aven't seen any ghosts, but I am afraid I forgot to
notify that gang working just east of here about this extra."

The conductor and engineer were both there and they smiled very audibly
at my discomfiture; in fact, it was so audible you could hear it for a
block. Bennett went over to the table, glanced at the order book and
train sheet for a minute and then said, "Oh, bosh! of course you
notified them. Here it is as big as life, 'Look out for extra east,
engine 341, leaving El Monte at 9:45 A. M.' What do you want to get such
a case of the rattles and scare us all that way for?"

I was about to depart for home to resume my sleep, and was
congratulating myself on my escape, when Bennett called me over to one
side of the room, and in a low, but very firm voice, metaphorically ran
up and down my spinal column with a rake. He asked me if I didn't know
there were other despatchers in that office besides myself; men who knew
more in a minute about the business than I did in a month; and didn't I
suppose that the order book would be verified, and the train sheet
consulted before sending out the extra? He hoped I would never show such
a case of the rattles again. That was all. Good morning. All the same I
was glad I went back to the office that morning, because I had satisfied
myself that I had not committed an unpardonable error at the outset of
my career.

_In case of doubt always take the safe side._

CHAPTER XVI

A GENERAL STRIKE--A LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER FOR A DAY

During the ensuing spring, one of those spasmodic waves of strikes
passed over the country. Some northern road that wasn't earning enough
money to pay the interest on its bonds, cut down the salaries of some of
its employees, and they went out. Then the "sympathy" idea was worked to
the full limit, and gradually other roads were tied up. We had hopes it
would escape us, but one fine day we awoke to find our road tied up good
and hard. The conductors and brakemen went first, and a few days later
they were followed by the engineers and firemen. That completed the
business and we were up against it tighter than a brick. Our men hadn't
the shadow of a grievance against the company, and were not in full
sympathy with the strike, but their obligation to their unions was too
strong for them to resist.

It placed us in a pretty bad fix because just at this time we had a yard
full of freight, a good deal of it perishable, and it was imperative
that it shoul