemed to be all right.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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