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Pitt set aside the teacup "Then my search ends here"

"No, Mr Pitt," said Le Mat, "not here" Pitt looked at hi toward the deck "The Empress of Ireland lies beneath us" He pointed out a cabin

"There floats her marker"

Fifty feet off the port side of the boat an orange buoy rose and fell gently on the icy river, its line stretching through the dark waters to the silent wreck below

Pitt swung his rented minicar off the state thruway and entered a narrow paved road adjoining the Hudson River shortly after sunset He passed a stonea Revolutionary War site and was tes, but decided to press on to his destination before it becaht, the fields that dipped to the water's edge glistened under a late winter snowfall

He stopped for gas at a small station below the town of Coxsackie The attendant, an elderly man in faded coveralls, stayed inside the office, his feet propped on astove Pitt filled the tank and entered The attendant peered around him at the pump "Looks like twenty dollars even," he said

Pitt handed him the cash "How much further to Wacketshire?"

His eyes squinted in suspicion as they studied Pitt like probes "Wacketshire? It ain't been called that in years Fact of the matter is, the town don't exist no more"

"A ghost town in upstate New York? I'd have thought the southwest desert a more likely place"

"No joke, mister

When the railroad line was torn up back in '49, Wacketshire gave up and died Most of the buildings were burned down by vandals Nobody lives there anymore except some fella who makes statues"

"Is anything left of the old track bed?" Pitt asked

"Most of it's gone," said the oldwistful "Daed "At least we didn't have to see theh here The last train over the old line was pulled by steam"

"Perhaps steam will return someday"

"I'll never live to see it" The attendant looked at Pitt with growing respect "How come you're interested in a deserted railroad?"