Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-04-11

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arouse the sleeping baby. although Il
shook up the sAllow-faced man and
popped his head against the end of the
car.
The brakeman took his feet out Of
Bates abdomen and grinned malicious
| ly at the fate that had overtalken the
conductor.
That worthy had been thrown half
way out of his revolving chair, and his
with q sounding crack. Not to tran
scribe his subsequent remarks too lit
orally. let me say that then and there,
and without the slightest ambiguity.
the conductor consigned the luck to
everlasting and torrid oblivion.
The basket that had repOsed on the
desk and containing the lunch which
he had refused to share with the
hungry but improvident brakeman.
was thrown into the open water butt
The conductors lurid remarks were
drowned by roar that eclipsed any
previous effort on the part of the baby.
The silent man examined his pipe
anxiously, and, finding that it was un-
injured. looked vastly relieved. Bates
and Speers untangled themselves.
The brakeman fshed the dinner
basket out of the waterbutt
and chuckled at its soaked con-
tents. Again the conductor spoke
disparagingly of the luck. He dragged
several great jack-screws out of the
cuddy of the caboose. while the brake
man chuckled ma1iciously at the
growls of his chief Then Bates, who
had jumped from the car to reconnoi-
ter, returned with the information that
the caboose had left the track for rea-
sons to him unknown, and all hands
but the apOlOgetic man with the twin
babies adjourned to the ground.
The brakeman threw himself fat on
the grass and volunteered the informa-
ton that they were stuck for half q
day. The engineer and fireman were
probably of the same opinion. for they
had already severed the engine from
the rest of the train and were pulling
away, presumably to rep1enish the sup
ply of water in the tender-tank, which
was not sufficient for SO long a wait.
''NO need to stay q quarter of that
time if you fellows will all take hold
and help with these jack-screws.
Come, Jim," said the conductor.
mot much!" answered the brake
man. mo jack for Jim just now, I
thank you. Do as you like, but 1 am
going to skirmish for dinner. House
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 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-
fded to Bates that his position in the
employ of the company was in no dan
ger, as the superintendent was his
cousin. While the conductor worked
single-handed at the jackscrews with
grass INDUCED in insulting comments,
and the baby within the car roared, if
possible, louder than ever.
WAL" continued the narrator at
this juncture, 81 don't reckon I ever
heered that conductors equal. Lam
guage! An I've heered Sam Bass an
Shorty Lawhead, too. He pulled an
hauled till lowed the next jerk would
unkink his spine, an we laid there an
grinned, an the baby kept on a.
yellin'.
50 ~ r&SI \
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"
''Me, too" said Bates and Jim.
''Silent didn't open his head. The
conductor had given up exhausted. an
settled back a-puffin'.
oval said he. low an stern, I'm
not DING to ride with him! You can
just bet on thatr
"NGoing to waikiki 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. Well 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
dangerous, unless thar's a good many
of 'em, but they're mighty unpleasant
and snappy company. ?
"'And,' the conductor went on, if
he gives me two words talk, we'll
MKT
"'That's the talk!' said me an Jim
an Bates. Silent didn't say any thing.
"sThe sooner he starts the better for
him and us, too, said the conductor
THAT'S the idea,' said Bates
who'll tell himp'
s.None of us stirred.
I'll do it, said Silent I wasn't a
bit surprised, for never knowed how
to take Silent, any how.
"'We'l give him good start. and
u II - Il