The Topeka state journal., 1906-03-31

ing, particularly if the new ally got 70
drinking and his fire scattered. Just
then train 50 whistled. Pat Barlie's
corner began to sputter its salute. Cal
lahau shifted around behind his bomb
proof, lit his poWderhorn and, looking
doWn the line. wondered whether
ShockIey might be on that train.
II was not till the next night, though.
that a tall thinnish chap, without visi-
bic reasons for alighting, got of So and
walked tentatively down the platform.
At the ticket Office he asked for the as
sistant superintendent.
out there on the platform talking
to the conductor"
The thin fellow emerged and headed
for Callahan. Callahan noticed only
his light springy amble and his hatchet
face.
Mr. Callahan"
Yes"
Bucks sent me up to take the yard. .
What's your name?"
'tShockley."
step upstairs. I'll be up in min-
ute"
Shockley walked back into the depot,
but he left the copper haired assistant
superintendent uncertain as to whether
It was really over whether ShockleX
had actually arrived or not. AS CAL
lahan studied the claimants inoffen-
sive appearance walking away he rath-
er thought it couldn't be over or that
Bucks was mistaken. But Bucks new
er made a mistake.
Next morning at the new yardmas-
ter took hold. Callahan had intimated
that the night air in the yard, 1t being
low land was nfasmatic and that
ShOckley had maybe better try for
awhile to do his switching in the day
time. Just before the appointed hour
in the morning the assistant had look
ed out on his unlucky yard. He
thought to himself that if that yard
didn't drive a man to drink nothing
ever would. Piled shanty high with a
/ beWiidering array Of material It was
enough to take the heart out of a Dem
yer switching crew.
While ne stood a { the window he saw
their plug switch engine that had been
! kicked out of every other yard on the
system wheeze out of the roundhouse,
saw the new yardmaSter f1irt his hand
/ at the engineer and swing up on the
footboard, but the swing-it made Cal
( tlahan's heart warm to him. Not the
] iubberly jump Of the hobOes that had
worried the life out of him all summer
4 even when the cattlemen didn't bother.
It was the swing Of the sailor into the
shrOuds. of the COssack into the saddle,
/ of the yacht into the wind. It was Ike
4 falling down or falling up or falling on
THE grace of a mastery Of gravita-
tion-that was Shockley's swing on the
/ fOotboard Of the yard engine as il shot
snorting past him.
Hes all right" muttered Callahan.
1t was enough.
A man who tipped a tender like that
was not like to go very wrong even
in that chaos Of rails and ties and
! stringers and coal.
Now continued Callahan to him
self timidly hopeful, IF the cuss only
/ doesn't get to drinking" He watched
apprehengively, dreading the first time
he should see him entering Pat Barlie' S
place, but Shockley didn't appear to
know Pat had a place. The cowboys
too, watched him, waiting for his lamp
4 to gleam at night down in the yard
/ but their patience was strained for a
long time. Shockley got all his work
/ done by daylight.
To the surprise of Callahan, and
probably on the principle of the watch
ed pot the whole winter went Withou1
a brush between Shoclley and the COW
boys. Even Peg Leg Reynolds let hlm
alone Hes the lucEiest fellow or
earth remarked Callahan one day al
McCloud in reply to question from
Bucks about Shockley. There hasn'
q shot been fired at him all winter"
He wasn't always lucky" comment
ed Bucks. signing a batch Of letters.
He came from Chicago" Bucks
went on after a silence. He was
switching there on the O at the time Of
the stockyards riots. ShOckley used Il
drink like q pirate. never knew jus
the right Of it. I understood it was II
q braWl. Anyway, he killed mal
there-shot him and had to get away
ley was a striker, but I'd always fount
him decent and when his wife came Il
me about st I helped her out a little
She's dead since. His record isn't jus
right back there yet. There's some
thing about the shooting hanging owe
him. I never set eyes on the fellow
again till he struck me for a job q
McClOud; then / sent him up to you
He claimed he'd quit drinking. Cues
he had. Long as he's behaving himsel
I believe In giving him a chance, h m ?
It really wasn't any longer a case o
giving him a chance; rather of Whethe
they could get on without him. Whel
! the Colorado Pacific began racing u
2 into Denver that summer 1t began t.
2 crowd even Shockley to keep the yari
: clean. He saw he would have to hav
/ help.
Chris. what do they give you TO
tinkering up the ties p asked Shockle.
e one day.
Dollar an a half"
why don't you take hold Of switch
ing with me and get 50 ?"
I Chris was thunderstruck. First h
{ said Callahan wouldn't let him, bu
t Shockley guessed yes" Then Chri
/ figured. To save the last Of the hun
dred dollars necessary to get the WON
y an and the babies overt could b
e done in three months instead Of six
only Callahan would listen But Whei
Z ShOckIey talked Callahan always lis
S tened. and when he asked for a ne7
6 switchman he got him. And Chris go
= his So 70 him a sum unspeakable
/ BY the time the Soman and the chill
t dren arrived in the fall Chris woul
have died for Shockley.
r The fall that saw the woman and tn
r stunted subjects of the czar stowe
Z away under the bench in Little Russi
e brought also the cowboys down fror
1 Montana to bait the Russians.
: One stormy night. when Chri
Y thought it was perfectly safe to ventur
e up to Rubedo's after groceries, tn
r COW boys caught him and dragged hfr
= over to Pat Barlie's-
1t was when they cought him an
t by 8 they had put him through ever
: pace that civilization could sugges
p Peg Leg Reynolds, as always, maste
= of ceremonies, then ordered him tied t
q the stove When it was done the COW