The poor chap was badly hurt, having one ankle broken, besides being
bruised up generally. He said when No. 21 left Truxton, Roberts
proceeded at a snail-like pace, keeping a sharp lookout for a wash out.
He slowed almost to a standstill before going on the bridge, but
everything appearing all safe and sound he started again, remarking to
Carter, "Here's where I get the bath that Bates spoke about."

[Illustration: "See here, who is going to pull this train?"]

The engine was half way over when there came a deafening roar; the train
quivered, and--then Carter jumped. That was all he knew. It was enough,
and we sent him back with the rest of the wounded the next morning. He
is pulling a passenger train there to-day. The engine was lost in the
quicksands, and was never recovered, and Ben Roberts stayed with her to
the last. He had more than his bath in Big River that night; he had his
funeral; the river was his grave, and the engine his shroud.

CHAPTER XVIII

A PROMOTION BY FAVOR AND ITS RESULTS

I had been on the C. N. & Q. for about eight months, when my second
trick man took sick, and being advised to seek a healthier climate,
resigned and went south. Generally speaking the chief despatcher's
recommendation is enough to place a man in his office; and as I had
always believed in the rule of seniority, I wanted to appoint the third
trick man to the second trick, make the day copy operator third trick
man, and call in a new copy operator to replace the night man who would
be promoted to the day job. In fact, I had started the ball rolling
toward the accomplishment of this end, when Mr. Antwerp, the division
superintendent, defeated all my plans by peremptorily asserting his
prerogative and appointing his nephew, John Krantzer, who had been night
copy operator to the third trick. I protested with all my might, in fact
was once on the point of resigning my position but the old man wouldn't
hear of either proposition, and Krantzer secured the place. Now while
Krantzer was an excellent copy operator, he was very young, and lacked
that persistence and reliability so essential in a successful
despatcher. After I had protested until I was black in the face, I asked
Mr. Antwerp at least to put the young man on the second trick, so that
in a measure I could have him under my eye. But no, nothing but the
third trick would satisfy him, so on the third trick the rattle-brained
chap went the next night.

He struggled th