The Argo Goes West

7, Giant boar hunting in Calydon, part 4

A new locomotive was being built at a rapid pace at the Baldwin Locomotive Works's factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the high ceiling floor, the sound of hammers echoed, and the smell of welding and workers' sweat wafted. Cooper a factory manaeger explained the progress of the work to Vice President Theodore Roosevelt.

"As you can see, it's a rush construction. We work 24 hours a day in two teams."

Roosevelt nodded approvingly. "Very good. But don't cut corners. Pay your workers a lot of money."

Roosevelt said this because he had heard from his secretary, Miss Craig, that Baldwin Locomotive Works hadn't raised workers' wages in a long time and seemed to be getting frustrated.

Wiping the sweat on the back of his neck with a handkerchief, Cooper replied, "Yes. Of course. I was thinking of a special allowance."

Only locomotives were built here. The passenger cars were ordered from Pullman Company, and the freight cars from the recently established American Car and Foundry Company.

The train consisted of 15 cars and was named Argo after the ship that went on an expedition in search of the Golden Fleece in Greek mythology.

It may have been inspired by the locomotive Jupiter when the transcontinental railroad opened in 1869.

Roosevelt looked at the locomotive parts being built (engines, bogies, etc.) and imagined Argo running gallantly. The Argo, with white steam like a mane and its high-pitched steam whistle, heads westward across the wasteland. Roosevelt couldn't wait to finish the Argo.

Gunshots were heard from upwind. The people who defected earlier must be fighting the wild boar. But the gunshots soon stopped, followed by a long wailing scream.

The Englishman slowly rose to his feet after finishing his tea. Then, in a quiet voice, he said, "It's coming." While the black boy briskly put away the tea utensils, the Englishman loaded a large-caliber bullet into his elephant gun.

Bonnie and the others began to prepare. They tied the horses to bushes to keep them from running away in fear, and kept their guns ready to fire. The man with round glasses took out a dynamite tube from his rucksack instead of a gun. He held it in both hands and held a lit cigar in his mouth.

Everyone rolled their eyes and stared upwind. The first thing they saw was dust smoke. Suddenly their bodies began to tremble. It wasn't a shudder. The ground was shaking under my feet.

"Earthquake?"

Slim answered Bonnie's question. "A giant boar is shaking the ground."

"Oh no!"

"Gentlemen," said the Englishman. "Alas, excuse me (nods to Bonnie) Ladies and Gentlemen, here comes our game."

A gigantic wild boar emerged from the dust. It was even bigger than Bonnie imagined. It was well over fifty feet and looked like a mountain. Its eyes were bloodshot, its protruding nose was steaming white. It had a toned body like a buffalo covered with a mop of hair. The two fangs protruding from the lower mouth were stained red with the blood of the hunters it had just preyed upon.

Bonnie's hands trembled with fear. Seeing that, Slim encouraged me to calm down. Bonnie wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, but her legs were shaking and she couldn't move. The bitter taste of adrenaline slowly spread in her mouth.

"Are you okay?" Slim asked worriedly.

"I'm not okay. I'm scared. I'm so scared."

Bonnie wondered if Slim would look at her with pity. But Slim didn't. "I'm scared too. I've been hunting a lot. You should hide."

"But.."

"I don't want you to die"

"Okay," Bonnie decided to follow Slim's suggestion. "Hey Slim"

"What?"

"I don't want you to die either."

"I'm not going to die," Slim winked mischievously.

The Englishman bravely stepped forward and raised his elephant gun. "It's a hunter's pleasure to meet such a big game. Come on!"

The Englishman set his sights on the gigantic boar's eyebrows. But he didn't shoot right away. But he didn't shoot right away. To increase the power of the shot and prolong the thrill, he shot as close as possible.

The bullet hit the gigantic boar between the eyebrows. However, the thick skin weakened the power, and it did not move. Instead of slowing down, the gigantic boar accelerated in anger.

"This is bad"

A gambler felt danger and ran away. The other hunters fled, but the Englishman remained unmoved and shot the boar in rapid succession.

A huge mass of wind, a combination of wild boars and dust clouds, passed right next to Bonnie. She heard the rumble footsteps of monsters and the screams of many. It was the death throes of hunters who failed to escape from the wild boar's rush.

"Slim! Slim!"

Bonnie yelled as she soothed her horse as it panicked and lifted its paws.

"Slim!!!"