Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-23
JOCKEY TODD, TORPEDO-MAN.


jockey Todd was always sent with his pair of
bays on the perilous journey OF the torpedo-man.
lie was In the employ OF torpedo company, and
u was his business 10 take the nitro-glycerne 10
the OIL well, pour the fluid into the long cyIin-
1rical shell. lower it 70 the rock, and drop upon
The cap the weight that would release the explo-
siye 20 rend the petroleum stratum
one day on the custer road he gave the BAYS the
whip. They broke into a Wild run, and the Custer
ties have a vivid memory OF Jockey Todds dash
through the town. He came down the main street
ike a whirwind. and they held their BREATH wait
Ing for the explosion. As he rushed upon them
they lived an age. But Jockey Todd sat on the
box as carelessly as II he were winning race In a
walk In the pOst-Ofice door stood q 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 noted
the calnnes5 OF the man at the lines. "OhT she
crled "the sandyr'
The sandy was only a small mountain stream
that flowed into the Tuna, but 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 IL.
The spectators, fascinated, could not Zee. Their
hearts beat hard and their eyes projected as they
looked for the explosion The bays cleared the
could not believe their eyes, for there on the
ground stood the driver. unframed, and away
down the road, with the wagon tongue humping
ming at full speed toward Hartford.
Every spectator shouted and ran TO the bridge.
Leoha Jeryis Wsnt Win the crowd anu wnTs shs
tell IN love with him. Noticing her he remem-
bered that he had seen her In the post-OIlce door,
and he smiled as Ne realized her frightened look.
MstIing his gaze she Dlushed, and his smile
quickly gave place 20 q scOwL Daring always ne
strOoe TO where she stood and asked In harsh
.Did you think TO see a man in bits bowed
every direction by the glycer'n?"
mo; come hOpin 70 see him clear the ditch as
easy as he come 10 IL"
II ask your PARDON. MY name IS Todd-Hir am
Todd"
"And mine "a Leona Jervis; / lire there point.
ing 10 a house on the hill above the Tuna.
From that impulsiye beginning the acquaintance
OF Jockey Todd and LeOna Jervis ripened into q
mutual Affection
some days after this Jockey Todd pulled up the
bays as he 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 give it up, Hiram;
i am 20 frIid all the time"
Il Will, Leona; I Will never drink again" ~
But that was an evasion. Sle chung TO him
tighter AID pleaded: "oh, Hiram, can't let you
20 back 70 IL The terrible glycertne Will surely
take your life some day n you keep handlin' IL,
and I'm worried TO death all the tine. Why I
never hear explosion II IL Is only empty can,
without jumpin'. Ny heart Just stands stiIl while
i wonder II It's you Or-or-'
And she stAmmered into silence hiding her face
on hts shoulder lie filed out the sentence, whis-
pering In her ear-''OT Grip"
Her face pressed his shoulder In assent
wells in the night at the risk OF arrest and i'm
prsOnment The torpedo company for whca
Jockey Todd worked had a patent emitting them
TO the exclusive right OF tOrpedOtng Oil wells, so
that all persons engaged In clandestine operations
with the torpedo at the well were In dang OF the
law. Such persons were called mOOnliy enters.
Grip JsryIs had long been suspected by the tor
pedO company, and detectives had been employed
10 watch HIN, but he was cunning, and had never
been caught. LeOnA'S admission TO Jockey Todd
was the nTst reliable evidence obtained by any
one In the company's employ that Grip was
Jockey Todd lOosed her arms and jerked open
the door. LeOnA's lace Dlanched.
"lOu're not gOih' TO tell on Grip. are you? He
carries a pistol, anu would Kill you"
81 amt gOin' 20 do noJhin' now. I'll shoot this
well, anu think things over on the way back. I'll
ION, I'm so gladv' Leona exclaimed, r0rgetful OF
her brother Ia the Joy OF having a htlI-promiSe
from her lover that he would abandon his danger
Gus business
"'TisnT because I'm afraid of gettln' killed
When a Ieller's got TO die hell do IL, no matter
what his business Is Neither me nor Grips goin'
20 get hurt III our time comes No; It's because
I'm regular aad Grips a mOOnlighter that Pm
Leon a. wnai did you Tell me fOr?"
Il dldnt quite tell you You guessed IL, and
"WeI- KISS me good-by, and Wen TX things up
she watched him drive up a small hill in the
road The shadOwy appearance OF the team and
driver Ia the 10y when they reached the top Of
the rise almost made her cry OUT In anguish. With
superstitOus fOreuOding she returned 10 the house.
his mlnd. lie Possessed a sense OF honor and 1t
troubled him 10 Ue deceiy1ng those whom he served
lie felt thai II he withheld IRON the company the
evidence that Grip Was a mOOnli ,hter he would be
treating them unfairly. lie Was very glad wnen
he reached the oil well that he had come TO tor
pedo. The excltlng task that he was about 10 per-
form would IOr the time divert his thoughts He
stopped the nOrseS 4 short distance from the der
ricS, and Jumped TO the ground Then be opened
the box to get the glycerlne- There was none
III re! The oOx was empty. yet he himself had
seen the cans placed there at the factory before
he started lie shut the lid with a SLAM
at Was mean, duTn mean, OF Grip Jeryis 10 steal
NY stun while was N MS house courtins his
sister"
lie put his foot on a hub OF a wheel and leaning
an ei Ow on hls Knee, became thoughtful He could
not 20 back TO the factory and declare that the
box had no. been nIled Tor ne had sig Led the re-
cepJ, and It Was a ready fled a voucher Tor the
Quantity be hal taken. Ii he reported TO the COM
pany that be mad lost tue gIycerine he might Oe
accused OF cOuniylls with tie IaOOnlighters. AT
last he SAW way out OF his difficulty. b ing on
good terms with a man VINO manufactured glyce-
zine, ana whose trade Was largely with the moon
lighters, Jockey Iodd resolved 10 20 10 him and
try 20 buy enough OF the explosive 70 ..snOOt" the
well lie hid the shell under some bushes and
drove 70 the factory. wnere he succeeded In pur-
Chasing the amount OF glycerine he needed He
also UOI-hS a shell
When be returned TO the well curios ~ led him
TO IOOS under the bushes where LIE had secreIed
the other she'll IL Was gone.
'Grp IS tryin' me mignty hard, he muttered
as he s"ung can OF glycerine eareiessly from the
II was not long until the torpedo was at the bot
tom OF the uccp We'll, duu tnen Jockey picked
w the three-coTnered weight. I'D like 10 drop
this on Grips head" he said, between his clenched
teeth as De STOOD over the casing through which
the Oll was soon 10 spout
'SOw gu" he SAID 10 the men employed on the
lease. who were standing In the derrick They ed,
AID he dropped he '-gO-devil' into the Casing He
b ard 1t strike the petroleum, and second later a
sound Ike the swapping OF percussiOn-cap
reached hun Then he ran from the der lex door.
He WAS only few PAGES from II when a column OF
oil shot over the top OF the derrick.
He vas always proud OF a successful shot and a
quick response on the part OF The well, but this
time his pleasure was mOmentary. As he turned
TO IOOA al he nOw, something flashed In the suns
hight lie shut his eyes QUICKLY, but not soon
enough 10 avoid seeing GTlD Jervls lying under
some lOw-aangiug bushes, and UeSide MIN the
she'll j Ckey Todd had brought u the well that
morning He became angry, and pumped on tue
box, forgetting his reel lie took up the lines AID
spoke 10 tie bays. They started on at RAPID
was soft and muddy, and there were many d-ep
Tuts. Into one OF these a front wheel sank aud ne
went out Oh nis shoulder Into a puddle. Tue horse.
raR on, passed the Jeryis home. and dashed into
Hartford.
LeoaI saw them and the empty wagon, and her
heart stood still AT last IL had cOuIa, and Grtu
would soon return with the news OF Hiran's deaf n.
She stationed herself at u window from which she
could see Up the road A great weight OF dread
oppressed her, and there was = lump In her throat
but sue did hot weep She had alwi avs pnded her
self that she not '.One OF the crytn' Kind
Presently she uttered glad exclamation She "a "
Jockey Todd on the top VI tue little hill, lie was
walking along rapidly, and she knew al once that
Be vas angry. But she did not mind that, and Tan
10 meet him
'Oh! I'm 50 glad you're not hurt!- she said run.
TfFalTl INF he Ini = n ha mn Nv r0aA