Ralph in the Switch Tower; Or, Clearing the Track

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER XX--THE CRAZY ORDERS

  All Stanley Junction was agog with the story of the "crazy" train ordersthe day after the storm.

  It was one of the most remarkable occurrences of risk and danger everknown in the history of the Great Northern.

  Expert railroad men looked grave, as the facts came out. Citizensgenerally shuddered, as they realized how nearly the caprice of a madleverman had come to causing wide-spread death and disaster.

  Ralph Fairbanks himself was thrilled and amazed, as he learned from JackKnight's lips the facts of the case.

  From ten o'clock the evening the storm until nearly two o'clock theensuing morning, a madman had controlled the Great Northern train systemat Stanley Junction, out and in.

  For over three hours, therefore, Ralph, at the depot switch tower, hadbeen the plaything of a crazed, delirious human being, who, by force andcunning, had usurped the place of trusty, experienced old Joe Bryson.

  This was the way it had all come about:

  When the master mechanic and Jack Knight reached the limits tower afterthe report of the double wreck, they had found it in total darkness.

  The ladder trap was bolted. They had to break the trap open. Enteringthe tower room and securing a light, they discovered a strange andstartling condition of affairs.

  Lying on the floor in a heavy, leaden sleep, was Bryson. Crouching in acorner, with lurid eyes, physical strength exhausted, but raving in wilddelirium, was Doc Bortree.

  The telephone receiver was smashed, and the transmitter lay torn loose,wires and all, on the floor. Other parts of the tower equipment were inrare disorder. The west levers were set in all kinds of erratic andimpracticable shapes.

  It took the two railroad men fully half an hour to restore order fromthe chaos in the tower and along the tracks. It took them double thattime to arouse Bryson, and to get Bortree into a state of partialcoherency. They sent messengers to Bortree's home. They listened toBryson's confused story. Then, putting this and that together, theyfinally got the truth of affairs. Doc Bortree, as Ralph knew, had beenconfined to his bed with a high fever for nearly a week. That was why,compelled to share two long shifts with Knight alone, Ralph happened tobe on all-night duty at the present time.

  It seemed that early in the evening, Bortree's sister had left herbrother sleeping quietly. He appeared to be on the mend.

  About ten o'clock the sick leverman must have had a relapse intodelirium. Railroad service was his daily routine. His brain, runningin that line, had suggested to him a whimsical and irrational course.This he had carried out with all the cunning of a real madman.

  He had taken a bottle of cordial and had poured into it a sleepingpotion. He had got into his clothes, left the room by opening a window,and, breasting the violent tempest, had made for and reached the limitstower.

  Joe Bryson afterwards, in telling his story, said that the bedraggledappearance of Bortree was startling enough. His actions were quitelucid, however. All he noticed peculiar about his talk was thepersistency and strange delight with which Bortree alluded to an orderhe expected to receive from the superintendent to take charge of theentire train dispatching service the next day.

  When Bortree produced the bottle and told that it was a mild, pleasantwine the doctor had prescribed for him, Bryson indulged in a glass--"forcompanionship's sake." Then he remembered nothing further untilawakened by the master mechanic and Jack Knight.

  As soon as Bortree had disposed of his companion, he began his mad,riotous work.

  All kinds of exaggerated ideas must have filled his mind. The readerhas already seen how his crazy orders operated. His own work at thelimits had ditched the midnight mail. His instructions to Ralph hadsent the through freight crashing into the three freight empties atterminus.

  Finally, exhausted after his mad work at the levers, Bortree hadcommenced a work of general destruction. When through, he hadextinguished the lights and lapsed into a weak delirium in which the tworailroad men had finally found him.

  "There should always be a team at the limits tower," was Knight'sultimate comment on the affair.

  "Yes," the master mechanic assented--"sickness, enmity, a burned-outwire, a dozen things might come up where one man would be helpless. Ifit is only a messenger, we must not again leave these important pointsat the mercy of chance and accident."

  Ralph made a note of this suggestion. He determined when the rightmoment came to speak a good word for Young Slavin.

  He had never been more tired and sleepy than when he reached home thatmorning.

  Ralph ate a hurried breakfast. He explained only casually thehappenings of the night to his mother. Getting to bed promptly, he putin ten hours of the solidest sleep that he had ever enjoyed.

  He found his mother quite nervous and worried when he reported for hislate afternoon dinner. Mrs. Fairbanks had learned from a neighbor ofthe startling occurrences of the previous night.

  "I am all unstrung over this railroad business, Ralph," she said. "Iwould feel easier in my mind if you could transfer to some branch of theservice where you were not constantly meeting these terrible dangers."

  "What! my own dear mother going back on me in the midst of myambitions!" cried Ralph in a tone of playful raillery. "Oh, surely,never! I hope you wouldn't advise me to follow old Farrington's grandsuggestion--for his own benefit; get a clerical position at the generaloffices at Springfield, and--as he puts it--'be a gentleman.'"

  "No, Ralph, I should not like to have you leave Stanley Junction, whereyou have made such a good record," responded Mrs. Fairbanks, "but thinkof the fearful responsibilities of your position."

  "I do," answered Ralph gravely, "and that is why I am going to stick.Mother, someone has to face these serious issues. Perhaps my clearhead, and willing hands, and genuine love for the business, fit me to bejust the person to fill the gap when these unavoidable troubles comealong. Besides, if someone does not go through the apprenticeship,where will the service be when Jack Knight and the other old hands haveretired? I want to be, as I expect to be, a thorough railroad man,"pursued Ralph with resolution, "and first-class, or nothing. In orderto do so, I must know every step of the service, from roundhouse totrain dispatcher's desk. I have started up the ladder. I can't affordto slip one rung. If I get jolted, I intend to hang on all the closer."

  The widow was silent. Her son's earnest determination consoled her,somehow. Yes, she reflected, Ralph had braved perils and had saved thelives of others, where one less brave and self-reliant might havefailed. So far he had proven himself "the right man in the rightplace." Secretly she murmured a fervent prayer for his safety andguidance, and tried to be content until he should reach smoother andless risky paths of service.

  Ralph received an official assurance from the superintendent throughloyal old Jack Knight that afternoon, that his action in dealing withthe crazy orders had won the highest commendation of the railroadcompany.

  The following day he spoke about Young Slavin to Knight. The next daythe latter informed him that on the first of the month the mastermechanic had agreed to pass on the application which Slavin was to filein the meantime. Nothing unforseen happening, it looked as if thesturdy young pugilist would speedily have a chance to exercise hismuscle in some department of the Great Northern service.

  Pleasant routine succeeded for some days for Ralph to the excitingepisodes of the week previous. Some changes were made on the limitstower, and the day man there transferred to the depot yards.

  Ralph was back on the shift he preferred; four hours in the morning, andfour hours in the afternoon.

  He had not heard again from Van. As to Mort Bemis and Ike Slump, theyhad flashed into town, thrown away a lot of money along lower RailroadStreet, and had again disappeared.

  Ralph met Slavin one day. The latter was delighted over the prospect ofsoon getting at work for the railroad company. His face scowled,however, as Ralph asked if he had seen or heard anything concerning Ikeand Mort.
r />   "Why, yes," answered Slavin, "I heard they were cutting a dash up at theracetrack at Springfield. Plenty of money, and bragging that they owneda rich old magnate here at Stanley Junction. I'd go gunning for them,if I wasn't waiting to hear from my railroad job."

  "Oh, leave them alone--why bother your head about them?" suggestedRalph.

  "No, Fairbanks," dissented Slavin stubbornly. "I want those medals, orI want their hides. I'm not a good enough Salvationer just yet toforgive those villains. I can't wipe them off the slate till I've hadone last round with them."

  Gasper Farrington had completed the switch spur to the factory. Ralphlearned that he had invited a heavy damage suit by crossing the lot of apoor old invalid widow, who occupied a house next to that where Mrs.Davis had formerly lived.

  He heard a good many comments on this last act of the selfish,tyrannical magnate. There was some current criticism, too, as to hisgoing on the bonds of the idle scapegrace, Ike Slump. Farringtonpretended that he had bailed out Ike because his father was an oldacquaintance. Ralph knew better, but held his peace. He had faith thatthe real truth would come out, sooner or later.

  With entire confidence in Van Sherwin, he believed that he would soonreceive some word from that good friend to show he had been quietlyworking in the dark all this time.

  About five o'clock one afternoon a barefooted urchin Ralph did not knowby name came up the switch tower ladder. Ralph was alone, but expectedKnight to relieve him at five o'clock.

  "Say," projected the frowsy-headed lad, staring curiously around theplace, "you Mr. Fairbanks?"

  "That's right, my little man," answered Ralph.

  "Say, you know Mr. Stiggs?"

  "Slightly," nodded Ralph, with a smile.

  "Well, he sent me here. He said to fetch a message to you."

  Ralph recalled the fact now that Mr. Stiggs had not shown up about theyards for the past two days. This was an unusual thing for the oldrailroad pensioner.

  "Is Mr. Stiggs sick?" he inquired with interest.

  "Dunno," answered the youngster. "It was his wife I talked with. Shesaid Mr. Stiggs would like to have you call about seven o'clock, ifconvenient. He wants to see you."

  "Very well," said Ralph. "Are you to see her again?"

  "Why, I can."

  "Then tell her I will drop around at seven o'clock this evening."

  The urchin lingered. He was a shrewd-faced little fellow.

  "Say," he again projected, "Mrs. Stiggs didn't have any change."

  "Didn't have--oh, I see!" laughed Ralph. "All right, son--there's anickel."

  Ralph thought little of this incident for the remainder of theafternoon. He fancied that Stiggs might be indisposed, and had somemission for him to execute.

  He went home, ate his supper, and strolled slowly in the direction ofthe Stiggs home about dusk.

  There was a light in the rear room, and the front door was open. Ralphknocked.

  "Come in," sounded a vague direction from the little front parlor.

  Ralph stepped into the hall and crossed the threshold of the parlor. Hemade out a figure dimly, standing by a chair.

  "That you, Mr. Stiggs?" he observed. "Pretty dark here. Hold on--whatis this?"

  Ralph started back. The figure behind him had made a jump and hadseized either arm of the youth by the wrist.

  At the same moment a second person sprang from the shadows behind Ralph.A rope encircled the young leverman's body, and Ralph Fairbanks was aprisoner.