The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-11-10

We can take out through the woods
and across the hills, and mog up the
track a piece. How'll that do?"
ut will do for me, but there is no
need of you tramping when you can
Just as we'll ride"
| But now that side OF Mr.. Peter Big
I gin which endears him and his kind
to every man who has ever shared his
lonely roundups, or broken bread with
him in his comfortless shack, came
uppermost.
What do you take me fer?" was the
way 1t vocallzed itself; but there was
more than formal oath Of loyal al
legiance in the curt question.
1; For man and brother" said
Winton, heartily; and they set out
together to waylay the outgoing train
at some point beyond the danger limit.
1t was accomplished without further
miehap, and the short winter day was
darkening to twilight when the train
came in sight and the engineer slowed
=. to their signal. They climbed aboard,
I and when they had found a seat in
the smoker the engineer of construc-
tion spoke to the ex-cowboy as to a
friend.
/, II hope Adams has knocked out a
good days work for u.s." he said
your pardner with the store hat
and the .stinkin' cigaroots?-he's all
right" said Biggin; and it 80 CHANGED
that at the precise moment of the say
ing the subject of 1t was standing
with tho foreman of track layers at a
gap in the new line just beyond and
above the Rosemary's siding at Ar
gentine,. his days work ended, and his
men loaded on the fats for the run
down to camp over the lately laid rails
of the lateral loop.
mot such a. bad day, considering
the newness of us and the bridge al
the head of the gulch," he said, half
to himself. And then more pointedly
to the foreman: "Bridgebuilders to
the front at the first crack Of dawn.
Mike. Why wasn't this break filed
in the grading?"
Sure, sorr, it's dhrain it u.s." said
! the Irishman; from the placer up
beyaht," he added. pointing to a
washed-out excorlation on the steep
| upper slope OF the mountain. Major
Evarts did be tellin' us we'd have the
lawyers afther us hot-fut again il we
didn't be lawn ut open tho full
width"
.'Mmph,", said Adams. looking the
ground over with a critical eye. "lcs
bad bit. 1t wouldn't take much to
bring that whole slide down on us II
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. &
E, G. r. divils. It's more throuble we'll
be havin' here. I'm thinking"
While they fingered a shrill whistle
echoing among the cliffs of the upper
gorge like an eldritch laugh announced
the coming of a train from the direc-
ton; Of Carbonate. Adams looked at
his watch.
ard, like to know what that is" he
unused. ''It's two hours too soon for
the accommodation. BY Jove!"
/ The exclamation directed itself at a
one-car train which came laundering
down the canyon to pull in on the
siding beyond the Rosemary. The car
was a passenger coach, we'll lighted.
and from his post on the embankment
Adams could see armed men filling the
windows. Michael Branagan saw
them, too. and the fighting Celt in
him rose to the occasion.
"'Tis Donnybrook Fair we've come
to this time, Misther Adams. Shall I
call up the b'ys wild their guns?"
| mot yet. Let's wait and see what
happens"
What happened was a peaceful
sortie. Two men, each with kit of
some kind borne in sack, dropped
from the car, crossed the creek and
struggled up the hill through the un-
bridged gap. Adams waited until they
were fairly on the right of way, then
he called down to them.
Halt. there! you two. This is cor
poration property"
mot much 1t amt! retorted one OF
the trespassers, grumy. "1t's the
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 it isn't" said Adams. mild
ly. Gust the same, I'm thirsting to
know. Call 1t vulgar curiosity IL you
like"
"All 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 the run to
the 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 a placer
claim on a high mountain. without
water, and in the dead of winter! BY
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