Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-26
is polite manner Get him aside e . disin-

Gallagher didn't have none OF Ia You
come in here an stir up trouble with the
Now Scully had poor opinion OF his cap
tain, as q man at once too simply direct In
his methods and too violently blusterous.
He shrugged his shoulders with an inso.
lence that was not wise.
Meaghan caught the sheer ana went
white He checked himself, and, with his
face still working and contorted. he con-
captain searching the guilty trace Of his as
sistants thought, the lieutenant reddening
under the scrutiny, unable to look away, his
eye waverfng. his lips caught In The curled
wrinkle OF his treacherous expression.
IAN right" Meaghan said at last, with a
deadly calmness. "All right. Wen see.
You go an bring Corrigan here"
Scully ficked his eyelids. What fort"
Go an bring Corrigan here"
Better leave m alone fer the night,
hadn't we?"
Meaghan nodded fercely. That's all
right. I'm in charge O. this comp'ny.
order you to go out there an bring Corri-
gan"
scully looked down, looked up, cleared his
throat and began apologetically. well,
say"
Meaghan drew back his elbows, clenching
his hands. will yuh G. out an bring Cor
rigan?"
Scully went
the door-where he had been listening to the
quarrel. Where's Corrigan?' the lieuten
ant asked.
I'm the bath ROOM" Donnelly answered,
promptly.
go n bring m here The captain wants
him."
Donnelly grnned dryly and walked away
to his cot as If he had not heard The men
snickered. Scully started for the bath room
with jerk.
He went down the passageway between
the cots, stiff-kneed and pale. He raped
on the door of the bath room. "Corrigan,
ba cd q in W. vub -
The voice was false with nervousness, but
Corrigan recognized it. He knew that he
had struck his captain; that he would be
discharged from the fire department.; that
he was beyond hope. And this was the
voice of the man who had been the cause of
his ruin.
He threw open the door and sprang on
Scully like an Indian. The lieutenant had
not time to cry out. He went down, choked
by the clutch at his throat. "Yuh wud?"
Corrigan painted "Yuh little scut yuh!
I'll learn your He rolled him over, throt-
tied, and began to spank him with an open
hand.
The men crowded together in a ring
around them and grinned and gloated in
breathless silence. watching the captains
door their shoulders. 1t was not only
their revenge on Scully; 1t was so ridiculous
a degradation of the lieutenant that they
knew he would never be able again to face
them with order.
Some one whispered hoarsely: Here's
tn oil mann They hustled Corrigan into
the bath room and showed back into line on
either side of the passageway-dow which
Capt. Meaghan was approaching-like a
crew of mutineers ready with their griev-
ances.
whats all this
The daZed lieutenant-helped to a chair
by Donnelly-put his hand across the back
of his neck and raised his head carefully,
with the evident intention of replying But
the watchful Donnelly picked up his cap
from the floor for him and clapped 1t on him
,-,;%l hot 1t ,l,O H.,
grunt and before he could get the peak of
the cap off his eyes Long Tom" had caught
up Corrigan's towel, too, and smothered the
lieutenant in 1t on the pretense of stopping
his bleeding nose.
Meaghan turned to the men. They shifted
uneasily on their feet and cast their eyes
around for spokesman. by c." he
broke out Il didn't think yuh'd We done it.
I've stood up fer youse manyS the time.
I've KEEP yout O. harms way in fires that's
killed whole crews-an' you know it. An If
yuh'd We come to me with this here trouble
whatever it is-an' I don't know yet-Fd
We fixed it fer yuh-an' you know that,
too"
The men muttered, looking anywhere but
at him. He caught Corrigan's name in the
general growl.
II didn't touch Corrigan," he cried "An'
I wouldn't We tried to if he hadn't struck
me in the face with OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
out cause. either.
"Cap'n," Corrigan called out shouldering
yuh. l didn't mean to. An wudn't We
said what 1 did, neither If I hadn't been
crazy raw. That's the trut'. now. 1 wasn't
KNOWN what l said. Scullys got me SO
sore was crazy. I wudn't we done it. No,
1 waudn,t. wudnt we done 1t. He shook
his head with a sideways nod of affirma-
ton. That's right, an l want to say I'm
d sorry 1 did do it. what's more. But
Scully-"
The men muttered hoarse chorus of as
sent. That was the root of the whole trou-
ble-Scully.
Hes been pickin' on me, an poundin'
me, an chaSin' aroun' like-like the
devil. An down at the blaze there, JUS
because he saw I was done out an about
choked, he ordered me in again where there
was more men n enough as it was-an-
an then-that's how it was. An when
knowed l was goin to get broke I didn't
care what did. Donnely therell tell yuh
If that amt right
Donnelly, thus appealed to, turned an I'M
partial eye on Scully. who sat bending for
ward with the towel to his face This amt
my quarrel, cap'n,' he lied. II got nothin
against the lieut'nt, an / don't know what
he's got against Corrigan. But l want to
say this. cap'n, If any man treated me the
way he did Corrigan I'd We killed him
that's what I'd We done-if I'd swinged fer
it mex. minute" He met the captains
startled look with solemnity that was
convincing beyond words
The men Endorsed the statement with a
unanimous and confused approval.
SCuliS jumped up Hat IL 90, MedRn3N
cried in the manner of q magistrate. I'm
conductin' this"
The lieutenant replied with a contemptu-
Gus snort that brought the captain flaming
around on him. An l can tell you" Mea-
CHAN cried, that yuh can't stay in this
comp'ny, see?-not for what's been said
here, neither. but fer what l seen of yuh
t'night-
Sculy interrupted him by brushing past
him and staggering off up the bunk room
to the office door. Mea CHAN scowled him
off. and remained scowling thoughtfully
after he was gone.
"Corrigan," he decided, I'm goin' to rec
ommend that you be broke" He drew him.
self up with an air of authority. The rest
of you men go to bed"
Corrgan spoke up "All right, cap'n I'm
not kickin'. I'm sorry | hit yuh. That's
fact. If I'd been right wudn't We done it."
The captain turned his back on him with
out replying and waited for the men to go
to their beds. They filed past moodily. Cor
rigan stopped to add: ~~"Yuh needn't be
afeard but what I'm gettin' the worst Of 1t.
got to get out tOmorrah an look fer job.
An I've put In the best year of my life right
here. at that. 1 wisht-"
Capt. Meaghan spun around on him.
Darn YOU" he cried. shut up. will yuh?'
IAN right" Corrgan answered meekly