Спрут: Калифорнийская история
Chapter V.
Theyhadseenhismanoeuvre,andthefirstshotofthefightshiveredthecabwindowsabovetheengineer’shead.
Butspinningfutilelyatfirst,thedriversoftheengineatlastcaughttherails.Theenginemoved,advanced,travelledpastthedepotandthefreighttrain,andgatheringspeed,rolledoutonthetrackbeyond.Smoke,blackandboiling,shotskywardfromthestack;notajointthatdidnotshudderwiththemightystrainofthesteam;butthegreatironbrute—oneofBaldwin’snewestandbest—cametocall,obedientanddocileassoonaseverthegreatpulsingheartofitfeltamasterhanduponitslevers.Itgathereditsspeed,bracingitssteelmuscles,itsthewsofiron,androaredoutupontheopentrack,fillingtheairwiththeraspofitstempest-breath,blottingthesunshinewiththebelchofitshot,thicksmoke.Alreadyitwaslesseninginthedistance,whenDelaney,Christian,andthesheriffofVisaliadasheduptothestation.
Thepossehadseeneverything.
“Stuck.Cursetheluck!”vociferatedthecow-Puncher.
Butthesheriffwasalreadyoutofthesaddleandintothetelegraphoffice.
“There’saderailingswitchbetweenhereandPixley,isn’tthere?”hecried.
“Yes.”
“Wireaheadtoopenit.We’llderailhimthere.Comeon;”heturnedtoDelaneyandtheothers.Theysprangintothecabofthelocomotivethatwasattachedtothefreighttrain.
“NameoftheStateofCalifornia,”shoutedthesherifftothebewilderedengineer.“Cutofffromyourtrain.”
Thesheriffwasamantobeobeyedwithouthesitating.
