Part 19 (1/2)
Terryville answered, and in strained silence they awaited his report.
”Yes, they are coming. I thought it was thunder.
”Here they are now,” he added an instant after.
”They're past!”
”They'll reach us! What shall we do?” gasped Saunders.
Alex turned from the table, and as the Indian Canyon operator hastily called Jakes Creek, the last station intervening, began striding up and down the room, thinking rapidly.
If they only had more battery--could make the current in the wire stronger! Immediately on the thought came remembrance of the emergency battery he had made the previous year at Watson Siding. He spun about toward the office water-cooler. But only to utter an exclamation of disappointment. This cooler was of tin--of course useless for such a purpose.
Hurriedly he began casting about for a subst.i.tute. ”Billy, think of something we can make a big battery jar of!” he cried. ”To strengthen the wire!”
”A battery? But what would we do for bluestone? I used the last yesterday!”
Alex returned to the table, and threw himself hopelessly into the chair.
At the moment the Jakes Creek operator answered his call, and received the message of warning.
”Say,” said Saunders, ”perhaps some of the other fellows on the wire have bluestone and the other stuff, and could make a battery!”
Alex uttered a shout. ”That's it!” he cried, and springing to the telegraph key, as soon as the wire closed, called Indian Canyon. ”Have you any extra battery material there?” he sent quickly.
”No. Why--”
Abruptly Alex cut him off and called Imken. He also responded in the negative. But from Terryville came a prompt ”Yes. Why--”
”Have you one of those big stoneware water-coolers there?”
”Yes, but wh--”
”Do you know how to make a battery?”
”No.”
”Well, listen--”
The instruments had suddenly failed to respond. A minute pa.s.sed, and another. Five went by, and Alex sank back in the chair in despair.
Undoubtedly the storm had broken the wire somewhere.
”Everything against us!” he declared bitterly. ”And the runaways will be down here now in fifteen or twenty minutes. What can we do?”
”I can't think of anything but throwing the west switch,” said Saunders.
”And loaded, and going at the speed they are, they'll make a mess of everything on the siding. But that's the only way I can think of stopping them.”
”If there was any way a fellow could get aboard the runaways--”
Alex broke off sharply. Would it not be possible to board the runaway train as he and Jack had boarded the engine on the day of the forest fire? Say, from a hand-car?