The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-04-24

and carried them into the shed, as he
called the little house that covered the
pumping engines. When done with that
he looked around for his pipe and finally |
found it, half full of tobacco. Lighting
it, he sat down to resume the meditation
that had been twice interrupted that day. !
Finding that his thoughts were inclined
to wander he rose and gave the fires a
shaking up. When he threw the poker
down he said to himself, as if to another
person:
''If they get to howlin' round here l
guess I'll have TO let the fires go out, but
there's no use in borrowin' trouble
The sun was on the slant to the West,
when he heard again the Widow Stearns'
voice, but this time it was full of alarm.
They're comm, Jim-the producers!
They're just at my heels, but they stopped
down there in the hollow to smash the
pipe. l saw them breaking it with crow
bars"
She was very much excited, and ex-
hausted and breathless after running.
''Set down Mrs. Stearns, and rest up a
bit while stop the pump. There amt
no use squirtin' the grease on to the
ground"
He looked at her flushed cheeks and
knew that had it not been for the
unusual bodily eXertion she had under
gone they would have been pale, for he
saw her fright in her eyes and felt it in
her tone.
But you must run, Jim. They're
comm to smash the pump, and if they
find you here they might hurt you"
"Did you bring that tobaccy, Mrs.
Stearns?"
Certainly l did, but you must hurry
out of here"
'No; must stay here, but you must
run soon as you give me the tobaccy."
'Oh, jim, run for they will kill you'll"
She got up and put her hands on his
shoulders pleadingly.
mo they won't. I'll just keep them
away till they cool off, and then I'll come
home to supper, for they'll go away
"If you don't go, won't, for if they
see woman here they won't do any
damage for fear of hurting her.
"You mustn't stay for that reason.
They would say Jim Croffut had got
woman to protect him. You give me the
tobaccy and run"
"But, JIM
''I'll take care of myself, and you must
90 now, but don't forget the tobaccy."
''Here it is. Good bye, for I'd rather
90 than have them think you a coward;
but II lSn easy jim.
He had snatched the tobacco with a
quick "thank yOu,n and was climbing to
the roof of the station on a ladder. In
one hand he carried can of glycerine.
When he reached the platform that he
| had built there as sort of observatory
she was out on the road. He waved his
hand to her and ran down the ladder. In
a few minutes he had four cans on the
platform and then sat down to light his
pipe.
''My! that woman hangin' on to my
arms flustered me most I'd rather face
the whole mob of producers than have
her so beseeching', for | don't get so
shook up"
He had not long to wait until he saw
the producers coming. When he saw
how many there were of them he ran
down the ladder and locked the doors of
the station: then he went back to the
platform. At the head of the crowd of
angry men he recognized the man whom
he had requested to inform Rogers of the
torpedo mans accident.
Hello, Bee Harbaugh, what's up"
"YOu, and we want you to come
down and open the doors. We want to
examine the pump. 'Tisn't workin'."
"Oh, the pumps all right! l got lazy
and shut her down. Too hot to-day for
even n pump to work
"Well, you can suit your pleasure
about lettin' us in; We'll get in ourselves.
Come on boys"
Harbaugh held up light crowbar as a
sort of signal to the others to follow
him, and turned in from off the road
",Just wait second, Harbaugh, and
take a look at this" He rose to his feet
and held up a can. That's bomb. It's
glycer'n, and if you fellers get too close
to them doors I'll drop it on your
heads"
Harbaugh came to halt, and the 9th
ers crowded around him, peering at jim,
whose tall strong figure was in position
for immediate action. They were angry
and very determined, those men, and
would have laughed at a gun leveled at
them, but the mention of glycerine made
them pause. 1t has no aim, it has no
aim, but scatters death in radii from the
point of its explosion.
Harbaugh plucked up courage and
called:
"You can't fool us with an empty can,
jim, and we give you just one more
chance to get down and out of the way,
for we are goin' to smash that pump"
For reply jim swung the can around
his head and let it go at tangent. 1t
struck the ground POO feet from the men
and exploded hurling stones and dirt i'll
every direction.
The producers fell back, for they had
seen the other cans and knew well the
folly of risking their lives in the attempt
to dislodge man who was determined
to use such ammunition in defense of the
property he was guarding. A consulta-
ton was held, end it was decided to par
ley with the pumper. Harbaugh was
selected as spokesman, and he ap-
preached, with two or three others, with
in easy talking distance of the station.
"Say, Croffut, we want to talk with
YOU" Harbaugh said.
go ahead; l can hearyou from here,
Sim replied.
'Why don't you get down and out and
. give us a chance to get square with the
Lines? They've never done anything
particular for you, and they have done
us mighty sight of HARM
"How?'
by letting our tanks overflow and the
oil from our wells run to waste. Wee can
always get our oil run if we will sell it tC
, them at lower price than the regular
market"
$50 I've heard" Jim commented
"but how's smashing the pump goin' tC
help your,
, at will bring the Lines to terms, anC
when they get new pump up, they. viii
be afraid to let our oil run to waste"
. "What will become of your oil wheI
i the pumps lying idle?'
"We can afford the loss if we get salts
D faction afterwards in having our oil takei
? care of.
+ 'Well, amt got nothin' to do will
a that; I'm here to pump, and to take car
of the Lines property"
r you're pumpin' water, that's wha
n you're doin', one of the other producer
e blurted.
i "what come out ON the ground whel
you broke the line down in the hOllOr-
!. grease or water?''
The producers looked at each other il
II amazement, as if to ask how he knew o
Il the broken line, and then Harbaugh re
n marked: 1T was the Widow Stearns
y Come JIM" he said in q louder voice
q surrender and we will make it righ
with you"
n "It's right with me now," Jim an
d swered; I'm here to protect this puml
and I'm goin' to do it,"
II "Well, you can't say that we haven
given you ample notice, and if you sc
4: hurt it will be your own fault"
Eyes, guess it will" Jim observed
q with provoking calmness.
q The producers retired to the main bod
a and another consultation was held
v Propositions were made TO surround tn
pump station and boldly attack it, bu
n the cooler heads promptly decide'
against such measures.
Il,