,*APT] ,,XXIII

,MR4 ,DAMON AT ,BAY

  ,MR4 ,WAKEFIELD ,DAMON 0 A V ODD &
]RATIC G5TLEMAN1 B HE DID N LACK C\RAGE4
,HE 0 M* M 4TURB$ 0! POSSI# 9JURY 6,TOM
,SWIFT'S 9V5;N 0? COLLI.N )! BUMP] AT !
5D (! TIMB] SID+ ?AN HE _H BE5 0HIS [N
DANG] AT ! "T (! A3ID5T4
  ,HE DID N "U/& 5 AB ! DEVICES ,TOM _H
BUILT 9 ! =W>D 5D (! LOCOMOTIVE CAB
6"U/&1 0ANY CASUAL EXAM9,N1 IF !Y 7 AT
ALL 9JUR$4 ,B :5 HE CLIMB$ D[N 2S !
TRACK HE SAW AT ONCE T ! =W>D 5D (!
LOCOMOTIVE _H RCVD M ?AN A LL 9JURY4
  ,! PILOT1 OR C[-CAT*]1 LOOK$ M L AN
IRON COBWEB ?AN X DID L ANY?+ ELSE4 ,!
:EELS (! =W>D TRUCKS _H N LEFT ! TRACK1
B ! IMPACT (! H1VY LOCOMOTIVE )! BUMP]
_H BE5 S GRT T ! LATT] 0 TORN F XS
F.D,NS4 ,A LL M &! ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
WD H %OT (F ! 5D (! RAILS 96! DIT*4
  ,:ILE ,MR4 ,DAMON 0 EXAM9+ ! FRONT (!
LOCOMOTIVE1 & ,TOM & ,N$ REMA9$ ABS5T1
HE SU45LY OBS]V$ A GR\P ( M5 HURRY+ \ (!
=E/ ON ! O!R SIDE (! ,H4 & ,P4 ,A4 "R (
WAY4 ,!Y 7 N RAILROAD M5--AT L1/1 !Y 7 N
DRESS$ 9 UNI=M--B !Y 7 DRAWN IMMLY 6!
LOCOMOTIVE4
  ,! L1D] (! "PY 0 A SQU>ELY BUILT MAN
)A DET]M9$ C.T5.E &A H1VY MU/A*E M*
BLACK] ?AN 8 IRON GRAY HAIR4 ,HE 0 A
BULLY+ LOOK+ MAN1 & HE /RODE >.D ! RE>
(! LOCOMOTIVE & CAME =W>D J Z ?\< HE 0
3FID5T ( BO>D+ ! MA*9E 0"R4
  ,MR4 ,DAMON1 "K+ HMF 9 ! WILD];S & N
LIK+ ! APPE>.E ( ? GR\P ( /RANG]S1 _H
RETIR$ AT ONCE 6! CAB1 & N[ /OOD 9 !
DOORWAY4
  8,":'S T "Y FOOL ,SWIFT80 GR[L$ ! MAN
)! DY$ MU/A*E1 LOOK+ UP AT ,MR4 ,DAMON &
LAY+ "O H& ^U ! RAIL 2S ! LA4]4
  8,DON'T "K ANY S* P]SON10 DCLD ,MR4
,DAMON PROMPTLY4
  8,Y DON'T "K ,TOM ,SWIFT80 CRI$ ! MAN4
  8,OH6 ,T'S ANO!R MATT]10 SD ,MR4
,DAMON COOLLY4 8,I DON'T "K ANY FOOL "ND
,SWIFT1 EI "Y OR OLD4 ,B.S MY BL9K]S6 ,I
%D SAY N40
  8,ISN'T HE "H80 DEM&$ ! MAN1 GRU6LY4
  8,TOM ,SWIFT ISN'T "H J N[--NO40
  8,I'M -+ UP10 ANN\NC$ ! /RANG]1 & />T$
6PUT 8 FOOT ON ! F/ RUNG (! IRON LA4]4
  8,Y'RE N10 SD ,MR4 ,DAMON1 PROMPTLY4
  8,:AT'S T80 EJACULAT$ ! MAN4
  8,Y ONLY ?9K Y >E -+ UP "H4 ,B Y >E N4
,B.S MY =TUNE TELL+ C>DS60 EJACULAT$
,MR4 ,DAMON1 8,I %D SAY N40
  ,AT ? PO9T ! BLACK-MU/A*$ MAN 2GAN
6SPLUTT] ^WS & ?R1TS S FA/ T NOBODY CD Q
"U/& HM4 ,MR4 ,DAMON1 H["E1 DID N %R9K 9
! L1/4 ,HE /OOD ADAMANT 9 ! DOORWAY (!
CAB4
  ,F9D+ LL RELIEF 9 BAD LANGUAGE1 ! 5EMY
MADE ANO!R ATTEMPT 6CLIMB UP4 ,= "O ?+1
HE 0 PHYSIC,Y BRAVE4 ,HE DID N CALL ON 8
-PANIONS 6G ": HE FE>$ TO4
  8,I'LL %[ Y60 HE BAWL$1 & SCRAM#D UP !
RUNGS (! LA4]4
  ,MR4 ,DAMON DID %[ HM4 ,HE DREW F "S
POCKET A BLACK OBJECT )A BULB &A L;G
B>REL4 ,"SBODY 2L ON ! C9D] PA? %\T$3
  8,LOOK \1 BOSS LIE'S GOT A GUN60
  ,AT T MO;T ! M>AUD] R1*$ \ 6SEIZE ,MR4
,DAMON'S COAT4 ,!N ! OBJECT 9 ,MR4
,DAMON'S H& SPAT A F9E SPRAY 96! FLORID
FACE (! 5EMY6
  8,:OO6 ,A*OO6 ,0GO%60 BAWL$ ! BIG MAN1
& HE FELL BACK SCR1M+ O!R EJACUL,NS4
  8,B.S MY FACE & EYES60 CRI$ ,MR4
,DAMON4 8,:AT DID ,I TELL Y8 ,& Y O!R
FELL[S WANT 6NOTICE X4 ,TOM ,SWIFT ISN'T
"H J AT ? PRECISE MO;T2 B HE IS GU>D+ 8
LOCOMOTIVE J ! SAME4 ,HE 9V5T$ ? AMMONIA
PI/OL1 & ,I %D SAY X 0 E6ECTUAL4 ,D Y80
  ,! E35TRIC MAN 0 %REWD 5 N[ 6KEEP 2H !
JAMB
(! CAB DOOR4 ,= "S ( ^! FELL[S1 HE
R1LIZ$1 MI<T 2 >M$ ) M D1DLY W1PONS ?AN
8 [N4
  8,HEY1 ,MR4 ,LEWIS60 CRI$ "O BIG
FELL[1 8D'Y\ WANT WE %D GET T FELL[ =
Y80
  8,I WANT 6"K H[ BADLY T BLAM$ ?+ IS
SMA%$10 REPLI$ ! BIG MAN )! DY$ MU/A*E
SAVAGELY4 8,":'S ,O',MALLEY80
  8,O',MALLEY'S LIT \1 ,BOSS1 L ,I TOLD
Y4 ,T GIANT & !M O!R FELL[S IS AF HM40
  8,BR1K 96T CAB6 ,OH6 ,MY EYES6 ,I'LL
KILL T OLD FOOL6 ,BR1K A WAY 9 "!--
,:AT'S T80
  ,9 PA9 Z HE WAS1 8 O!R S5SES 7 AL]T4
,HE 0 F/ 6HE> ! SCREE*+ :I/LE (! ON-COM+
FREI<T4
  8,?9K !Y GOT W9D ( ? S QK80 DEM&$
,MONTAGNE ,LEWIS1 = X 0 HE4 8,>E !Y S5D+
HELP F ,CLIFF ,C;Y80
  8,X'S A REGUL> FREI<T10 RETURN$ "O ( 8
M54
  8,%E'S -M' A-:IZZ9'10 A4$ ANO!R4 8,"R
D[N ! EA/B.D TRACK4 ,IF ! CREW SEE U--0
  8,WAIT60 -M&$ ,LEWIS4 8,ISN'T T SWIT*
OP580
  8,Y BET X IS1 ,BOSS40
  8,LET X BE1 !N10 CRI$ ! *IEF PLOTT]4
8,LET 'EM RUN 96X4 ,T FREI<T W SMA% UP ?
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE M -PLETELY ?AN WE CD
POSSIBLY D X4 ,/& AWAY1 M51 & LET H] G60
  ,A %>P CURVE 9 ! "R ( WAY HID ! SID+1
Z WELL Z ! OP5 SWIT* 96X1 F ! GAZE (!
5G9E] :O HELD ! ?ROTTLE (! -+ FREI<T4 ,8
LOCOMOTIVE DREW A /R+ ( EMPTIES1 EA/B.D1
& HAV+ _H A H1VY PULL ( X -+ UP ! GRADE
6,CLIFF ,C;Y1 Z SOON Z HE _H GOT !
HI<BALL F ! Y>DMA/] "!1 HE _H 8LET H]
\10 & 0 N[ -+ 6! H1D (! D[N GRADE
6,HAMMON AT HI< SPE$4
  ,Z X *.ED1 ! WIRE.S RCVG /,N ( ,TOM'S
NEW TELEPH"O SY/EM 0 N YET -PLET$ AT
,CLIFF ,C;Y4 ,! NEWS (! WRECK (!
,H]CULES #JJJA & H] POSI;N _H N BE5
RELAY$ 6! MA/] (! ,CLIFF ,C;Y Y>DS4
  ,T EMPLOYEE (! ,H4 & ,P4 ,A4 _H TAK5 A
*.E 9 LETT+ ! /R+ ( EMPTIES "? 8 BLOCK4
,HE KNEW ! ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE 0 "S":
AH1D1 B HE ?"\ X WD 2 MAK+ XS USUAL "T &
WD H ALR PASS$ ,HALF ,WAY4
  ,B ! SITU,N 0 S]I\S4 ,! FREI<T 0 -+
AL;G AT TOP SPE$ &! SWIT* 96! SID+ 0 /
OP54 ,MONTAGNE ,LEWIS & 8 CREW ( RU6IANS
MI<T WELL /& BACK & LET :AT SEEM$ SURE
6HAPP51 HAPP56 ,! DRIV+ FREI<T M/ D M
H>M 6,TOM ,SWIFT'S 9V5;N ?AN !Y CD H
HOP$ 6D )! SL$GES & B>S !Y _H BR"\ ) !M
6! SPOT4
  ,MR4 ,WAKEFIELD ,DAMON _H %[N 8 C\RAGE
ALR4 ,HE WD H BE5 GLAD 6D M 6SAVE ,TOM'S
LOCOMOTIVE F FUR!R 9JURY1 B HE DID N
R1LIZE :AT 0 ?R1T5+4 ,HE DID N HE> !
%RIEK (! FREI<T 5G9E'S :I/LE4
























