Атлант расправил плечи
Their Brothers’ Keepers
ItreportedthatthefarmerswhohadwaitedinthestreetsofLakewoodforsixdays,withnoplacetostoretheirwheatandnotrainstocarryit,haddemolishedthelocalcourthouse,themayor’shomeandtherailroadstation.Thenthestoriesvanishedabruptlyandthenewspaperskeptsilent,thenbegantoprintadmonitionsurgingpeoplenottobelieveunpatrioticrumors.
Whiletheflourmillsandgrainmarketsofthecountrywerescreamingoverthephonesandthetelegraphwires,sendingpleastoNewYorkanddelegationstoWashington,whilestringsoffreightcarsfromrandomcornersofthecontinentwerecrawlinglikerustycaterpillarsacrossthemapinthedirectionofMinnesota—thewheatandhopeofthecountrywerewaitingtoperishalonganemptytrack,undertheunchanginggreenlightsofsignalsthatcalledformotiontotrainsthatwerenotthere.
AtthecommunicationdesksofTaggartTranscontinental,asmallcrewkeptcallingforfreightcars,repeating,likethecrewofasinkingship,anS.O.S,thatremainedunheard.Therewerefreightcarsheldloadedformonthsintheyardsofthecompaniesownedbythefriendsofpull-peddlers,whoignoredthefranticdemandstounloadthecarsandreleasethem."Youcantellthatrailroadto—"followedbyuntransmissiblewords,wasthemessageoftheSmatherBrothersofArizonainanswertotheS.O.S.ofNewYork.
