,*APT] ,,XXII

,A ,DESP]ATE ,*ASE

  ,^! MO;TS 7 FRAU<T ) P]IL1 & N AL"O
P]IL 6! HUGE MA*9E T ,TOM ,SWIFT _H
BUILT1 B P]IL 6^? :O REMA9$ 9 ! CAB (!
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE1 Z H] =W>D TRUCKS
/RUCK ! OP5 SWIT*4
  ,"! 0 A MI<TY J]K T BR"\ A %\T F ,N$
,NEWTON'S LIPS &A GRUNT F ,MR4 ,DAMON4
,TOM CLUNG 6HIS SWIVEL-S1T1 />+ AH1D4
  ,! PILOT (! ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE %OT
OV] ON ! SID+2 ! =W>D TRUCKS FOLL[$1 !N
! GRT DRIV]S4 ,! :OLE LOCOMOTIVE SW]V$
96! SID+1 B = S"EAL BR1?.S SECONDS ,TOM
0 N AT ALL SURE T ! MON/] WD N JUMP !
RAILS & H1D 96! DIT*6
  ,M1N:ILE 8 GAZE M1SUR$ ! SPE$ ( T FLY+
FIGURE 9 ! ,MACK9AW Z X SCUTTL$ UP !
SLOPE "? ! OP5 GROVE ( H>D WOOD & P9E4
,HE CD N AT F/ SEE ,KOKU1 B HE KNEW !
GIANT 0 H1D$ =! FUGITIVE1 :E!R ! LATT]
PROV$ 6BE ,&Y ,O',MALLEY OR N4
  ,TOM'S GAZE FLA%$ 6:AT LAY AH1D (!
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE4 ,Z X SEEM$ 6JO7LE
BACK 96BAL.E1 GA9 XS UP"R;S1 Z X W]E1 !
9V5TOR SAW ! GRT1 LOG-BRAC$ BUMP] 2T !
TWO RAILS AT ! 5D (! SID+4 ,) :AT =CE WD
! LOCOMOTIVE HIT T OB/RUC;N8
  ,UNTIL ! TRAIL]S 7 OV] ! SWIT* ,TOM
D>$ N GIVE H] ! BRAKES4 ,6LOCK ! BRAKE
%OES ^U ! :EELS MI<T EASILY ?R[ !
LOCOMOTIVE (F ! RAILS4 ,B ! 9/ANT HE
FELT ! TAIL (! L;G LOCOMOTIVE SW]VE (F !
SWIT* HE JA2$ ! -PRESS$ AIR L"E &! WILD
%RIEK (! BRAKE %OES ANSW]$ 6HIS EF=T4
  ,!N ! BUMP] 0 B A FEW Y>DS AH1D4 ,!
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE 0 B.D 6COLLIDE ) X4
,& "U ! SPE$ AT : X _H BE5 RUNN+1 N[
SC>CELY REDUC$ 0HALF1 ! COLLI.N 0 APT
6BE A TRAGIC HAPP5+6
  ,WEEKS ( EF=T MI<T 2 RU9$ 9 T MO;T6
,IF ! CRA% 0 S]I\S1 ?\S&S ( DOLL>S MI<T
2 LO/6 ,9 TRU?1 ,TOM ,SWIFT APPREH5D$ !
POSSIBIL;Y (A 4A/]1 ! -PLETE RESULTS ( :
MI<T PUT ! TE/ ( 8 9V5;N =W>D = WEEKS--
P]H = MON?S4
  ,NOR CD HE D A ?+ 6AV]T ! 4A/]4 ,HE _H
REV]S$ & SET ! BRAKES IMMLY AF ! LA/
:EEL (! TRAIL] 0 ON ! SID+4 ,NO?+ M CD
HE D Z ! GRT ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE BORE
D[N ^U ! SOLID TIMB] AT ! F> 5D ( ? %ORT
TRACK4
  ,^? FEW SECONDS1 Z ! LOCK$ :EELS SLID
T[>D ! 5D (! SID+1 7 AB Z H>D 6BE> Z ANY
EXP]I;E ! "Y 9V5TOR _H "E G"O "?4 ,X 0 N
S M* ! P]IL (! A3ID5T1 X 0 ! POSSIBIL;Y
( :AT MI<T HAPP5 6! LOCOMOTIVE4
  ,)9 ^? FEW MO;TS1 H["E1 ,TOM 3SID]$ M
?AN ! SAFETY ( 8 -PANIONS & HMF1 & M ?AN
! P]IL ( WRECK 6HIS LOCOMOTIVE4 ,HE
3SID]$ ! S*$ULE (! TRA9S ON ? DIVI.N (!
,H5DRICKTON & ,PAS ,ALOS & REMEMB]$ ALL
^? T MI<T 2 )9 ? SECTOR AT ? "T4
  ,IF ! LOCOMOTIVE SMA%$ 96! BUMP] ) =CE
5 6WRECK ! /RUCTURE1 WD "S APPROA*+ TRA9
ON ! WE/B.D TRACK N 2 5DANG]$8
  ,! ?"\ 0 P>5T 6,TOM'S ACT 2F ! COLLI.N
O3URR$4 ,)A S+LE SWIFT MO;N HE R1*$ =!
SIGNAL+ APP>ATUS : HE _H E/ABLI%$ 9
3NEC;N ) 8 WIRE.S TELEPH"O4
  ,J ! MO;T 2F ! H1D (! LOCOMOTIVE RAMM$
T SEEM+LY IMMOVA# B>RI] AT ! 5D (! SID+
"! FLA%$ 96! AIR F ,TOM'S ANNUNCIATOR !
CODE ^W AGRE$ ^U ANN\NC+ A WRECK1 &!
NUMB] (! SECTOR ON : ! ELECTRIC
LOCOMOTIVE 0 !N RUNN+4
  ,! NEXT MO;T ! CRA% O3URR$4
  ,TOM _H L1P$ UP )A %\T ( W>N+4 8,HANG
ON60 0 8 CRY4 ,B :5 ! LOCOMOTIVE _H
/RUCK & REB.D$ ,N$1 F F> D[N ! AISLE (!
LOCOMOTIVE1 WANT$ 6"K 9 A V PEEVI% T"O
:AT HE %D H HUNG ON TO8
  8,MY ELB[S60 HE GROAN$4 8,I'VE SK9N$
'EM1 & MY BACK HAS GOT A TWI/ 9 X L !
,IRI%MAN ?"\ HE _H :5 HE PUT ON 8
OV]ALLS H9D-SIDE TO4 ,:AT'S HAPP5$80
  8,B.S MY RADIOLITE60 GR[L$ ,MR4
,DAMON4 8,MY WAT* CRY/AL IS BROK5 ALL
6F9D]S1 IF Y WANT 6"K4 ,B.S MY %OCK-
ABSORB]S6 Y WON'T D ? LOCOMOTIVE A BIT (
GD1 ,TOM ,SWIFT1 IF Y /OP X S ABRUPTLY40
  8,& T'S ! SURE/ ^W Y "E SD0 RESPOND$
,TOM1
HURRY+ 6! DOOR4 8,I DON'T "K :AT'S
BROK51 B WE'RE / ON ! RAILS4 ,! MO/ IMM
?+ 6LE>N1 IS ! ":-ABS (! FELL[ :O DID
?40
  8,:O OP5$ ! SWIT*80 CRI$ ,N$4
  8,I 2LIEVE X 0 ,&Y ,O',MALLEY4 ,-E ON1
,N$6 ,KOKU IS AF HM & ,I DON'T WANT HM
6TE> ,O',MALLEY A"P 2F ,I GET "!40
  8,O',MALLEY HAS GOT P[];L 9T]E/S 2H
HM1 & X MI<T G H>D ) ,KOKU IF HE 9JUR$ !
SPY & "S ( ^! ,WE/]N]S CAU<T HM10 SU7E/$
,MR4 ,DAMON4
  8,!Y "\ 6?ANK ,KOKU = MANH&L+ ! FELL[
--IF HE DOES10 SD ,N$4
  8,Z A MATT] ( FACT10 REPLI$ ,TOM1
8,KOKU W M]ELY HOLD 6! FELL[ UNTIL WE
GET "!4 ,B MY GIANT'S /R5G? IS ENORM\S1
& HE DOES N ALW "K ! /R5G? ( 8 GRASP4 HE
MI<T HURT ! FELL[4 ,-E ON10 & ,TOM L1P$
F ! DOORWAY (! ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE4
  ,N$ L1P$ D[N ! LA4] AF 8 *UM4
  8,: WAY DID !Y G80 HE ASK$4
  8,ACR ! DIT* & UP ! HILL10 SD ,TOM4
8,MR4 ,DAMON60 HE CALL$ BACK 6T E35TRIC
MAN1 8W Y PL1SE REMA9 "! & WAT* !
LOCOMOTIVE80
  8,I C]TA9LY W4 ,& ,I'M >M$1 TOO10 %\T$
,MR4 ,DAMON4 8,DON'T FE> = ? LOCOMOTIVE1
,TOM4 ,I AM "R ON ! JOB40
  ,TOM WAV$ 8 H& 9 REPLY1 L1P$ ! DIT*1 &
/>T$ UP "? ! WOOD4 ,N$ 0 CLOSE 2H HM1 &!
TWO "Y M5 RAN Z H>D Z !Y CD 9 ! DIREC;N
,TOM _H SE5 ,&Y ,O',MALLEY1 FOLL[$ 0!
GIANT1 RUNN+4
  ,9 PLACES ! E>? 0 SLIPP]Y ) P9E
NE$LES1 &! GR.D 0 ELSE": R\<4 ,"!=E !
*UMS DID N MAKE M* SPE$ 9 RUNN+ AF !
GIANT & 8 QU>RY4 ,B ,TOM 0 SURE (!
DIREC;N 9 : ! TWO _H 4APPE>$1 & HE & ,N$
KEPT DO7$LY ON4
  ,!Y W5T OV] ! CRE/ (! HILL & LO/ SI<T
(! SID+ &! LOCOMOTIVE4 ,"H 0 A %>P
DESC5T 96A GUL*1 & "S RODS AWAY1 9 !
BOTTOM ( ? GULLY1 ! "Y FELL[S OBTA9$ _!
F/ SI<T ( ,KOKU4 ,HE 0 / RUNN+ ) MI<TY
/RIDES & 0 EVID5TLY )9 SI<T (! MAN HE _H
SET \ AF 9 S* HA/E4
  8,HEY6 ,KOKU60 %\T$ ,TOM ,SWIFT4
  ,! GIANT'S HE>+ 0 (! KE5E/4 ,HE GL.ED
BACK & RAIS$ 8 >M 9 GREET+4 ,B HE DID N
SLACK5 8 PACE4
  8,HE M/ SEE ,O',MALLEY1 ,TOM10 CRI$
,N$ ,NEWTON4
  8,I AM SURE HE DOES4 ,& ,I WANT 6GET
"! AB Z SOON Z ,KOKU GRABS ! FELL[10
PANT$ ,TOM4
  8,HE'LL MAUL ,O',MALLEY UNM]CI;LLY10
SD ,N$4
  8,I DON'T WANT ,KOKU 69JURE HM10
ADMITT$ ,TOM1 & HE 9CR1S$ 8 [N /RIDE Z
HE PLUNG$ D[N 96! GULLY4
  ,! "Y 9V5TOR 4T.ED 8 *UM )9 ! NEXT FEW
MO;TS4 ,TOM RAN L A DE]4 ,HE R1*$ !
BOTTOM (! GULLY & KEPT ON AF ,KOKU'S
CRA%+ FOOT/EPS4 ,AT E JUMP1 TOO1 HE 2GAN
6%\T 6! GIANT3
  8,KOKU6 ,HOLD HM60
  ,! GIANT'S VOICE BOOM$ BACK "? ! H1VY
TIMB]3 8,I CAT* HM6 ,I HOLD HM = ,MA/]6
,I BR1K ALL UM B"OS6 ,WAIT TILL ,KOKU
CAT* HM60
  8,HOLD HM1 ,KOKU60 YELL$ ,TOM AG4 8,BE
C>E;L & DON'T HURT HM TILL ,I GET "!60
  ,HE CD N SEE :AT ! GIANT 0 DO+4 ,!
TIMB] 0 ?ICK] D[N "H4 ,X MI<T 2 T !
GIANT WD SEIZE ! MAN R\<LY4 ,8 Z1L 9
,TOM'S CAUSE 0 GRT1 &1 ( C\RSE1 8 /R5G?
0 ENORM\S4
  ,YET ,TOM DID N WANT 6CALL ! GIANT (F
! TRAIL4 ,&Y ,O',MALLEY M/ 2 CAPTUR$ AT
? "T4 ,HE _H D"O 5\<1 TOO M*1 9DE$1 9
ATTEMPT+ ! RU9 ( ,TOM'S PLANS4 ,2F !
MATT] W5T ANY FUR!R ! "Y 9V5TOR 0
DET]M9$ T ,MONTAGNE ,LEWIS' SPY %D 2 PUT
": HE WD 2 A# 6D NO M H>M4
  ,B HE DID N WANT ! MAN P]MAN5TLY
9JUR$4 ,HE KNEW N[ T ,KOKU 0 S WILDLY
EXCIT$ T HE MI<T SET ^U ,O',MALLEY Z HE
WD ^U AN 5EMY 9 8 [N C.TRY4
  8,KOKU6 ,/OP6 ,WAIT = ME60 ,TOM F9,Y
%\T$4
  ,N[ ! "Y 9V5TOR GOT NO REPLY F !
GIANT4 ,_H !
LATT] GOT S F> AH1D T HE NO L;G] HE>D 8
MA/]'S -M&8
  ,TOM P.D$ ON1 "W+ 8 LEGS L PI/ONS1
PUTT+ E LA/ \NCE ( 5]GY HE POSSESS$
96HIS EF=T4 ,? 0 9DE$ A DESP]ATE *ASE4







