The Argo Goes West

17, Crew on the Argo, part 1

In addition to the railroad engineer and his assistant, there was one other person on board the Argo locomotive.He's Deke Anderson, the harpooner. Stern face. Pointed chin. Reddish blond hair. An anchor tattoo on his upper arm. He should have been in the whaling cannon chamber, but it was closed and hot, and he could not stay there for very long. And he wanted someone to talk to, so when he wasn't working, he decided to stay with the locomotive.

"Have you ever met a harpooner before? Probably not. There were many in the past, but there are few now. There are still some in Northern Europe, Canada, and Japan, but few in the United States. Everyone has gone out of business. "

"Why?" asked Chester, a railroad engineer. A large nose in the middle of a square face.

"It's the oil," Deek spat. "Oil was discovered in Texas, and whale oil is no longer used. Whaling companies were forced to go out of business one after another, and I lost my job."

"I'm so sorry..." Chester didn't think it was someone else's problem. Even steam locomotives will soon be replaced by diesel locomotives with good fuel efficiency and thermal efficiency. If that happens, Chester will lose his job as well. He was pessimistic about the future.

So the landman quickly became friends with the seaman. Chester listened intently to Deek's bragging. But he thought the story of Deek being dragged underwater by a harpooned whale must be bullshit. Deek said he wasn't lying and flipped up his striped shirt to reveal his back. There were deep scars.

"The wire from the harpoon was wrapped around me and I almost had my body torn apart. I'm glad my body didn't split in half. At sea, many people cut off their fingers with fishing line. The sea is hell."

"Land, too." Chester pulled back his shirt to reveal his belly. There were painful burn scars.

"It was because of the burning coals. Surgery was difficult. The doctor cut the skin off my buttocks and thighs and patched them together."

"You had a hard time!" Deek sympathized with him, but was too scared to imagine what the operation would look like.

While the two were talking, Hugh, the engine assistant, was silently feeding the coal. Covered in soot, his face is like an innocent angel. He was thirteen years old and had just come to the USA from Ireland, relying on his uncle Chester. The boy thought that the story of the two fierce men was like a heroic tale. While in Ireland, Hugh admired the veteran miners who survived several cave-ins. He hoped one day to be a man who could speak tough boasts like them.

The third car behind the coal car was Theodore Roosevelt's office. The fourth car contained the control room and the captain's and vice-captain's quarters. Captain Harris had a hobby of cultivating roses, which is unusual for a soldier. He also brought some potted plants with him on this expedition. Some of them were bred by themselves. In particular, he was most proud of the bright red rose he named Presidio.

"Why Presidio?"

"I'm told it's because he made it when he was stationed in the Southwest."

"He has noble tastes, but what about his military skills?"

"He is a very good soldier. He has a calm personality."

"He looks nervous to me."

"I don't deny that. A pain in the ass makes him nervous."

"You're talking about the Vice President. But if the Captain and the Vice President disagree, which one will you follow?"

"I have decided to be the captain. As a soldier, subordinates must obey their superiors. It's wrong that the Vice President is--"

Clay Roberts, the vice-captain, hastily stopped talking. A tall woman opened the door and entered the dining room (the fifth car).

Miss Craig nodded to Roberts and the person he was talking to, went to the counter and ordered a Manhattan from the waiter.

"Please continue talking."

When Miss Craig said that, Roberts smiled wryly. "You know who we were talking about?"

"My boss?"

"Yes."

"I will not tell him. If you have any questions, I will answer them."

"I want to know more about you than about him. Let me introduce myself. I'm Vice-Captain Clay Roberts, and he's Doc Morton."

Doc Morton bowed respectfully to her, still holding his glass.

"Hildy Craig," Miss Craig introduced herself.

"Miss? Mrs.?" asked Roberts brazenly.

"Miss."

Manhattan was served. "It's my treat," Roberts said to the waiter, and the three toasted.

Roberts asked Miss Craig about her birthplace, her parents' occupations, the school she attended, and her past work history in a witty conversation. When he knew her favorite food, he asked the waiter if it was on the menu. The waiter went to ask the head chef, Hercule Giraud, in the back kitchen, and when he came back, he said yes.

"Then I'll reserve it for dinner tonight," he said to the waiter, then asked Miss Craig. "Will you come with me?"

"Yes, with pleasure."

Doc Morton said sarcastically after Miss Craig left the dining car. "It's a treat, it makes me laugh."

On the Argo, military uniforms served as tickets, and all food and drink were free.