The engineer passed his hand before his eyes and stared, scarce able to understand. Then his face hardened and his lips tightened.
“There must have been a freight ahead of you,” he said. “It came in just on your time.”
“We’re ten minutes late—and getting later every minute,” the conductor added, and stamped impatiently.
Just then the conductor of the freight came hurrying up. The engineer turned to him with a little sardonic laugh.
“Well, Pete,” he said, “I guess this is our last run over this road.”
The conductor’s face turned ghastly white.
“Wha-what do you mean?” he stammered.
The engineer answered with a wave of the hand toward the headlight glaring down at them.
“That’s Number Two,” he said.