It brought a yell from the railroad men crowding around, for that was Bucks's way of doing things; and the men liked Bucks and his way. The ex-captain of the dagoes tried to look cool, but in point of fact went very sheepish at his honors.
Followed by a mob, eager to see the finish, Superintendent Bucks made his way up the track along the construction train to where Aloysius and the engineer of Number Sixteen were examining the air. They found it frozen between the first and the second car. Bucks heard it all--heard the whole story. Then he turned to his clerk.
"Discharge both crews of Extra 240. Fire Johnnie Horigan."
"McGrath, run your train back to Wind River behind us. We'll scare up a conductor here somewhere; if we can't, I'll be your conductor. Make your report to Medicine Bend," Bucks added, speaking to the operator; and without further words walked back to his car.
As he turned away, the engineer of Number Sixteen slapped Aloysius on the back:
"Kid, why the blazes didn't you thank him?"
"What for? Jiminey Christmas! What for? Didn't he just make you an engineer? Didn't he just say, 'Run your train back behind us to Wind River'?"
"Sure, your train. Do you think Bucks ever says a thing like that without meaning it? You bet not."
Bucks's clerk, too, was a little uncertain about the promotion. "I suppose he's competent to run the train back, isn't he?" he asked of Bucks, suggestively.
"A man that could hold a train from Wind River here on whiskers, with nothing but a tankful of sand and a hobo fireman, wouldn't be likely to fall off the right of way running back," he returned dryly. "He's been firing for years, hasn't he? We haven't got half enough men like McGraw. Tell Neighbor to give him an engine."
Not officially; I don't pretend to say that. You might travel the West End from fresh water to salt--and we dip into both--without ever locating the Spider Water by map or by name.
But if you should happen anywhere on the West End to sit among a gang of bridge carpenters; or get to confidence with a bridge foreman; or find the springy side of a roadmaster's heart; _then_, you might hear all you wanted about the Spider Water--maybe more; anyway, full plenty, as Hailey used to say.