CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1906-03-22


all and the other has done me once.
can't see anything for it but to take
Morrison's word and let you fellows
both out. There wasn't any wreck, but
that's not your fault. not for min
ute"
"Mr. Rocksby." l protested, speaking
up to the division boss in a clean funk
the prospect of losing my job that
way, through lying operator, took the
heart clean out of me-''you don't know
me, it is true. but pledge you my
word of honor
whats your word of honor?" asked
the superintendent. cutting me like a
hatchet. 81 don't know any more about
your word of honor than do about
you. Allbers, take your man and get
your time"
A wave of helpless rage swept over
me. The only thing l could think of
was strangling the lying operator in
the hall Then somebody spoke.
''Show your papers. you fool
1t came calm as sunshine and cold as
a Northwestern from the passenger con-
ductor behind me. from Dave Hawk.
and 1t pulled me into line like bugle
call. felt my English all back at
once Everybody heard him and looked
my way. Again it was up to me. This
time | was ready for the superintend
ent. or, for that matter. for the bloom
Ing Mountain division. had forgot
all about my papers till Dave Hawk
spoke. | put my hand, shaking. into
my inside vest pocket for piece of
oilskin-it was all l had left. l was
a good way from my base that year. l
laid the oilskin on the superintendent's
table, unfolded it jealousy and took out
a medal and Il letter. that in spite of
the carefullest wrapping was creased
and sweated. But the letter was from
my captain and the bit of bronze was
the cross. Rocksby picked up the let
ter and read 1t.
"Have you been in the British
army" he asked curtly.
"Yes. sir
He scowled minute over Picton's
scrawl, laid it down and gratfied his
curiosity by picking up the medal He
studied the face of the token. looked
curiously at the dingy red ribbon.
twirled it and saw the words on the
reverse, "For Valor," and looked again
at me.
"where'd you get this?' he asked,
indicating the Victoria.
SIN the Sudan. SIR
Dave Hawk kept right on looking out
the window. Neither my conductor
nor the operator seemed to know just
what the row was. Nobody spoke
"what you doing here?" Rocksby
went on.
81 came out to learn the cattle bust.
ness His brows went MP easy-lisc.
"They cleaned me ont Brows drop
ped gentle-like Then | went bad
with mountain fever" and he looked
decent at me.
''You say you had your head out
the cupola and saw the white signal?"
he asked. sort of puzzled.
II saw the white signal Rocksby
looked at the operator Morrison.
"We'll adjourn this thing" said he
at last. .till look into 1t little fur
ther. For the present go back to your
runs"
We never heard any more OF It.
Allbers got out quick. I waited to nick
up my stuff and turned to thank Dave
Hawk. He was gone.
1t wasn't the first time Dave had
pulled me ont of the water. About
two weeks before that ! had crawled
one night up on the front platfo- III OF
the baggage at Peace River to steal n
ride to Medicine Bend on No. l. III
was Dawes train. had been kicked
out of the McCloud hospital two days
before without Il cent or a friend ON
earth outside the old country. and L
hadn't n mind TO bother the folks at
home any more. come Conan or the
devil
The night was bitter bad, black as n
Fuzzy and slecting out Of the foothills
like manslaughtcr When the train
stopped at Rosebud for water, what
with gripping the icy hand rail and
trying to keep my teeth steady on my
knees | must have been II hard sight.
Just as the train was ready TO pull out
Dave came by and poked his lantern
full in my face.
If it had been n headlight couldn't
have been worse scared, and / found
afterward he carried the brightest
lamp on the division. looked up into
his face. and he looked into mine. |
wonder If IN iiiis life ii isn't mostly in
the face after alli ] couldn't say any
thing. | was shaking in "A chill as ]
climbed down into the storm
Yet | never saw IA face harder in
some ways than Dave Hawks. His
visor hid his forehead and a black
beard covered his face till 1t left only
his straight. cold nose and n dash Of
olive white under the eyes. Ills whis-
kers loomed high as Il Cossack' s. and bis
eyes were onyx black with just such n
glitter. He knew it was no better than
murder to put me off in that storm at 9