Newspaper Page Text
nmrf»T,A8 COUNTY SENTINEL. DOUGLASVILLE GEORGIA FRIDAY, JANUARY 2. 192#.
SWAMI
RAM’S
REINCARNATION
By FRANK BJL1GHTON
Copyright
; CHAPTER I. He was now eighteen minutes l>e-
I — hind hlR schedule, and his. whole ran
The Wreck of the Limited. , was over one of the worst railroad di-
Tom Davenport's curiosity overcame visions In America—so difficult, In
tto discretion. He jumped from the fact, that the crews covering it had
of the giant Atlantic-type locorao- dubbed it the “Stormy.”
tlve ana ran over toward the disused The Pacific Limited trailing behind
freight shed beside the Lordsburg sta- him—crack train of the great trans-
Uon. Five minutes before he had been continental system—was usually a six-
#n Irreproachable, well-poised rnilroad ear affair. Today it was seven, and
passenger engineer; but the suspicious all Tom Davenport's finesse ns a loco-
0ft-reppatcd trips of a diminutive, motive engineer had been called upon
Bepia-coloml man carrying milk be- to make Lordsburg with only a quar-
tween the station restaurant and the ter-hour delay.
pld shed excited him to a pitch where up to Mescal he had climbed from
rules, regulations and
Counted for nothing.
There was something peculiarly fur
tive and wary about the little brown
plan’s stealthy look around—a mysteri
ous, unexplained air of watchfulness—
AS if guarding some secret, the nature
of*which Davenport could not imagine.
“Why should that sneaky-looking
little devil be carrying milk into that
Shed?” Tom asked himself at the first
trip. “Why don’t ho drink it in the
restaurant if he’s so all-fired fond of
It, or go back in the diner and guzzle
It down until he busts—if that’s his
game?”
The second journey between the two
points was even more mystifying to
the engineer. As the door to the ram
shackle structure closed behind the
milk-bearer Tom itched to follow him.
•‘I’ll bet a ’dobe dollar lo a centavo
he ain’t drinking It himself,” he grunt*
*d, eliding from his keat to the roomy
gangway between the boiler and the
tender. “But somebody’s drinking it
-—that’s a cinch. Me ain’t buying milk
down in this desort country to spill It
around promiscuous like. But if \\e
Ain’t drinking it himself, who is? And
If somebody else is drinking it, why
Is he hiding out in that old shack?”
The stoical figure was padding hack
Again toward the restaurant, evident
ly intent on procuring still more lac
teal fluid. Then it was that Tom
dropped to the ground and shot over to
the disused building.
He popped his head into the open
door and withdrew it witli ti celerit
-1 am Hum Jbouiuuy, sar,’ was the
polite reply.
“Oh, India. I was wondering what
country you hailed from. May 1 ask
your name?”
“1 am called Jallstngrao Jltendra,
sar,” he said in a low voice, but sin
gularly clear. “And yours?”
“Buck Williams,” smiled back the
stalwart chap across the table. “Sorry
I’m leaving at El Paso. I should like
to talk with you about your country-
some day 1 hope to visit It. It must
he very interesting, from wlmt 1 huve
heard.”
“Yes.” The monosyllable suggest
ed more than mere acquiescence, espe
cially when combined with the enig
matic smile which fitted over the
Oriental’s Intelligent face, then van
ished, leaving his features emotionless
save for an expression of polite t-
quiry.
“I've heard some wonderful stories
about India,” observed the mining man
reflectively. “Some of them strongly
resembled conscientiously told triple-
plated lies; but they were Indorsed by
persons who I knew were usually con
servative. For Instance, Is it true that
in your country people can disappear
and reappear almost instantly miles
away?”
Jitendra’s answer came hesitatingly.
“There are many things, sahib,
which I may not discuss save
n demerits Tucson, then dropped down a terrific those who have prepared themselves
Dead Man’s Curve," f ne n a tha-Yoga or the Rngah-Yoga.
again the sharp rj.*j ie w j fif j orn of our people is old—very
grade around
into Benson;
ascent into Dragon, then down through
Cochise and San Simon upon the only
few miles of straight track the entire
division boasted.
Once more Davenport set his teeth
as he jninirfed the cut-off lever far
down In the corner and nursed ills
train up through Stein’s pass, over the
summit, and down again into Lords
burg.
Ho had still one hundred and forty-
eight miles to go in two .hundred and
fourteen minutes, besides making up
that lost eighteen, to maintain his
schedule.
The grade was not so nerve-racking
into El Paso, and once at Sopar, the
summit, Torn calculated on the long,
gradual drop down through the valley
of the Uio Grande to the terminus to
aid him in considerably exceeding the
usual running time of a mile in a min
ute and a third, which was the average
of his particular schedule for the en
tire division.
Back in the swaying, lurching Pull
mans a realization of the unusual
speed began to communicate itself to
minds of the passengers, now
old. Their ways are not your ways,
sahib, and what they prnctice Is for
some purpose which we are taught is
right and in necessary preparation for
our next reinear—”
His unfinished sentence was
drowned in a horrible, grinding roar.
The dining car, directly behind the
swaying engine, seemed to rear up in
the front and fold buck upon Itself.
Buck Williams caught sight of the
calm, untroubled face of Jitendrn
peering over the top of the table above
him. Simultaneously he was catapult
ed backward to the rear of the car
The roar died down into a sickening,
slithering crash, ns the balance of the
cars in the rear impinged against the
wooden end of the diner, crushing it
reslstlessly against the heavy steel
tender of the locomotive in front.
In the first moment of utter silence
except for the hissing of the leviathan
of ‘•team now quivering, but stationary,
ahead, Buck picked himself up from
the vestibule of the car.
“God bless the man who invented
steel platforms,” he whispered to him
self as he contemplated the wreckage
streaming forward to the dining car in ; in front. Then he leaped through the
response to the first call for dinner. |
Buchanan Williams, whose hurried |
rush across the platform ut Lords- 1
burg had enabled him to make a con- j
nection which saved an eight-hour de- |
lay, stopped in the vestibule of the
Which would have mad'
Straightaway two-per-cent downgrade
resemble a handcar climbing a hill pro
pelled by a lone section hand. -
His fireman. Patrick Mahoney, from
the opposite side of the great machine
Observed Davenport's action with pro
found amazement. It was no* only
against the rules—it was unprvcmlent-
«d, unheard-of.
“Wluit’s matter?” demanded Ma
honey, as his obese chief climbed buck
Into the/Mib with a speed as marvel
ous ns unwonted.
Davenport swung to his seat without
deigning a reply. His face was very
pole, lie (lid not look toward his run
ning mate—instead, his horrified gaze
might be said to have boon froj;i*n n
the door Of the old freight shack, al
lowing, of course, for the intervening
'distance.
He intently watched the return of
the brown-skinned atom of humanity
with something between apprehension
end awe and studied him intently as
he aguin entered the tumble-down
building for the third time.
The conduetoi emerged from the
telegraph office, clutching a train or
der simultaneously with the reappear
ance of the sepia-colored gentleman
from the former freight house. Tom
saw Hint be was now carrying a small,
round, covered basket of odd shape.
Not until then did the engineer seem
to rouse from the fascination which
the little brown man had thrown over
him, and even as lfe waited the start
ing signal he leaned from the cab win
dow so far, as he followed the stranger
with his eyes, that Mahoney feared ho
would fall out.
As he turned to look across the cab
At the fireman Davenport did not have
the appearance of n man who is still
possessed of curiosity; but what he
had seen he evidently had no intention
revealing.
. “Give her the gun. Paddy,” said he
Jn a harsh, unnatural voice. “We’re
fifteen minutes late now-, and if we
don’t waut to be dancing on the carpet
In the super’s office in El Paso we’ve
jfot to make up that time if we burn
out a crown sheet to do it.”
Malioney nodded ns he reached for
•the firing-valve and shot another p6w-
orful jet of oil against the sides of
the “wrinkle-belly” firebox, while he
opened the blower to its fullest capac
ity. Ho was debating what hatffcome
over his phlegmatic superior.
The thick, black smoke roared out
of the short, stock as Tom leaued again
from the window, wondering why he
did not get the starting signal. The
conductor was standing expectantly on
the platform fidgeting with his watch.
Impatiently the engineer was reach
ing for his detention card to note the
new loss of time as a partial measure
of self-protection, when a tall, lithe,
Athletic young man rushed across the
.platform and leaped up the steps of
the Pullman. Simultaneously the air-
whistle sounded, and Tom yanked his
throttle-lever with obvious disgust.
his train on a I diner to pass his ticket to the con-
| hack
I Davi
innki
dpetor.
“Some class lo this,” bo chuckled n.s
he tendered the bit of pasteboard. “Do
you think we’ll make El Paso on
time?”
“Within a few minutes of it,” smiled ,
lie other reassuringly. “Tom
art’s up ahead, and lie hates to
xplnuarlons at either end of
the division. Going to Chicago,
Buck ?”
“No; Mexico. Trouble down Culin-
can way. Another revolution; and
every man in Vnv mine. I suppose, Is
out trying to make himself president
with a shotgun instead of using a (li- !
roet primary to get the nomination.
Wish they’d settle down. The El ;
Tigre is beginning to pan out big—
but we need men to work it.”
“Some mine, that El Tigre, accord
ing to the talk of the boys coming out
of that section.”
“Fair,” drawled Buck, with a whim
sical smile. “She paid out more than
a half-million last year, and we’ve only
scratched her hack so far. Wait until
wo get down to the five-hundred-foot
level and drift. Thou we’ll make
Johnny Rockefeller’s wig take on a
inareel-wave effect.”
He swung into the diner and seated
himself in the only vacant chair. Op
posite sat a small, dark, unobtrusive
little mau whose sldn was a trifle too
tawny for either a Mexican or an In
dian.
His coal-black hair, large, luminous
brown eyes, and general appearance
of intellectuality were unusual, but of
fered a strange contrast to a certain
humility of manner, Williams thought
rather contemptuously.
Buck scanned the card while the
waiter brought the meal his vis-a-vis
had previously ordered. The mining I fr “ 1 “' t ‘h e splintered fragments,
man's interest iu his fellow passenger
increased as he noted that his meal
consisted wholly of vegetables and
that ho drank nothing but milk.
The limited was snortiug up the
grade toward Sepal* when his own
dinner was brought in.
pace to the Pullman behind and
tumbled to the right of way.
From the front of the diner, which
was twisted and doubled back upon it
self, arose an agonized screech. The
negro cooks and waiters, penned in or
close beside the tiny kitchen, were
shrieking for nid—such as them as
still remained alive.
The locomotive stood half sidewise
on the embankment, Hie broken driv
ing-rod which had caused the disaster
driven far in the earth. The desert
wind swirling around the curve of the
hill dropped a piece of paper of
strange texture at Buck Williams’
feet.
Involuntarily he picked it up and
read, drawn by an impulse which he
could not fathom;
“Beloved:
“Until long after I had crossed the
sacred watch -.f the Ganges, with its
burden of true believers progressing
to their next incarnation, and lived
among the people of this far-off coun
try, 1 never understood the meaning
of true love; blit now, after your many
sacrifices for me, I believe I do.
“As 1 have knelt before the shrine
of the Blue Buddha, I have learned
the meaning of such devotion as
yours; come, therefore, to me and
speedily. I write in English that you
may see lmw I have improved.
“INDIRA.”
Buck thrust the missive into bis
pocket and turned Vo the twisted
tangle of the wrecked diner. He re
gretted that he liad read the note
through on the impulse of the mo
ment, for the intimate affairs of a
chance traveling companion were sure
ly no business of fils.
The texture resembled that of the
paper which Jltendra had been read
ing at tlie beginning of their conversa
tion. The peculiar style and idiom of
the communication left little doubt
that it was the same and had some
how escaped from him at the instaut
of the crash.
sinister jet of flame spiraled up
The
trainmen were already hewing fran
tically at the debris, and presently a
negro crawled painfully through the
orifice they made, dragging a broken
leg.
Another followed, then another, his
face grimed with the smoke of the
The varnished fragments of the car
yielded eagerly to the darting tongues
of .lame which ran along the ground
under the debris or hissed against the
pitifully inadequate water which was
mtllely poured on the wreckage from
above, as volunteers hurried back and
forth from the engine with palls.
Hewing desperately, Williams at
last cleared a small opening above
which the wreckage piled itself in
such shape as to form a triangular ori
fice. Buck dropped to his knees and
peered beneath. The fast increasing
fire volleyed forth a great cloud ol
-moke through the new hole, which
»nly appeared to create a better draft
or its more rapid progress.
The American wormed himself into
it, twisteu, and writhed forward.
‘Come back, Buck!” cried Martin,
grasping his leg. “He’s only a guinea,
anyway—not worth the risk.
But the American obstinately jerked
himself free ana disappeared into the
mass ol steel and splinters. A little
way ahead, to the right of him, he
could discern a small, Inert, chocolate-
colored body, unconscious of the reek
ing smoke which already thinly en
shrouded his calm face.
Buck grasped him.
The body yielded easily, as if des
tiny itself had arched over it a pro
tection. Very slowly he worked his
way back through the dense, stifling
atmosphere. A shower of sparks
swept down his neck, burning him bit
terly ; but Buck was heedless of it.
Obstinately propping himself now
on one hand and knees, and again
pushing himself backward as he flat
tened out, he never relaxed his grip
on the unconscious diminutive figure.
Eager hands dragged them both from
lie opening.
As the American emerged and the
it hers caught sight of the limp body
ne had rescued, the passengers broke
nto * cheer.
“CripesI” gasped Williams, beating
it his scorched neck until the smolder-1
ng around the collar of Ills coat was [
•xtinguished. “Somebody get me some i
aselino or engine oil!’’
He laved his burns eagerly, tnen
.uelt to examine the motionless body
ie bad dragged to safety.
"Give me some water, will you?”
ie commanded, reaching for his hlp-
iocket with the words. With his own
lands he washed the blood from the
ittle man’s head and bound it round
' iti» his handkerchief, after tearing it
n twain and knotting the ends to
gether.
“Only n scratch,” he muttered,
lie forced tlie neck of his flask be-
•weon the lips of the unconscious doll-
ike figure. The fire was nearly out,
mi the section men from Sepnr were
1 ready over the edge of the steep
tank. A whistle was sounding faintly
down tlie road in front.
The head brokeman came wearily
>,(■!• to the group around the dead
ml injured pjid handed a telegram to
'(inductor Martin.
“i:\tra twenty-seven sixty-nine’s
:n:im* and a wrecking crew have been
ent back from Doming; that’s her
vhiniling now,” explained the train-
Cleaning, Pressing, Dyeing
I have bought the Palace Pressing Club and will be pleased
to have your work.
Will have an expert in a few days and new equipment.
Call the Palace Pressing Club when you want any cleaning,
pressing or dyeing.
LINTON S. JAMES
V t C:
•mini stirred,
ver before in all his
potent liquid like ri
:i:tg down his throat
life had a
e one now
p:i*.‘ ; ?d hi.-
hud
I tin
Williams ate voraciously, as only an | fnst rlsing lire which, In spite of des-
American can whose life is spent
combat with the apparently sterile
and antagonistic country which they
were traversing.
He glanced curiously over at his
traveling companion. The brown eyes
seemed to take ou a half melancholy,
brooding look, as if the owner Were
peering into a future pregnant with
events.
He laved his h r '.As in the silver fin
ger-bowl, wiped them carefully, and,
while waiting for the check, drew from
his pocket a sheet of paper and began
to peruse it.
“Traveling far?” queried Buck, with
the bluff heartiness of the West.
“To New England, sar,” smiled back
the little man.
“You don’t belong in these parts,
then,” laughed the miner, scrutinizing
the brown atom of humanity with a
half-humorous, half-pitying expression.
perate efforts, seemed destined to con
sume the demolished car.
But of Jltendra the mining man saw
no sign, and he smothered an impre
cation at the exasperating slowness of
the crew, as he wrenched an ax from
one of them and attacked the pile at
another point.
CHAPTER \K
Reselling a Hindu*
"Everybody’s out, Buck!” protested
Conductor Martin, running over to
him.
“No!” shouted the fair-haired, blue
eyed giant. “There’s a passenger
stuck somewhere beneath this mess—
the little dark chap who was sitting
across the table from me in this ear.”
The blaze, fed froqi the incandescent
coals of the diner’s cooking range, ob
stinately refused to be extinguished.
i top*-led at last
.. aid in his awakening.
I lo sat suddenly erect, looked stu
bby around. Friendly hands helped
im into Hie Pullman.
“Feeling better?” Buck Williams
iad already forgotten his own trivial
ujurios in the solicitude be felt for
his timorous litiie alien peering up
; him with apologetic eyes.
“Yes, sahib,’ breathed the brown
uun. “T do not understand—”
“Oil, it’s all over.’ cheerfully inter
rupted Williams. “Wejiad a break
down on the locomo^"j and came to
a quick stop. The old wooden diner
crumpled up—that’s all. Couldn't ex-
j:ect anything else, hitting the bill tlie
way we were, with a big hog like that
in front and tlie steel Pullman behind.
A couple of niggers killed—and you
cot the worst deal of any of the pas
sengers, 1 guess.”
The somber look in the eyes deep
ened as Jltendra scanned bis fate with
a quaint intentness which was alto
gether new and a little uncanny. Wil
liams shifted uneasily as he went on:
“Wrecking crew’s got the engine on
the track again; we’ll only be a few
Hours late into El Paso. Do you think
you'd better get oft at Deming aud let
a doctor look you over?”
Jltendra shook his head. “I am not
much hurt. Sahib Buck,” he gravely
replied. “But how came 1 to escape
•ne fire? Was 1 not overwhelmed by
the disaster? ’
“Oh, you were penned in under that
old hulk of a diner until we dragged
you out. ’ laughed the mining man.
‘But that’s done now. You’ll be in
Chicago, almost the same as if nothing
luid happened, in two days. It wjjs
lucky for both of us that we were to
ward the back end of the car.”
“it was fate,” affirmed Jiteudra,
with an emphatic positiveness con
trasting strangely with his wee figure.
"But you, Sahib Buck—were you, too,
mmersed in the shatierings?”
“Nix,’ grinned Williams. “1 back-
neduled right over tables and chairs
till t landed in the vestibule. ’
“1 seemed to be looking down upon
von tlie last 1 remember," mused the
Jriental, fastening his eyes searching-
y upon tlie other man s.
“1 missed you.” admitted Buck un
hesitatingly, “and grabbed an ax and
chopped down to where you lay. But
i am sure that you would have done
is much for me. Do you remember
vbat we were talking about when the
j mash came?”
(Continued next week)
. Tjnifc
orm
i No matter where you
buy it.Luzianne coffee
is always the same high
standard of excellence.
9Every pound is sold,
in an air-tight tin can.
f Luziarmeretains its
full rich flavor.
olthii —
directions, you are not
i??oMr;iT t vc,v
money you paid (or It.
«-
coffee
The Reily-Taylor Company
JVew Orleans
currv a vrnrly In.fli • *n much tfr.-nter than that ..f
• nv'«.• i. r «-„i:.itrv lh.it then-1* really no Imms for compari-
•on. Indeed, tin- trn.v of any two nations may I,.- eutn-
L: ,|. ;u.d Mill it does not nppronch the rnnimrrce of
Ask Any Doughboy Who
as “Over There”
and In* will toll you that American railroads are
the best in the world.
Me saw the foreign roads — in England and
France, the best in Europe — and in other Con
tinental countries — and lie knows.
The part railroads have played in the develop
ment of the United Stales is beyond measure.
American railroads have achieved high stand
ards of public service by far-sighted and courage
ous investment of capital, and by the constant
striving of managers and men for rewards for work
well done.
W e have the best railroads in the world — we
must continue to have the best.
But they must grow.
To the $-20,000,000,000 now invested in our
railroads, there will have to be added in the next
few years, to keep pace with the nation’s business,
billions more for additional tracks, stations and
terminals, cars and engines, electric power bouses
and trains, automatic signals, safety devices, tlie
elimination of grade crossings — and for recon
struction and engineering economies that will re
duce tbe cost of transportation.
To attract to tlie railroads in the future the in
vestment funds of many thrifty citizens, the direct
ing genius of the most capable builders and man
agers, and tlie skill and loyalty of the best work
men — in competition with other industries bid
ding for capital, managers and men — the railroad
industry must hold out fair rewards to capital, to
managers and to the men.
American railroads will continue to set world
standards and adequately serve the Nation’s needs
if they continue to be built and operated on the
American principle of rewards for work well done.
EFJiiA admUsemcni u published by the
dissociation offkaihouy %xemtived.
Those-desiring information concerning the raiiroad situ-
ation mag obtain literature bit irriting to The Associa
tion of Railway Executives, 61 Broadway, Sew York.