Callahan thought once of the child mothered by the Sisters of Loretto in the convent at the capital, shut his eyes to that and to all things extraneous, and sent the 1010 about her business.  At the first reversed curve he hung out of his window for a backward look.  Tischer’s headlight had disappeared and his protection was gone.

On the rear platform of the private car four men watched the threatening second section fade into the night.

“Our man has thought better of it,” said the governor, marking the increased speed and the disappearance of the menacing headlight.

Guilford’s sigh of relief was almost a groan.

“My God!” he said; “it makes me cold to think what might happen if he should pull us over into the other State!”

But Halkett was still smarting from the indignities put upon him, and his comment was a vindictive threat.

“I’ll send that damned Irishman over the road for this, if it is the last thing I ever do!” he declared; and he confirmed it with an oath.

But Callahan was getting his punishment as he went along.  He had scarcely settled the 1010 into her gait for the final run against the failing water supply when another station came in sight.  It was a small cattle town, and in addition to the swinging red lights and a huge bonfire to illuminate the yards, the obstructionists had torn down the loading corral and were piling the lumber on the track.

Once again Callahan’s nerve flickered, and he shut off the steam.  But before it was too late he reflected that the barrier was meant only to scare him into stopping.  One minute later the air was full of flying splinters, and that danger was passed.  But one of the broken planks came through the cab window, missing the engineer by no more than a hand’s-breadth.  And the shower of splinters, sucked in by the whirl of the train, broke glass in the private car and sprinkled the quartet on the platform with split kindling and wreckage.

“What was that?” gasped the receiver.

Halkett pointed to the bonfire, receding like a fading star in the rearward distance.

“Our friends are beginning to throw stones, since clods won’t stop him.” he said.

Bucks shook his head.

“If that is the case, we’ll have to be doing something on our own account.  The next obstruction may derail us.”

Halkett stepped into the car and pulled the cord of the automatic air.

“No good,” he muttered.  “The Irishman bled our tank before he started.  Help me set the hand brakes, a couple of you.”

Danforth and the governor took hold of the brake wheel with him, and for a minute or two the terrible speed slackened a little.  Then some part of the disused hand-gear gave way under the three-man strain and that hope was gone.

“There’s one thing left,” said the superintendent, indomitable to the last.  “We’ll uncouple and let him drop us behind.”