The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-03-29

built from the men in The ranks i aim to make 7.
start now on this division. II you're with me- hanr
train crews"
Dave left the office groggy The best Bucks
could do he couldn't get positive answer out Of him.
lie was overcome and couldn't focus ON the propo-
sl1on. BUCKS saw how he had gone 10 pieces and
managed automatically 10 leave the matter onen
Callahan, whom Bucks had brought with him as as
slstant' nIlns IN meanwhile trainmaster.
The matter nosed 1t was known that Dave
admittedly the brainest and most capable of the
Ola Guard had been singled out regardless OF his
I'm not here sitting in judgment on what was
zone last year, Bucks had said. plainly. 'Irs what
office" 1-'' 'l --i9
And the conductors. thinking there was a chance.
they would get their share of the promotions began
10 carry their lanterns If they had more im-
portant business than holding up stray fares
Meantime Dave hung to his run. Somehow the
old run had grown a part of him and he couldn't
give II up. When ne told Bucks at the end of the
decision, the superintendent waved 10 To- him Every
nody began to make great things Of Dave; some Of
tne boys called MN tTalnmaster and told him 10 drop
his punch and give Tommie "a show.
he didn't take the humor the way would ex-
pect. Always silent, he grew more than that SOM
Der and detected. We never saw a smile on his
face. Dave is on" muttered Harry Cavanaugh his
Qld Dagsageman i don't understand H. Hes of.
You ought TO talk 90 him. TOmmie. You're the
only man on the division can DO IT,"
ordered that night TO bring a MILF
tary special from Washakie. / rode up on Dawes
train. The hind Los Angeles sleeper was loaded
light and when Dave had worked the train and
walked into the state to sort his collections
followed him. We sat half hour undisturhed but
he wouldn't talk. Itwas a heavy train and the wind
high.
We made Rat River at midnight and I was stiu
sitting alone in the open state room when L saw
Dawes green light coming down the darlened aisle
He walked in, put his lamp the floor sat down
and threw his feet ON the cushions
'How's Tommie tonight he asked leaning back
as If he hadn't seen before. I'm his old teasing
way He played light heart sometimes. but it was
no more than played. that easy seeing.
'How's Dave?' He turned, pulled the window
shade and looked out There was a moon and the
n fnn nHf 81 ON win
What are you going to do with Bucks Dave?"
DO you want my punch, Tommet
You know better than that don't youT'
You're blue tonight. What's the matter?a
He shifted, and il wasn't like him to shift
I'm going 10 quit the West End
quit? What do you mean2 You're not going
TO throw over this uainmaster oner2'
I'm going to quit What's the use?" he went
on slowly. How can take charge Of conductors,
ducior Ior slealng when ne knows M a thief my
self They know it; Bucks knows it, There's
place among men for a thief"
Dave you take it TOO hard; everything ran wide
open here. You're the best railroad man on this
division; everybody old and new, admits that"
Il ought TO be a railroad man. L held down a
division the Panhandle when 80 years old"
sI - ~ ,site % 5- ii'1 ~, 80 ie on 93
thief. The woman that ditched me is dead; the
she away with is dead; my baby Is dead long
ago" He was looking out as he spoke on the flying
desert, ashen in the moonlight. In the the pas
sengers We're hard asleep and heard only the
slew of the Straining hanges and tie muhied beat
Of the heavy truck under
IhereS no law on earth that VIII keep
from leaving the track once I'D awhile, argued.
There's to keep him from rightng his trucks
when the chance is offered. ] say mans bound
TO do IT, II you won't do IL here, choose your place
and iii 80 with you. This is big country Dave.
Hang it, I'll go anywhere. You are my partner,
He bent pick up his lantern. "Tommie, you're
a great boy"
We'll I mean it," He looked at his watch I
pulled mine. 1t / o'clock.
Better go to sleep Tommie' I looked up into
his face as he rose He looked for instant stead
lily into mine. Go to bed Tomme" he smiled, pull
ing down his visor and turning, he walked slowly
forward. threw myself on the couch and drew my
cap owed my eyes. The first thing ] felt was hand
my shoulder. Then / realized that I had been
asleep and that the train was standing still man
was bending over me. lantern in hand 1t was the
What's wrong?" exclaimed
There's trouble up ahead, Mr.. Burnes,' he
claimed huskiy. I sprang to my feet. Have you
got your piston he suffered.
Somebody came running down the aisle and the
porter lodged like a hare behind IL the
hind-end brakeman but he was SO scared he could
not speak. I hurried forward
Through the head Los Angeles sleeper, the San
Francisco cars and the Portland ran without meet
ing q living soul; but the silence was Omnous. When
] caught glimpse of the inside of the chair car
saw The ferment Women were screaming and pray
mg-and men were burrowing under the foot rests
They've killed everybody In the smoker shouted
travelling man, grabbing me.
"Damnation. make way won't YOU! exclaimed
pushing away from him through the mob AT the
forward door, taking me for one Of the train rob
bers there was another panic Passengers from the
smoker were jammed together there like sardines. J
had 10 pile them bodily across the seats to get
1t was over. The front lamps were out and the
car smoking blush. cowboy hung pitched head
and arms down over the heater seat. I'm the middle
of the car, Henry Cavanaugh, crouchng n the aisle
held in his arms Dave Hawk. AT the dark front end
of the coach / saw the outline of man spraVled on
his face i'm the aisle. The news agent crawled out
from under "a seat. 1t must have been snort and
horribly sharp
They had tagged the train east of Bear Dance
TWO. men boarded the front platform of the smoker
and the rear But the two in front opened the
smoker door just Dave was hurrying forward 10
Investigate the stop. He was no man TO ask ques-
ti0ns He saw the masks and covered them instant
ly Dave Hawk any time and anywhere was a dead
ly shot. Without word he opened on the forward
robbers. game cowboy back of him pulled gun
and cut into 81 and was The first 10 go down wound
cd But the train boy said Hawk himself had
dropped the two head men almost Immediately after
the firing began and stood freehandec when The man
from the platform put a WinchesteT against his
back Even then. with hole clean through him. he
had whired and iIru again. We fousst the mans
hlOOc the platform in the. morning, but whoever
he was he got 10 the horses and got away.
When i reached Dave he lay in his Daggagemans
arms We threw enc carriOu into the baggage ear
and carried the cowboy and the conductor back into
the forward sleeper gave the go-ahead orders and
hurried again the side of the last of the Old Guard
once he opened his eyes, wandering stonily. but he
Els train went that morning into division he went
with IT, W zen stopped his face cold. To
was up the Grand Master.
A game always he never cruel
He called himself thief He never hesitated. with
the other men. high and low. to loot the company.
The big hooters hnancers Dave was only q
thief his life for the very law he trampied