The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1896-10-03

Johnny turned and walked squarely
up to him and said quietly: You take
that back | never knew Just how It
was done. but 'Bill' made some sort
OF feint, and the next moment the
big. hulking lubber was lying on the
ground. BIZ didn't seem to know
what hit him. But he went at Johnny
with such savage look that a lad
without genuine pluck would have
turned feather. But when BIZ lay
sprawling on the ground a second time
we found out that Johnny was a sci
entifc boxer. There was an ugly CLEAN
in 'Bill's' eye when he got up and as
he got close up to Johnny all of a sud
den he hourished a big jackknife he
always carried How he got 1t out
Of his pocket | never could tell. He
made lunge, but Johnny lodged clev-
erly and the knife just grazed his face.
He was on BIZ quicker than 1t takes
to tell 1t, choking the life out OF him.
We started to separate them, but when
we found that Johnny had BIZ so
that he could not do any damage with
the knife we let them fight 1t out. BIZ
finally held up his hand for mercy and
then Johnny let him up. After we
got them cooled Off Johnny made BIZ
shake hands, and, though he didn't
show II then, think afterward BIZ
came to think as much OF him as the
rest OF us.
up the road not very far from AL
bany there Is Il pretty little farm that
runs down to the river. and right at
the corner OF 1t was water tank. 1t
happened that on this farm there was
a dark eyed little girl who was the
idol OF all the boys along the road.
She wouldn't hirt with us, but she
used often to come down to the water
tank and get little packages which
the engineer, who was a friend of the
family, used to bring down from AL
bany. She was plump and peachy,
with dark eyebrows and long lashes,
and under them the prettiest pair Of
eyes | ever saw There wasn't one OF
us who wouldn't have married her
quick II she'd had us. But she was
sort O. reserved and shy and none OF
us had nerve enough to make love to
her. All except Johnny. All the girls
smiled ON Johnny and he smiled on
them. He didn't have to see the lass
twice before he was head over heels
In love with her and II wasn't very
long before he made her know all
about 1t. To WOO was to win with
Johnny. and regular as his train pass
ed the farm Jenny-that was the little
danes name-was always there to
meet him. We used to chaff Johnny
good deal over the matter, but we
couldn't get much out OF him. Some
how, through the engineer or some
body, though, we found out that John.
ny was going to marry the girl II he
could get his father to consent He
couldn't very well marry on the sal
AIRY he was getting as n raw brake
man.
Things ran along through the sum
mer and into the fall, and we noticed
that Johnny had got very quiet and
reserved like, and was evidently brood
ing over something At last we found
out that Johnny had been promised d
raise, and that along about the holi
days he was to be made a passenger
! brakeman, and then he was doing tC
, get married. There wasn't one Of u.
that wasn't glad of 1t, or who envie(
him his good luck. The fall stretched
way into the winter, remember, ant
my. wasn't 1t beautiful weather. You'C
stand up on top of a car and as thu
. train wound along the river shore mil,
/ a 81. 1T. a.
and view Braking is a hard life, will
> lots of danger and pretty slim pay
But those days we'd forget all abou
the hardshlps and everything else
Johnny was ON the same train will
b me and happy as lark. thinking how
he would marry and 20 up to Alban,
D to live. | used to notice. though. tina
= every once in a while his brow would
e cloud up, as II he was thinking o
/. something that hurt him.
}. "Such weather couldn't last. though
a and when the end came, 1t came wit
r a squat. The thermometer droppel
: forty degrees. and a cold, driving rail
+ that had set In in the afternoon turne
e toward night into a drifting. blindin
; snow. We had a big train that nigh
i and with the snow and the sleet an
G the cold 1t gave us no end OF trouble
d She parted three or four times go,n
z not more than twenty miles, and 1t wa
G cold. dangerous work slipping alon
e the top setting brakes or getting dow
k to make couplings. The wind howle
s and whistled and the snow cut you
& face like going through a hedge !
< was dark and the lanterns didn't sho,
S plain through the snow, and every
II thing seemed TO so wrong. Sewers
II times we thought we were stalled I
e the drifts. but we'd uncouple and sen
e the engine and two or three car
" through the drift. and then back Il
1t and take the rest of the train. through
IT We wanted to get through to Alban.
lie for the next day was a lay Off, and tw
ID days after that came Christmas.
n johnny and | fought like beaver
against the cold. and, tell you. 1t Wa
is ticklish work. | felt more anxiol
sr about Johnny than did about mysel
" for l was old at the business and
was new, and | know how easy It w
| 4