ght, in
every important office where a striker throws down his pen and grounds
his wire, one of our men will walk in and keep the ball rolling. And on
every train in transit at that time, manned by men we're not sure of,
there will be a relief crew of some sort, deadheading over the road and
ready to fall in line and keep it coming when the other fellows fall
out."

Again the superintendent nodded his approval. The trainmaster was
showing himself at his loyal best.

"That brings us down to Angels and the present, Mac. How do we stand
here?"

"That's what I'd give all my old shoes to know," said McCloskey, his
homely face emphasizing his perplexity. "They say the shopmen are
against us, and if that's so we're outnumbered here, six to one. I can't
find out anything for certain. Gridley is still away, and Dawson hasn't
got back, and nobody else knows anything about the shop force."

"You say Dawson isn't in? He didn't have more than five or six hours'
work on that wreck. What is the matter?"

"He had a bit of bad luck. He got the main line cleared early this
morning, but in shifting his train and the 'cripples' on the abandoned
spur, a culvert broke and let the big crane off. He has been all day
getting it on again, but he'll be in before dark--so Goodloe says."

"And how about Benson?" queried Lidgerwood.

"He's on 203. I caught him on the other side of Crosswater, and took the
liberty of signing your name to a wire calling him in."

"That was right. With this private-car party on our hands, we may need
every man we can depend upon. I wish Gridley were here. He could handle
the shop outfit. I'm rather surprised that he should be away. He must
have known that the volcano was about ready to spout."

"Gridley's a law to himself," said the trainmaster. "Sometimes I think
he's all right, and at other times I catch myself wondering if he
wouldn't tread on me like I was a cockroach, if I happened to be in his
way."

Having had exactly the same feeling, and quite without reason,
Lidgerwood generously defended the absent master-mechanic.

"That is prejudice, Mac, and you mustn't give it room. Gridley's all
right. We mustn't forget that his department, thus far, is the only one
that hasn't given us trouble and doesn't seem likely to give us trouble.
I wish I could say as much for the force here in the Crows' Nest."

"With a single exception, you can--to-day," said McCloskey quickly.
"I've cleaned house. There is only