Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1890-01-25

sharperS than worklngmen, although
/ had seen them cash two time checks,
and get passes for some point up the
road. The construction train did not
leave until 3 o'clock that afternoon,
and lounged upon the shady stoop Of
the Chadron house watching the pass
ers by and chatting with the landlord,
who was an old acquaintance of mine
when | lived in the east. l had a
pleasant dinner with him. and after
the meal was finished, walked across
the square to Lake & Haley's bank at
the corner of the two principal streets
of the town, where cashed the draft.
The bills which / received | stuffed
into various side pockets of my
clothes, and slowed a sack Of silver
change into a small leather grip
which carried in my hand.
/ heard a locomotive whistle and,
turning, walked quickly out of the
bank. AS | reached the sidewalk, |
was startled to see the two men who
had before attracted my notice step
rather hastily away from the sidewalk
in front of the bank windows, and
walk across the street.
| was satisfied that they had watch
ed me as | cashed my draft My sus-
picions were thoroughly aroused by
this circumstance, and when, an hour
later, l stepped into the caboose of the
construction train, and discovered the
men lounging upon two cracker bar
rels smoking their pipes, it did not
need their evident avoidance of the
direct stare l gave them, the moment
| entered, to convince me that they
were after me.
l now heartily berated myself for
not having exercised greater caution
while at Chadron. | should have
waited until | could see the bookkeep-
er alone before obtained my check !;
and should have had my cash made
up by the clerk at the bank, and
brought to my room at the hotel, as
might easily have been done. But it
is easy enough, after you have done
foolish thing, to think how much
better you might haye managed it.
While I sat upon one of the hand
benches in the caboose, with my
"grip" lying beneath the seat, l con
sidered how l should dodge the two
fellows at Crawford. There was no
danger that | should be robbed on the
train, as there were at least twenty
passengers on board. Presently one
of the men sauntered up to my seat,
sat down by me- and began to talk
''See2'' said he. You're with Rod
ney an Curtis, amt yeh, one O their
foremen2"
l answered carelessly that was in
their omOlOvment
paul n rs goin' up the road look
in fur a rock job. We're strikers.
Could ye hire us, dye thinka"
Certainly" said |, 1--WE need moro
men badly, especially good strikers.
We will give you two dollars day,
and you can work part of the night
shift, if you like"
Then, as unconcernedly as l could,
l went on to tell him about our work,
and direct him how to find our head
quarters. I told him / should leave
Crawford after breakfast the next
morning on horseback, and that he
and his partner could undoubtedly
find freight wagon there on which
to take passage for our camp.
After some further conversation
with the mana young looking, wiry,
dark faced fellow-he went over tc
talk to his ''pard, and no doubt they
congratulated themselves on his sue.
cess in throwing me off my guard.
On my arrival at Crawford went
to the company's tent, where food and
other supplies brought on the con
struction trains were stored until they
could be shipped forward by wagon
to points where our forces were at
work. There / explained the situation
to the two clerks in charge of the tent,
and said that | wished to spend the
night with them.
I was armed with a good ''six
shooter" and the clerks had each a
light Winchester rifle. They said we
could guard the money without
trouble that night, and it was ar
ranged that l should start for the
grading camp at o'clock the next
morning. By leaving at SO early an
hour | believed that 1 could battle
pursuit by any robbers who had con-
spired to rob me.
My pony-a tough Oregon half
breed-was picketcd that evening be-
hind the supply tent, and the clerks
and took turns in sitting on guard at
the opening of the tent. l saw moth
ing of the two STRIKERS" after we left
the train, and no suspicious person
approached the tent that night. l
shifted the silver from my grip" into
pair of saddle bags, and, armed with
my revolver and a borrowed Winches-
ter rifle and a belt of cartridges,
mounted my pony at 8 o'clock the
next morning to complete my jour
ney.
Day was just breaking when l came
to the fork of the trail at Fort Robin
son, two miles out from Crawford
siding. Both routes led to the grad
ing camp-one trail lay through
White River canyon and the other led
70 my oeSIlnaJlon py way OF Dri1J-
wood One of these routes l must
take, and as the men who were "shad-
owing" me believed that I would pro
coed by way of Driftwood l chose the
White River canyon route, rough,
new trail that for seventeen miles led
through a tumbled, rocky gorge or
canyon in the bottom of which rip
pied merrily the little streamlet that
is the beginning of the White river.
urged my pony forward at good
pace until, after sunrise, l passed a
camp of freighters who were prepar-
ing their breakfast, and later met sew
eral wagons on the move, which re-
lieved the loneliness of my ride and
caused me to feel more secure. AS the
morning was hot and oppressive /
now proceeded more slowly.
About half an hour after meeting
the freighters l halted at one of the
numerous creek crossings, and dis
mounted to drink and eat part of the
lunch of crackers and dried beef
which l had brought from the com
missary tent AS | had no cup l
stretched myself out upon the rocks
at the edge of the current, and buried
my nose in the cool water of the
spring fed stream.
As lay drinking, with my head
Just above the water distant sound