Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-08
tcOpyrisht. ls0a, BY Francis Lynde.l

ne ODscTNeu. Anu ~ y muie ne TNpoIteu u
It was q mere chance that 1 happened %
be on the engine at the time Of the acct
dent, but 1t was not altogether by chance
that Broncho Pete and I met in the division
superintendent's once when the engineer
was called in to explain the mule"
Superintendent Savage had found out that
l was a witness to the killing. +,
There was the sharpest possible contrast
between the two. as they stood facing each
other across the once railing. The super
intendent was big and square-shouIdered.
a born driver OF other men, with a bushy
iron-gray beard and eyes that shot cold
Ere at q delinquent. Broncho Pete was
gaunt and thin and sallow, with a stoop in
his shoulders and q shufie in his walk, and
eyes that made you think OF q sledge dog
logged to heel; or OF the Eskimo's desert
cousin, the coyote. e.
How about that Percheron Of Byram's
that you killed last week? The one you
reported as q muller" rasped the master.
Pete looked up with q smile that would
have softened any heart save that Of a
division superintendent.
Now, who's been a-lyIn' to you-all about
that ornery old mule, Cap'n savags1 Err
have they got out a new breed O. mules that
they're calm Perch'ons7"
The superintendent tried TO Withstand the
smile and the honeyed appeal. and put the
offender in the sveatbox.
1T won't do, Simmons" he said, gruniy.
Il can't have you killing stock every time
you take a train over the road. This tins
you've stuck the company for more money
than you'll earn in b year. That mule OF
yours was an imported Norman stallion.
Mr.. Graves here says you did what you
could to keep from hitting It after the
horses were on the track, and I'll take his
word for It and let you on once more. But
II you don't quit killing stock, you'll quit
running an engine on the C. & G. r.; that's
ALL
When Pete was gone I ventured to put in
a word for him.
"oh, l understand all that" said the SUI
perintendent. you can't tell me anything
about Pete. He is q good runner, but he
has two pretty bad failings, he will kill
stock. and he will lie about IL a~fterward.
II he doesn't reform l shall have to make
an example OF him"
What is his history. Mr.. savaEe?" 1
asked. finding the time propitious for the
digging of q long neglected mine OF in
CURRY.
The superintendent laughed.
You tell. IL you can. l inherited him
from the construction force. Benton, the
chief engineer, had him running a steel
train. The men say he is a Tennessee
mountaineer-and further they don't say;
can't. l imagine. For all his easy-golng
ways he is as ~reticent about himself as he
lie about the mules he Is forever killing
He is q puzzle to me" said. between
pufs OF my cigar.
asOn ~hich stAAe sg
"All around. but chiefly on the money
side. Do you happen to know what he does
with his wagesT'
The superintendent shook his head.
Blows II at the Gold Hill faro tables,
like the most OF them. l suppose"
mot at all. Every pay day he brings me
what fancy must be the major part Of his
earnings and has me express II to q little
town In the Tennessee mountains"
Does. ehf Keeping VI the old folks. I
suppose"
Hardly that. I should think. unless it's a
matter OF debt; he is too punctilious about
II. The order is always made payable to
one Abel jackson. / asked him once VINO
Jackson was and he said he was the
squire"
"Humph, that's odd. Mo- you speak of
II. I've noticed that he never takes a lay
on and he ia keener than any Yankee to get
in overtime. I wonder what he is paying
for?"
81 have wondered. too"
We'll. whatever Il is, he'll lose out II
he doesn't quit killing Seth Byram's horses
and cattle" said the superintendent. dis
missing the matter in q sentence. He has
had his warning and the next thing win be
the blue envelope"
But Superintendent Savage was not quite
as COED as his word. II was only a little
while after the Norman-Perchero mule
episode that | came upon Broncho Pete
lounging In the public room OF the Hotel de
Bunque In Gold Hin. the mining camp Al
the mountain terminus OF the extension.
How are you. Peter" said !. HAVING
your iay-on at this end Of the run. now -
He smiled joylessly. More o. them
derned mules O. Seth Byram's. Mistah
Graves. Seems like I eayn't take a train
over Whisky now thout KILN some Of
EN-"
Oh. 50 it's a vacation without pay. is
ttg"
yep, Thirty days. Thought I night as
vell wear EN- out up here as down
Yonder."
The autumn frOats were believing the
aspens on the great hills when Broncho Pete
took his run again. Business was boom
ing on the extension. A new gold strike
In the guleh above the terminus camp
brought an influx Of prospectors. miners
and SPECTATORS. and with the Industrial
army came its camp followers, earrion
birds and birds Of prey. the desperate east
on drift that the laW-abiding east nings
upon the shores Of the unpoliced wea.
We Of the transportation line. rejoicing
IN y trains and well-loaded cars.
called IL an era Of prosperity. paying the
cost IN slsepless nights and unrestiDg days
~ best We might But among all the
hungerers and thirsters after overtime
none was more avid than Broncho Pete.
First In. nrst out" was the train crew
rule on the c. q @. r.. and he never missed
q cali. not even when the working pressure