In the round-house he found the switch-engine crew on duty, waiting
for steam in the boiler. The withdrawal of both locomotives, brief as
had been their absence, had caused a glut of logs at the Laguna
Grande landings, and Sexton was catching up with the traffic by
sending the switch-engine crew out for one train-load, even though it
was Sunday. The crew had been used to receiving orders from Rondeau,
and moreover they were not aware of his recent action; hence at his
command they ran the switch-engine out of the roundhouse, coupled up
the two flat-cars and the wrecking-car, and backed down to the
crossing. Upon arrival, Jules Rondeau leaned out of the cab window
and hailed Bryce. "M'sieur," he said, "do not bozzer to make zee
derrick. I have here zee wrecking-car--all you need; pretty soon we
lift him off zee crossing, I tell you, eh, M'sieur Cardigan?"
Bryce stepped over to the switch-engine and looked up at his late
enemy. "By whose orders is this train here?" he queried.
"Mine," Rondeau answered. "M'sieur Sexton I have tie like one leetle
pig and lock her in her office. I work now for M'sieur."
And he did. He waited not for a confirmation from his new master but
proceeded to direct operations like the born driver and leader of men
that he was.
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