The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-09
THE MAN OF LEDGE 10.
BY RICHARD B. SHELTON.

 fcopyrieht. 1905 By Daily Story Pub. The manager smoothed out the folds of the badly written letter ana read 1t once again, frown of annoy ance wrinkling his brow meanwhile From a nearby desk the chiet engi- neer watched him narrowly.
 "McCune seems to be at the end of his rope," said the manager In tone that plainly betrayed his dis gust.
 Exactly" said the chief engineer, calmly.
 Well" said the manager. swing ing about in his chair and glarns challenge at the other, what are we going to do about it?'
 Pull McCune off the job." was the quiet response.
 Naturally" snapped the manager And then what?"
 T think you'd better send cunnock out there" "Cumnock-Cumnock, ne muttered' as if endeavoring to place the man.
 Hes in the draughting room, the chief engineer explained.
 "What!' beloved the manager. That kid?"
 why not?" the chief engineer in uuired with a bit of asperity in his tones.
 why not?" echoed the manager. Man alive! what could an uutried in fant do at Ledge 10, when a seasoned bruiser like McCune has failed there? They'd eat him alive, that gang would. They'd make mince meat of him. It would be a sacrifice-nothfng more or less-a sacrifice, tell you.'
 The chief engineer smiled slowly.
 I've considerable faith In that kid as you call him." said he. He's too good a man for mere draughting. III risk him as far as the theoretical side or the business goes. He knows ledge cutting from A to z. As to the practi- cal side-well, I don't think it's brute strength that's needed at Numoer lo. haven't thought so from the first. My opinion Is that tact and nerve are what's wanted there.
 The manager tilted back in his chair and for a time stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. Then he turned to the letter on his desk, after which he touched "a bell In response to the summons a boy came in from the draughting room.
 '-----'sesAA- -isi -4yupss.eess. will your" said the manager shortly. ee.- .... A moment later a small-framed. wiry young man, with black hair and rest less black eyes, entered the office The manager motioned him to a chair by his desk.
 "Cumnock," said he, how would you like to try an outside job?"
 The black eyes frightened. 'Td be glad of the chance" said the young man. :-@. ...:..@
 At Ledge 10?" the manager went on meaningly. The reputation of the gang at Ledge 10 was common gossip at the office of the Washburn Con- struction Company. 7:
 At Ledge 10 or anywhere, so long
 <a,1 IF said the young man quietly.
 You know about the gang out there, chr" the manager inquired.
 Cumnock nodded.
 they've just done up McCune." The manager tapped the letter on his desk. He writes hos had enough of them. and 1t takes a lot to down Andy Mo Cune." He shot searching glance at the young man. In that glance was all the managers doubt; but Cumnock did not finch. ~*@*.- ."~. s<-.-:
 T still think d like to try it," said he. s+:.'...-s
 The manager folded McCune's letter and thrust 1t into pigeon hole of his desk.
 "All right" he said. If you feel that way. it's up to you. Do the best you can and don't fire q man until you have to. It's hard to find drill men just now MT. Bryant"-he nodded towards the chief engineer-"will give you instructions And If you don't make go of it," he added as an attcrthought, it won't necessarily give you q black eye with the compa- ny" * .++- .. Two mornings later. at o'clock. Cumnock unlocked the door of the construction office at Ledge 10. ran over the blue-prints and the specifi- cations. with which the desk was lit tered, and then went out to thor oughly inspect the cut as far as 1t was completed. -.::
 Donkey engines puffed valiantly and the steam drills clicked away in- cessantly as he made his way slowly