Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-02
CHAPTER XIV.
THE JUNKETERS.


nances and appendages Of the seQues-
tered Trans Western railway, one OF
the luxuries to which he fell heir was
private car "Naught-seven." a COM
modious hotel on wheels originally
used as the directors car Of the West
ern Pacific, and later taken over by
Ioring to be put in commission as the
general managers special.
In the hands of friendly receiver
this car became boon to the capitol
contingent; its observation platform
served as a shifting rostrum from
which a deep-chested executive or a
melliiuous Hawk often addressed ad-
miring crowds at way stations. and its
dining saloon was the moving scene OF
many yslittle relaxative feasts, at which
Veuve Cliquot flowed freely, priceless
cigars were burned, and the members
of the organization unbent, each after
his kind.
But to the men Of the throttle and
oil can, car Naught-seven, in the gift
of a hospital receiver, shortly became
q nightmare. Like most private cars,
1t was heavier than the heaviest Pull
man; and the engineer who was con-
strained to haul it like dragging an
chor at the tail end of fast train was
prone to say words not to be found in
any vocabulary known to respectable
philologists.
1t was in the evening of wind
blown day, a week after Kent's visit
to CASTOR, that Engineer Red" Gala
han, oiling around for the all-night
run with the Flyer on the western di-
vision, heard above the din and clamor
of Union station noises the sullen
thump betokening the addition Of an
other car to his train.
'Now fwhat the divvle will that be-"
he rasped, pausing, torch in hand, to
apostrophize his fireman.
The answer came up out of the shad-
ows to the rear on the lips Of M'Tosh,
the trainmaster.
"You have the Naught-seven to-
night, Callahan, and a pretty severe
head wind. Can you make your time?"
Haven't thin bloody fools in the
uptown Office anything betther to do
than to tie that sivinty-ton ball-an'-
chain to my leg such night as this?'
This Is not what Callahan said; 1t Is
merely q printable paraphrase OF his
rejoinder
M'Tosh shook his head. He was q
hold-oger from the Loring admins
tratioh, not because his place was not
worth taking, but because as yet no
political heeler had turned up with
the requisite technical ability to hold
1t.
81 don't blame you for cussing 1t
out" he said; and the saying Of 1t
was q mark Of the relaxed discipline
which was creeping into all branches
of the service. Mr.. Loring's car Is
anybody's private wagon these days.
Can you make your time with herr"
mot on yer life." Callahan growled.
"Is 1t the ovid potgutted thafe iv a
rayceiver that's in herr"
Yes; with Gov. Bucks and a party
of his friends. ! take II you ought TO
feel honored."
do II" snapped Callahan. "If
don't make thin junketers think
they're in the scuff iv cyclone whin
get thin on the crooks beyant Dolores
We can gimme time, Misther M'Tosh.
Where do ] get shut iv thim?"
AT Aqua Caliente. They are going
to the hotel at Breezeland, suppose.
There Is your signal to pull out"
Breezeland Inn, the hotel at Aqua
Caliente, is a year-round resort for
asthmatics and other health seekers,
with a sanatorium annex which util-
ICES the waters Of the warm springs
for therapeutic purposes. But during
the hot months the capital and the
plains cities to the eastward send their
quota Of summer idlers and the house
fills to its capacity.
1t was for this reason that Mr.
Brookes Ormsby, looking for a COM
Portable resort to which he might take
Mrs. Brentwood and her daughters Tor
an outing, hit upon the expedient OF
going first in person to Breezeland,
partly to make sure of accommoda-
tions and partly to check up the at
fractions of the place against pic
turesque descriptions in the advertise
ments.
When he turned out Of his. sleeper
in the early morning at Aqua Caliente
station, car Naught-seven had been
thrown in on q siding a little farther
up the line, and Ormsby recognized
the burly person Of the governor and
the florid face and pursy figure Of the
receiver. in the group Of men crossing
from the private car to the waiting
inn tally-ho. Being a seasoned trav-
eler, the clubman lost no time in flnd-
ing the station agent.
Isn't there some way you can get
me up to the hotel before that crowd
reaches?" he asked, adding: "l'll make
it worth your while"
The reply effaced the necessity for
haste.
THE inn auto will be down in a few
minutes. and you can go up in that.
Naught-seven brought Gov. Bucks and
the receiver and their party, and
they're going down to Megilp, the min
ing camp on the other side Of the state
line. They've chartered the tally-ho
for the day"
Ormsby waited, and little later was
whisked away to the hotel in the ton
neau of the guests automobile. Aft
erward came a day which was rather
hard to get through. Breakfast. a
leisurcly weighing and measuring OF
the climatic, picturesque and health
mending conditions, and the writing
Of letter or two helped him wear out
the forenoon; but after luncheon the
time dragged dispiteously, and he was
glad enough when the auto-car came
to take him to the station for the even
ing train.
AS it happened, there were no other
passengers for the eastbound Flyer;
and finding he still had some minutes
to wait, Ormsby lounged into the tele-
graph Office. Here the bonds OF ennui
were loosened by the gradual develop
ment of a little mystery. First the