Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-10-17
CHAPTER VI.-Continued.
copyright, 1906, By J. P. Lipplneott Coz


Not such a bad day. considering
the newness of us and the bridge a
the head Of the gulch," he sail, hal
TO himself. And then more pointedly
to the foreman: "Bridgebuilders tc
the front at the first crack of dawn
Mike. Why wasn't this break filled
Nm the grading?"
Sure, sorr, it's dhrain 1t is" saiC
the Irishman; from the placer W
Jbeyant," he added, pointing to {
'washed-out eXcoriation on the steer
upper slope of the mountain. Major
Evarts did be tellin' US we'd have the
lawyers afther US hot-fut again if w;
didn't be LAWN ut open the full
width"
Mmph," said Adams, looking the
ground over with a critical eye. ".,s
a bad bit. 1t wouldn't take much to
bring that whole slide down on US If
1T wasn't frozen solid. Who owns the
placer?"
1.-TWO fellies over in Carbonate. The
company did be thryin' TO buy the
claim, but the sharps wouldn't SELL
bein' put up to hold ut by thin c. &
G. r. divils. It's more throuble we'll
be havin' here, I'm thinking"
While they fingered shrill whistle
echoing among the cliffs of the upr =
gorge like an eldritch laugh announced
the coming of train from the direc-
ton of Carbonate. Adams looked at
his watch.
I'D like to know what that is" he
unused. Its two hours too soon for
the accommodation. By Jove!"
The exclamation directed itself at
one-car train which came laundering
down the canyon to pull in on the
siding beyond the Rosemary. The car
was passenger coach, we'll lighted,
and from his post on the embankment
Adams could see armed men filing the
windows. Michael Branagan saw
them, too, ana the fighting Celt IN
him rose to the occasion.
"'Tis Donnybrook Fair we've co-le
TO this time, Misther Adams. Shall
call up the b'ys via their guns?"
mot yet Let's wait and see what
happens"
What happened was a peaceful
sortie. Two men, each with a kit of
some kind borne in a sack, dropped
from the car, crossed the creek and
struggled up the hill through the un-
bridged gap. Adams waited until they
were fairly OIL the right of way, then
he called down to them.
Halt, there. you two. This Is cor
poration property"
mot much it ANTI retorted one of
The traSna sSorc or,,f7u UItIe a.
drain-way from our placer up yonder."
What are you going to do up there
at this time of night?"
None o. your blame business!" was
the explosive counter-shot.
Perhaps 1t isn't" said Adams, mild
~. Just the same, I'm thirsting to
know. Cali 1t vulgar curiosity If you
like"
AL right, you can know, and be
cussed to you. We're goin' to work
our claim. Got anything to say
against it?"
"Oh. no." rejoined Adams; and when
the twain had disappeared in the up
per darkness he went down the grade
with Branagan and took his place ON
the man-loaded fats for thu run to
khe construction camp, thinking more
OF the lately arrived car with its COM
plement of armed men than of the
two miners who had calmly announced
their intention of working q placer
claim on a high mountain, without
water, and In the dead Of winter! BY
(which 1t will be seen that Mr.. Morton
p. Adams, c. E. Inst. Tech. Boston,
had something yet to learn in the
matter Of practical field work.
BY the time All Foo had served him
his solitary supper In the dinkey he
had quite forgotten the incident of the
mysterious placer miners. Worse
than that, 1t had never occurred to
MIN to connect their movements with
the Rajahs plan of campaign. On the
other hand, re was thinking altogeth-
'er of the carload armed men, and
trying to devise some means Of finding
out how they were to be employed in
furthering the Rajah's designs
The means suggested themselves
after supper. and he went alone over
ITO Argentine to spend a half-hour In
1.-THE bar OF the dance hall listening to
the gossip of the place. When he had
LEARNED what he wanted to know, he
.horthfared to meet Winton at the In
coming train.
I'VE are In for 1t now" he said
when they had crossed the creek to
1.-THE dinkey and the Chinar.an was
bringing Winton's belated supper
1.-The Rajah has imported a carload
lcf armed mercenaries. and he Is goins
no clean US all out tomorrow; arrest
everybody from the gang foreman up
Winton's eyebrows lifted. $50? thai
III a pretty large contract Has b,
linen enough to do it?''
mot. SO many men. But they ar,
lgworn-in deputies with the sheriff o.
IUte county In commando posse, II
lfact- So he has the law on his side
IL l.