The San Francisco call., 1903-09-20

He listened grimly, for he thought he
could domino every play lBueks could
make when It came to tricks for saving
time on the Wild Hat run. Yet II heart
ened even Pat Francis, uncompromising
and grim, to have his superintendent
there in the storm helping cut out the
work for such particularly beastly pull.
As Bucks broke away and started for
the door Of the Wickiup, Morris Barker
the conductor who had Just brought the
train in-saluted. walking out. With his
coat buttoned snug, in the comfortable
insolence Of a man going home. Morris
stepped to the edge OF the platform to
exchange condolences with Pat Francis
Pat, there's a half-fare back in the
Portland sleeper. 1 heard Mcintyre say
at McCloud that some OF Alfabet Smiths
men are working up here. Anyway
there's a cattleman in canvas coat
In the chair car, smooth face. red tie, to
look out for. He got on at Harding and
tried short fare on me-, sized him UP
for a spotter''
why didn't you chuck him orr"
growled Pat Francis.
He put up after a while-and you bet
N--0N -eAC Sues AAA Will an eInDTOlQeTeQ re-
port. Well, good luck. Patsy"
Pat Francis raised his lamp through the
fog and rain at the engineers. Jack Moore
coughed suddenly and twice with his hoI-
low whistle. The hind engine saluted
hoarsely; from the rear the pusher piped
shrill. and Bucks in the doorway watched
the painting train pull taut up the bend
In the swirling snow. And he knew as
he watched that nothing worth consider
ing would get away from Pat Francis
not scheme. nor a cutoff nor a minute,
nor revamped coupon ticket Pat, be-
fore quitting at Benton: Pat up the gorge
and over the Horseback, was pretty sure
to catch everything inside the vestibules.
he swung I'D on the platform of the
baggage car as the train moved out and
shook the snow off HIS cap as he opened
the door. He set his lamp on an up end
trunk, took off his overcoat and hung it
up. In the front end OF the car a pack
OF hunting dogs yelped a dismal chorus.
Old John Parker. the baggageman, was
checking ND a pile of trunks that rose
tier on tier TO the roof Of the car John
Parker wore pair Of dlsreputable iron
spectacles. His hair, scant where II
wasn't extinct. tumb.ed about his head
loose at both ends. His gray beard was
a good bit stronger in the fly than in
the hoist and it blew in the wind tnln
as a coach whip: but old John had be-
hind his dirty spectacles a pair of eyes
just as fine as steel. Francis opened
his train box and asked the baggagsnlan
why he didn't Kill those dogs. and get
ting no answer-for John Parker was
checking hard and stopped only to SHIFT
his whiskers of the clip-the conductor
got out his blue pencil and his black
pencil and filed them away, took up his
punch and his trip checks and put them
In their proper pockets. shifted his tnle-
table from the box to still another pocket.
and picked Up his lantern. The head
end brakeman coming in just then with
a sash puller, Francis asked him to ciean
up the globe
While the brakeman fished for a piece
Of waste, the conductor moved his wet
overcoat a peg nearer the stove and
spread It out better, and listened to a
wild rumor old John Parker had picked
up about No. is being turned into a
strictly Limited" and carrying a diner
west Of Bear Dance. without wasting
any comment, Pat looked at his watch
and listened to the click of the truck
over the ish-plates under foot and to
the angry, tremulous roar of the three
furnaces melting coal to push No / up
against the wind that curled like cork
screw down the long, narrow gorge.
Then he took the lantern from his
menial. and strode quickly through the
vestibule into the dirty light and foul
air Of the smoker.
Tickets
No please" that night; just "Ticketsy'
short and snappy as a bear trap. He
could talk very differently at home to the
babies-but there was no suggestion of
kootsying In the tone that called for
transportation in the smoker He passed
down the aisle, pulling, hauling, shaking
the snorting brutes, noting, punching,
checking under the rays of his lamp until
the last man was passed and he walked
into the chair car. There was only one
"go-back," sleepy Italian who couldn't
even after he had been jerked out of his
seat and turned upside down and inside
out, and shaken and cursed-still he
couldn't hnd his ticket. So Pat Francis
passed him with the shocking intimation
Which amounted to an assurance, that If
he didn't find It by the time he got back
he would throw him off,
The transportation on No. 1 was mostly
through tickets and required only ordi-
nary care as to the date limits: not much
scalper's stuff turned up on the west
bound. Pat called again as he closed