,*APT] ,,XIX

,P]IL1 ,! ,"M ( ,9V5;N

  ,TOM ,SWIFT'S F/ ?"\ 0 "O ( ?ANK;L;S4
,?ANK;L;S T HE DID N H A DRAG ( FIFTY OR
SIXTY /EEL GONDOLAS OR ! L 6ADD _! WEI<T
6! D[N-PULL4 ,! LOCOMOTIVE'S [N WEI<T (
APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDR$ & SEV5TY TONS 0
5\<4
  ,= :5 ! 9V5TOR PU%$ ,N$ ASIDE & TRI$
6H&LE ! 3TROLL]S PROP]LY1 HE F.D !M
UNMANAGEA#4 ,"! 0 N A *.E ( FREE+ !M &
GETT+ P[] ON ! BRAKES4 ,! ,H]CULES #JJJA
0 HACK+ D[N ! M.TA9 SIDE )A SPE$ T 0
MO;T>ILY 9CR1S+1 & )\T A *.E ( RET>D+ X6
  ,! "Y 9V5TOR AT T MO;T ( P]IL1 KNEW NO
M :AT 6D 6AV]T 4A/] ?AN ,N$ ,NEWTON HMF4
  ,X FLA%$ ACR 8 M9D1 H["E1 T O!RS 2S
!MVS 7 9 P]IL 2C ( ? A3ID5T4 ,! FA/
EXPRESS F ! ,EA/ T %D PASS ,HALF ,WAY AT
F\R-?IRTE51 MI<T ALR 2 CLIMB+ ! HILL F
,HAMMON4 ,HAMMON1 AT ! FOOT (! GRADE1 0
TW5TY-FIVE MILES AWAY4 ,NOR 0 ! TRACK
/RAI<T4
  ,IF ! OP]ATOR AT ,HALF ,WAY DID N SEE
! RUNAWAY LOCOMOTIVE & TELEPH"O ! DANG]
6! FOOT (! GRADE1 :5 ! ,H]CULES #JJJA
CAME TE>+ D[N ! TRACK X MI<T RAM "S?+ 9
! ,HAMMON Y>D1 IF X DID N ACTU,Y COLLIDE
)! APPROA*+ WE/B.D EXPRESS4
  ,S* AN EM]G5CY Z ? IS LIKELY EI 6NUMB
! BRA9S ( ^? 5TANGL$ 9 ! P]IL OR EXCITE
!M 69CR1S$ ACTIV;Y4 ,N$ ,NEWTON 0
APP>5TLY /UNN$ 0! CATA/ROPHE4 ,TOM'S
BRA9 N"E "W$ M CLE>LY4
  ,HE SEIZ$ ! SIR5 L"E & SET X AT FULL1
S T ! BLA/ CALL$ UP 3T9U\S E*OES 9 ! =E/
Z ! LOCOMOTIVE PLUNG$ D[N ! 9CL9E4 ,HE
RAN 6! DOOR AG1 ON ! SIDE ": ,HALF ,WAY
/,N LAY1 & HUNG \ 6SIGNAL ! OP]ATOR :O
_H S REC5TLY GIV5 HM "R ( WAY ON ? /RET*
( M.TA9 ROAD4
  8,WE'RE GO+ 6SMA%6 ,WE'RE GO+ 6SMA%60
GROAN$ ,N$ ,NEWTON4
  ,TOM R1D ^! ^WS ON 8 *UM'S LIPS1 R ?AN
HE>D !M1 =! RO> (! DESC5D+ LOCOMOTIVE
DR[N$ E O!R S.D4 ,TOM WAV$ AN 5C\RAG+
H&1 B DID N REPLY AUDIBLY4
  ,M1N:ILE 8 BRA9 0 "W+ Z FA/ Z "E X _H4
,HE _H 9/ANTLY -PREH5D$ ALL ! DANG] (!
SITU,N4 ,B 9 A4I;N HE APPRECIAT$ ! FACT
T S* AN A3ID5T Z ? MI<T HAPP5 AT ANY "T
6? OR ANY O!R LOCOMOTIVE HE MI<T BUILD4
  ,AUTOMATIC BRAKES 7 ALL "R4 ,IF "! _H
BE5 A GD DRAG ( C>S 2H ! ,H]CULES #JJJA1
ON : ! -PRESS$ AIR BRAKES MI<T H BE5
SET1 ! PRES5T MANIFE/ P]IL MI<T H BE5
OBLIT]AT$4 ,! BRAKES ON ! C>S WD H /OPP$
! :OLE TRA94
  ,B 6HALT ? HUGE MON/] :5 AL"O1 ON !
GRADE1 0 ANO!R MATT]4 ,ONCE ! LOCOMOTIVE
BRAKE L"E 0 JAMM$1 Z 9 ? CASE1 "! 0 NO
HELP =! HUGE MA*9E4 ,X _H 6RIDE 6! FOOT
(! GRADE--IF X DID N *.E 6HIT "S?+ ON !
WAY6
  ,&) ? R1LIZ,N ( BO? ! IMM95T P]IL &!
NE$ ( AV]T+ X1 6,TOM'S ACTIVE BRA9 CAME
! G]M ( AN IDEA T HE DET]M9$ 6PUT 96=CE1
IF HE LIV$ "? ? A3ID5T1 ON EA* & E
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE T HE MI<T 9 ! FUTURE
BUILD4
  ,? MON/]1 FLY+ FA/] & FA/] D[N ! M.TA9
SIDE1 0 A M5ACE 6"EY?+ 9 XS TRACK4 ,"!
MI<T 2 ALM ANY?+ 9 ! WAY ( ROLL+ /OCK ON
! SEC;N 2T ,HALF ,WAY & ,HAMMON AT !
FOOT (! GRADE4 ,IF ? ?"UBOLT ( WOOD &
/EEL COLLID$ ) ANY O!R TRA91 )! =CE &
WEI<T GA!R$ 0XS PLUNGE D[N ! M.TA91 X WD
DRIVE "? S* OB/RUC;N L A PROJECTILE F
,TOM'S [N BIG CANNON4
  ,TOM R1LIZ$ ? FACT4 ,HE KNEW T :AT"E
OBJECT ! ,H]CULES #JJJA MI<T /RIKE1 T
OBJECT WD 2 %ATT]$ & SCATT]$ ALL AB ! "R
( WAY4 ,:AT MI<T HAPP5 6! RUNAWAY 0
ANO!R MATT]4 ,B ! 9V5TOR 2LIEV$ T !
ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE WD 2 LESS 9JUR$ ?AN
ANY?+ ) : X CAME 96COLLI.N4
  ,AT ANY RATE1 ?"\ (! P]IL 6HMF & 8
9V5;N _H SECOND>Y 3SID],N 9 ,TOM
,SWIFT'S M9D4 ,X 0 :AT ! MON/] : HE CD N
3TROL MI<T D 6O!R ROLL+ /OCK (! ,H4 &
,P4 ,A4 T RASP$ ! "Y FELL['S M9D4
  ,! GRADE ABV ,HALF ,WAY _H FEW CURVES4
,TOM SOON CAU<T !
F/ GLIMPSE (! /,N4 ,WD ! OP]ATOR HE> !
RO> (! DESC5D+ RUNAWAY & "U/& :AT _H
HAPP5$8
  ,HE L1N$ F> \ F ! OP5 DOORWAY & WAV$ 8
CAP MADLY4 ,HE 2GAN 6%\T A W>N+1 AL? HE
SAW N A S\L AB ! /,N & KNEW V WELL T 8
VOICE 0 -PLETELY DR[N$ 0! VOICE (! SIR5
&! DRUMM+ (! GRT :EELS4
  ,SU45LY ! T\SL$ H1D (! OP]ATOR POPP$ \
( 8 W9D[4 ,HE SAW ! -+ LOCOMOTIVE1 !
DRIV]S SMOK+6
  ,6BE A GD RAILROAD MAN "O HAS 6H 8
WITS AB HM4 ,6BE A GD OP]ATOR AT A
BACKWOODS /,N "O HAS 6H TWO SETS ( WITS
--"O SET 6TELL :AT 6D 9 AN EM]G5CY1 !
O!R 6LI/5 & APPREH5D ! VOICE (! S.D]4
  ,? ,HALF ,WAY MAN 0 GD4 ,HE KNEW BETT]
?AN 6TRY ! TELEGRAPH 9/RU;T4 ,HE GRA2$ !
TELEPH"O RCVR & JI7L$ ! HOOK UP & D[N ON
! /&>D :ILE ! ,H]CULES #JJJA RO>$ PA/ !
/,N4
  ,X DID N NE$ ,TOM'S FRANTIC,Y WAV+ CAP
6W>N HM :AT _H HAPP5$4 ,& HE REMEMB]$
CLE>LY ! FACT (! EXPECT$ WE/B.D FLY]4
  8,HAMMON8 ,GET ME8 ,? IS ,HALF ,WAY4
,T D]N$ ELECTRIC HOG HAS SPRUNG "S?+ &
IS -+ D[N1 LICK;Y-SPLIT6
  8,YES6 ,CLE> YR Y>D6 ,":'S ,NUMB]
,TW5TY-EI<T8 ,GD6 ,SIDE H]1 OR %E'LL 2
DIT*$4 ,GET ME80
  ,! VOICE AT ! O!R 5D (! WIRE EXPLOD$
969DIGNANT VITUP],N4 ,!N SIL;E4 ,! ,HALF
,WAY OP]ATOR _H D"O 8 BE/--HIS ALL4 ,HE
RAN \ ^U ! PLAT=M4 ,! ELECTRIC
LOCOMOTIVE _H 4APPE>$ 2H ! WOODS1 B !
RO> ( XS :EELS &! %RILL VOICE ( XS SIR5
E*O$ BACK AL;G ! L9E4
  ,! S.D FAD$ 969SIGNIFIC.E4 ,! OP]ATOR
W5T BACK 96HIS HUT & /AY$ CLOSE 0!
TELEPH"O 9/RU;T =! NEXT T5 M9UTES 6LE>N
! WOR/4
  ,IF ! OP]ATOR'S N]VES 7 T5SE1 :AT AB
^? ( ,TOM ,SWIFT & 8 *UM8 ,N$ /A7]$ 6!
DOOR & CLUNG 6,TOM'S >M4 ,HE %RILL$ 96!
LATT]'S E>3
  8,% WE JUMP80
  8,I DON'T SEE ANY S(T SPOTS10 RETURN$
,TOM1 GRIMLY4 8,"! >5'T ANY LIFE NETS
AL;G ? L9E40
  ,N$ ,NEWTON 0 F"R5$1 &) GD R1SON4 ,B
IF 8 *UM 0 EQU,Y T]RIFI$ HE DID N %[ X4
,HE 3T9U$ 6L1N F ! OP5 DOOR 6PE] D[N !
GRADE Z ! ,H]CULES #JJJA DROVE ON4
  ,>.D CURVE AF CURVE !Y FLEW4 ,X 5T]$
,N$'S TORTUR$ M9D T IF 8 *UM _H WANT$
SPE$1 HE 0 GETT+ X N[6 ,HE R1LIZ$ T TWO
MILES A M9UTE 0 A M]E BAGATELLE 6! PACE
N[ A3OMPLI%$ 0! RUNAWAY LOCOMOTIVE4






















