River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-04-18

over there by the mound.
Bates expressed determination to
join him. Speers requested them to
count him in. Silent relit his pipe and
said nothing.
Then the conductor lifted up his
voice and his hands in a maledictory
roar, for the substance of which the
literary-inclined reader is referred to
the third chapter of job. As he rolled
over on the grass the brakeman con-
fided to Bates that mis- position in the
employ Of the company was in no dan
ger, rs the superintendent was his
cousin. While the conductor worked
single-handed at the jackscrews with
wrathful energy the loungers on the
grass INDUCED in insulting comments.
and the baby within the car roared, if
possible. louder than ever.
wal" continued the narrator at
this iuncture, Il don't reckon / ever
heered that conductors equal. Lam
guagel An I've heered Sam Bass an
Shorty Lawhead. too. He pulled an
hauled till l lowed the next jerk would
unkink his spine, an we laid there an
grinned, an the baby kept on a.
yellin'.
"'Wal. said !. 4 don't keer how
long we stay yere, SOS that baby's
cried himself plumb out by the time we
start again. 'Druther stay year than
to ride with him an his voice"
silent didn't open his head. The
conductor had given up exhausted, an
settled back a-puffin'.
"'Wal. said he. low an stern, I'm
not going to ride with him! You can
just bet on THAR
"'Going to walkg asked Bates.
".No, I'm not. But that cursed
baby, or rather his father is. When
the train starts again he's got to stay
behind. Wen take the quiet baby to
the next station if his father wants,
but the man has got to get there with
the bowler any way he can besides rid
ing on my train.
Bates an Jim an me lowed we'd
stand by him. Silent didn't say any
thing.
Yes said the conductor, he'll
have to walk or do the next best thing.
And he wants to be quick about it to
get clear through before the moons
up and the coyotes are out
Coyotes, you know, amt exactly
unless thar's a good many
of EN-, but they're mighty unpleasant
and snappy company.
And, the conductor went on, If
he gives me two words talk, wen
mix"
That's the TALK said me an Jim
an Bates. Silent didn't say any thing.
THE sooner he starts the better for
him and us. too said the conductor
That's the idea,' said Bates.
Who'll tell him?'
None Of us stirred.
e I'll do it, sad Silent. | wasn't a
bit surprised, for never l1nowed how
to take Silent, any how
"-We'll give him a good start, and
then turn in and jack the caboose back
onto the track. said Bates, an the rest
of Us agreed.
1T wasn't two minutes till Silent an
the Notwithstanding man stood in the
open door OF the car. the bowler sorto
heralding their approach by his yells.
The bowler was in Silents arms. an
the yellow-faccd man looked discOur-
ageder and depressedera more stOop-
than ever. Before they
could speak. the conductor busted out:
Here. Why don't YOU throttle that cub
say? Why don't he be as quiet as
the other?'
The other baby's deadr said ST.
lent. sOlcmnly
Then the apologize man. with the
dead child i'm his arms. turned an went
out of sight back in the CHOOSE. look
ing more discouraged than ever. An
Silent came out with the bowler an
jiued Us. an the b4hy yelled louder
than before
Il believe that Silent spoke more then
than ever hcered h;m say before at
one time.
lizard rev NV stamps, said Silent.
jerking his head toward the car. Wife
took sick two months ago. an he ral1ed
up an he could, an sent her East TO
her fathers folks. hopin' that the old
home people an scenes would help her
Too poor TO go with her, he stayed ON
the claim trying to make home Of it
and hoping that slc wife an mother
would come back to him an the twins
well an hearty. Before she went she
made him promise that if she never
came back, an any thing happened to
either Of the babies that she was too
weak to take along with her, he'd lay
it beside her in the little yard in the
old home village
silent went on to tell how the
woman died. away from her husband
an childrcn,au' had been buried with
out their ever seeing her again After
a bit. one Of the babies had sickened
an died. an the father tried to be true
To his promise. tie was pOor-didn't
own his claim yct-and the sale of his
one mule an ole linch-pin wagon
brought only enough to buy a ticket
back 10 the ole home village. Not
even enough left to buy coffin for
the baby. an re had nothing to pay
charges on a coffin with if he'd
had one. They'd had a little bundle
OF grub. but he'd lost that
An. said Silent. they hain't had
a bite since last night. DO you won
der the baby cried?7
We didn't Didn't even stop to
wonder. Never even looked az each
other, but when the engine came back,
ten minutes later. the driver and fire
man seed the conductor an long
Jim an Ba'os an me wOrkiu'
like whitc-heads TO jack that
burned ole caboOse back onto
the track. An Silent was sittin' by,
holdia' the baby. who was hOwlin'
lOudel shan ever An the conductor
never opened his head. not even when
a jack fell over an nearly mashed his
foot out OF all likeness. When they
heerd the story. the engineer and ire
man took hold. an pretty soon Silent
dried up the baby's yells by giving it
some Of the conductors dinner. which
had dried out a little. an the discour-
aged maa tackled the rest
Pretty soon Silent an the conduct
~. sr,a- l~fsH nT mr. We fn.ra sh.rr, a,