Chapter 3

The Skull Train version of Hopalong and the Werewolf

Here’s the Skull Train version of the story, the way Sara Outwich remembers hearing it on her ninth birthday. And when Sara tells this story, she don’t screw it up like Hopalong does:

SARA [Sara’s made her voice girl-deep and husky, just right for story-telling]:

The moon poked thru the clouds way late on a windy night just long enough for Hopalong to see something moving in the shadows down by where Front-Chasers were camped out on the Rattler but Hopalong figured he weren’t guarding the Rattler tonight. He knew the Front-Chasers got their own guards on duty.

Then the clouds closed in and the night was darker than ever.

The clouds blew around and the moon came out. Full moon. Suddenly, a fire sprung up near the front of the train, beneath the boom that pushes the Death Trap, the flatbed car, out in front of the Rattler’s engine, where whoever’s stuck playing Evil Kinevil rides.

Hopalong saw lanterns lit and a team beating out the fire and another team with shovels running around to keep the fire from spreading. But when all the noise was over, all the lanterns stayed lit. All the Front-Chasers were wide awake.

Hopalong saw something moving down by the engine, just outside the arc lights lit for the Live Steam Train Club, the mechanics who work all night long to service the parts of the hundred-year-old steam locomotive that can’t be serviced while the train is moving. But Hopalong weren’t guarding the locomotive tonight. The locomotive has its own guards on duty.

The clouds blew around and the moon came out. Full moon. Suddenly, a clang and the arc lights cut off. Men scrambled out from beneath the boiler shouting in confusion.

Hopalong saw lanterns lit and a team roving down both sides of the engine while another team was peeking under the boiler. But when the arc lights came back on and all the mechanics were back at work, all the lanterns stayed lit. Everyone at the locomotive was wide awake.

Hopalong saw something moving down by the tents where the Money-Grubbers camped beside the flatbed cars but Hopalong weren’t guarding the shipping containers of food and bullets tonight. Money-Grubbers got their own guards on duty.

The clouds blew around and the moon came out. Full moon. Suddenly, an alarm rang out between the shipping containers.

Hopalong saw lanterns lit and teams patrolling the shipping containers. But when the alarms were shut off, all the lanterns stayed lit. All the Money-Grubbers were wide awake.

Hopalong saw something moving down by Wally World but Hopalong weren’t guarding the boxcars tonight. Wally World got their own guards on duty.

The clouds blew around and the moon came out. Full moon. Suddenly, the last boxcar drifted away, rolling dark and silent downhill.

Hopalong saw lanterns lit and a team running to jam a railroad tie under the wheel truck and stop it rolling. Then dozens of men and women heaved on prybars to force the boxcar back up the grade until the couplers came together and a conductor set the kick bar. But when the boxcar was back and the train set to roll again, all the lanterns stayed lit. All of Wally World were wide awake.

Boss Crew were wide awake, too, all their lanterns lit and all of them standing with a rifle or a shotgun over at the caboose.

The whole train was wide awake.

Hopalong saw something moving down by the rails. Something coming his way.

Captain Merican (what Hopalong always called Captain Anna) had given Hopalong strict orders...

SARA, speaking as CAPTAIN ANNA [clear soprano, slowly]:

... blah blah

No sleeping ... blah blah

Every night shift til Hell freezes ... blah blah

Hopalong, you know how the Rattler, the engine, the cars have guards. Back in the caboose, the Boss Crew are each better’n any guard. Each team guards their own.

But nothing happens without coal and wood to fuel the train. Hopalong, you guard the coal car! And ... blah blah

If I ever, again, catch you ... blah blah, blah.

SARA [ girl-deep and husky]:

Whatever Hopalong saw in the night was coming his way ... It looked something like a wolf. But with the wind and the shadows as the clouds passed over the full moon, nothing looked exactly right. It turned out to be a wolf busy dragging a whole shipping container behind it.

Hopalong grabbed up his rifle and was set to shoot the wolf but...

Every night this week, someone on night guard had shot at – and missed – a wolf. Which mean that nobody in the camp had gotten a whole night’s sleep all week.

Nobody on the train was sleeping, anyways, tonight. But Hopalong sure wasn’t going to add a rifle shot (and maybe no wolf to show for it) to the mix.

So, Hopalong set down his rifle and pulled out his bowie knife. He jumped in front of the wolf and said...

HOPALONG [Sara changed her voice to a bass, as deep as she could, instead of her husky story-telling voice]

Stop right there, Mister Werewolf! You run off and leave this train alone.

SARA [Back to her husky voice]

But the werewolf didn’t say anything, it just growled, and showed its teeth and crouched in front of the shipping container.

Just then a raft of clouds covered the moon entirely and the werewolf rolled around on the ground and stood up. A tall, scarred warrior woman. A were-woman. Nekkid.

She showed her teeth like a wolf and crouched, again, in front of the shipping container.