"For several years I had only one man to help me. During the first month I did all the day work, but after that we changed about, and I frequently took the nightshift. My partner came down from C—— on the six-o'clock train in the morning or evening as the case might be; but as these trains were frequently two or three hours late, I often had to send Hector home for my meals. I would tie a note to his collar, and he would carry it to the house in a very few minutes. Wife would then put up my lunch for me and tie it to his collar. He never failed but once in bringing it to me safely. Then the basket came loose and fell in the dirt; but Hector took the basket in his mouth and carried it back to the house to be replenished.
"Being away from home from twelve to fourteen hours each day, no duties to speak of, and only Hector for a companion, the time passed slowly enough. Trains made no regular stop here, and when by some unusual chance a stray passenger wished to take the train, my red flag by day or red light at night 'hauled up' the desired train.
"One stormy evening when I was on the night shift I sat in my little den of an office listening to the clicking of the telegraph instruments, as the usual business passed to and fro on the wires—business in which I took no active part. Hector lay behind the stove as you see him now, entirely oblivious of the gale that rattled the windows and went shrieking and howling through the upper gorge.
"For once my little office seemed cheerful, when compared with the raging storm on the outside, and I had just settled myself before the fire to enjoy my book when I heard the instruments calling. Answering at once, I took my pen and copied the following message:
"'To operator at Springdale.—Special left A—— at 7.30, and by mistake No. 12 left C—— at 7.45: both due at Springdale at 9.15. Be very sure to stop them if possible!—Hobbs, Despatcher.'
"No. 12 was a through freight that never stopped at Springdale, and the special contained some of the officers and stock-holders of the road, with their families, returning from a pleasure trip. I had been watching the progress of the special, as its orders had been flashed along the wires, and knew that it was running at the rate of nearly a mile a minute.
"I glanced at the clock. It was already just nine o'clock. Only about ten minutes left in which to act. My only chance lay in hanging out my red light for the special, and then running in the direction of the freight, as that was coming down grade and would be hard to stop. Still, I knew that the engineer of the special could not see my signal until he rounded the curve, and having no orders to stop, he might disregard it altogether.
"I FASTENED ONE OF THE LANTERNS TO HIS COLLAR.
Drawn by C. A. Bostrom, Winner of Third Prize in Drawing Competition.
"Luckily, I had several red lanterns, and they were soon lighted. Hanging up two as signals for the special, I took two more, one in each hand, and started up the grade. But a sudden thought struck me. My home lay in the direction from which the special was coming; so I turned back and called to Hector. He came to me at once, and I fastened one of the lanterns to his collar and ordered him home. He didn't like the looks of the storm, but he started off, the lantern swinging back and forth about six inches from the ground.