Danger Signals | Page 5

Miss Reynolds. I met the Kid daily, and on one of
our rambles I asked him where his sister was.
"'Out in the country.'
"'Send word to her that I am going away and want to see her, will you,
Kid?'
"'Well, yes; but Sis is funny; she's too odd for any use. I don't think
she'll come.'
"'Well, I'll go and see her.'
"'No, Sis would think you were crazy.'
"'Why? Now look here Kid, I like that sister of yours, and I want to see
her.'
"But the Kid just stopped, leaned against the nearest building, and
laughed--laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks. The next day he
brought me word that his sister had gone to Chicago to make some
sketches for the firm and hoped to come to see us after she was through.
I started for Chicago the day following, the Kid with me.
"I had little trouble in getting the Kid on with me, as my old fireman
had been promoted. I had a nice room with another plug-puller, and in a
few days I was in the old jog--except for the Kid. He refused to room
with my partner's fireman; and when I talked to him about saving

money that way, he said he wouldn't room with any one--not even me.
Then he laughed, and said he kicked so that no one could room with
him. The Kid was the butt of all the firemen on account of his size, but
he kept the cleanest engine, and was never left nor late, and seemed
more and more attached to me--and I to him.
"Things were going along slick enough when Daddy Daniels had a row
with his fireman, and our general master mechanic took the matter up.
Daniels' fireman claimed the run with me, as he was the oldest man,
and, as they had an 'oldest man' agreement, the master mechanic
ordered Smutty Kelly and the Kid changed.
"I was not in the roundhouse when the Kid was ordered to change, but
he went direct to the office and kicked, but to no purpose. Then he
came to me.
"'Jim,' said he, with tears in his eyes, 'are you satisfied with me on the
12?'
"'Why, yes, Kid. Who says I'm not?'
"'They've ordered me to change to the 17 with that horrible old ruffian
Daniels, and Smutty Kelly to go with you.'
"'They have!' says I. 'That slouch can't go out with me the first time; I'll
see the old man.'
"But the old man was mad by the time I got to him.
"'That baby-faced boy says he won't fire for anybody but you; what
have you been putting into his head?'
"'Nothing; I've treated him kindly, and he likes me and the 12--that's
the cleanest engine on the--'
"'Tut, tut, I don't care about that; I've ordered the firemen on the 12 and
17 changed--and they are going to be changed.'
"The Kid had followed me into the office, and at this point said, very

respectfully:
"'Excuse me, sir, but Mr. Wainright and I get along so nicely together.
Daniels is a bad man; so is Kelly; and neither will get along with decent
men. Why can't you--'
"'There! stop right there, young man. Now, will you go on the 17 as
ordered?'
"'Yes, if Jim Wainright runs her.'
"'No ifs about it; will you go?'
"'No, sir, I won't!'
"'You are discharged, then.'
"'That fires me, too,' said I.
"'Not at all, not at all; this is a fireman row, Jim.'
"I don't know what struck me then, but I said:
"'No one but this boy shall put a scoop of coal in the 12 or any other
engine for me; I'll take the poorest run you have, but the Kid goes with
me.'
"Talk was useless, and in the end the Kid and I quit and got our time.
"That evening the Kid came to my room and begged me to take my job
back and he would go home; but I wouldn't do it, and asked him if he
was sick of me.
"'No, Jim,' said he. 'I live in fear that something will happen to separate
us, but I don't want to be a drag on you--I think more of you than
anybody.'
"They were buying engines by the hundred on the Rio Grande and
Santa Fé and the A. & P. in those days, and the Kid and I struck out for

the West, and inside of thirty days we were at work again.
"We had been there three months, I guess, when I got orders to take a
new engine out to the front and leave her, bringing back an old one.
The last station on the road was in a box-car, thrown out beside the