The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-09-22
JOCKEY TODD.

Jockey Todd was -afways sent with his
pair of bays on the perilous journey Of the
torpedo-man. He was in the employ of a
torpedo company, and IT was his business to
take the nitro-glycerine to the oil well, pour
the fluid into the long cylindrical shell. lower
1t to the rock, and drop upon the cap the
weight that would release the EXPLOSIVE to
rend the petroleum stratum.
One day OF the Custer road he gave the
whip. They broke into wild run, and
the Obstetrics have vivid memory ofJockey
TOdd's dash through the town. He came
down the main street like whirlwind, and
they held their breath, waiting for the ex.
plosion. As he rushed upon them they lived an
aea. But Jockey Todd sat ON the box as
carelessly as If he were winning race in a
walk. In the post-ofiice door stood a girl Of
! twenty She had run out of the street to
avoid the team. She had hardly time to
turn around before the bays shot past, yet
her quick eyes noted the calmness of the man
| at the lines. "Ohi' she cried, "the Sandyi'
The Sandy was only a small mountain
stream that flowed into small Tuna, hut
the bridge had been torn up for repairs. The
plunge into that narrow ditch would be fatal
beyond doubt to the driver, and he did not
seem to know about it.
The spectators, fascinated, could not flee.
| Their hearts beat hard and their eyes pro-
jected as they looked for the explosion. The
bays cleared the ditch, and the wagon dived
into it. The Obstetrics could not believe
their eyes, for there on the ground stood the
driver, unframed, and away down the road,
with the wagon tongue humping on the
ground between them, the bays were running
at full speed toward Hartford.
Every spectator shouted and ran to the
bridge. Leana Jervis went with hecrowd, and
when she saw Jockey Todd coolly answering
questions she fell in love with him. Noticing
her he remembered that he had seen her in the
post-offce door, and he smiled as he realized
her frightened look. Meeting his gaze she
blushed and his smile quickly gave place to
a scowl. Daring always he strobe to where
she stood and asked in a harsh tone:
'Did you think to see a man in bits, blowed
by the glycer'n?''
mo; / come hopin' to see him clear the
ditch as easy as he come to it.
81 ask your pardon. My name is Todd
Hiram Todd"
"And mine is Leona Jervis; I live there"
pointing to house on the hill above the
Tuna.
quaintance of Jockey Todd and Leona Jeryis
ripened into mutual affection.
Some days after this Jockey Todd pulled
up the bays as be was passing Leona's home.
She was getting breakfast for her brother
Grip.
When Jockey Todd was leaving ,Leona
threw her arms around his neck and said
7 oil fhoI
time"
81 will, Leona, will never drink again."
But that was an evasion. She chung to
him tighter and pleaded: "Oh, Hiram, /
can't let you go back to it. The terrible gly-
cerine will surely take your life some day if
death all the time. Why never hear an ex-
plosion, if it ID only an. empty can, without
iumpin'. My heart just stands still while l
wonder if its you or-or-"
And she stammered into silence, hiding her
face on his shoulder He filed out the SEN
tence, whispering in her ear-"Or Grip"
Her face pressed his shoulder in assent.
Grip was a moonlighter-one who had tor
pedoed oil wells in the night at the risk of
arrest and imprisonment. The torpedo COM
pany for which Jockey Todd worked had
patent emitting them to the exclusive right
of torpedoing oil wells, 30 that all persons
engaged in clandestine operation with the
law. Such persons were called moonlighters.
Grip Jervis had long been suspected by the
torpedo company, and detectives had been
employed to watch him, but he was cunning,
and had never been caught. Leona's admis-
sion to Jockey Todd was the first reliable
evidence obtained by any one in the compa-
nys employ that Grip was actually moon
lighter.
Jockey Todd loosed her arms and jerked
open the door. Leona's face blanched.
you're not goin' to tell on Grip, are you?
He carries pistol and would kill you"
81 amt goin' to do nothin' now. I'lshoot
this well, and think things over on the way
back. III most likely give it up
"Oh, Pm so gladl' Leona exclaimed for
getful of her brother in the JOY of having a
half promise from her lover that he would
abandon his dangerous business.
'Tisn't because I'm afraid of gettin' killed.
When a feIler's got to die he'll do it, no
matter what his business is. Neither me nor
Grips goin to get hurt till our time comes.
No; it's because I'm regular and Grips q
moonlghter that Pm bothered. I'm mixed be-
tween duty and love. Say, Leona, what did
you tell me for?"
Il didn't quite tell you. You guessed it,
and couldn't ie."
"Well, kiss me good-by, and wen fix things
up somehow"
She watched him drive up a small hill in the
road. The shadowy appearance of the team
and driver in the fog when they reached the
top of the rise almost made her cry out in
anguish. With superstitious foreboding she
returned 10 the house.
Jockey Todd drove slowly; there was tur
moil in his mind. He possessed a sense of
honor, and it troubled him to be deceiving
those whom he served He felt that if be
withheld from the company the evidence that
Grip was mOonlighter he would be treating
them unfairly. He was very glad when he
pha1f ho oil hot b<h ol
pedo. The exciting task that he was about
to perform would for the time divert his
thoughts. He stopped the horses a short
distance from the derrick, and jumped to the
ground. Then he opened the box to get the
giycerine There was none therel The box
was empty, yet he himself had seen the cans
placed there at the factory before he started. |
He shut the lid with slam.
ut was mean, durn mean, of Grip Jervis to |
steal my stuff while l was in his house court
ing his sister,
He put his foot on hub of wheel, and, |
leaning an elbow Cd his knee, became Thought |
fal. He could not b back to the factory |
and declare that the x had not been filled,
for he had signed tn Aeipt, aud it was al |
ready filed as you, y for the quantity he |
had taken. If he reported to the company
that he had lost the glycerine he might be |
accused of conniving with the moonlighters. |
At last he saw way out of his difficulty. |
featured glycerine, and whose trade was |
largely with the moonlghters, jockey Todd |
received to go to him and try to buy enough |
OF the explosive to ''shoot" the well. He hid |
the shell under some bushes and drove to the |
factory, where he succeeded in purchasing |
the amount of glycerine he needed. He also !
bought q shell.
When he returned to the we'll curiosity led |
him to look under the bushes where he had |
secreted the other she'll 1t was gone
Grip is tryin' me mighty hard" he NUT
tered, as ne swung a can OF glycerine care
lessly from the box,
1t was not long until the torpedo was at |
the bottom of the deep well, and then Jockey |
Todd picked up the three-cornered weight. |
"I'd like to drop this on Grips head,' he
said between his clenched teeth. as he stood
over the casing through which the oil was
soon to spout
'Now gitl'' he said to the men employed
on the lease, who were standingin the derrick.
They fed, and he dropped the goodwill" in
to the casing. He heard it strike the petro-
leum, and a second later sound like the
swapping of u percussion-cap reached him.
Then he ran from the derrick floor. He was
only few paces from it when column of oil
shot over the top of the derrick.
He was aiways proud of a. successful shot