The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1906-02-16
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Copyright, 1900, by S. S.
Mcclure Co.

The east and west section men could
run away from them on hand cars. It
was the yardmen who caught it, and it
grew SO lad they couldn't keep a
switchman About 10 o'clock at night,
after No. q had pulled i'll and they
were distributing train load of bridge
timber a switchman's lantern would
go UP in signal, when-pist,-a bullet
would knock the lamp clean out Of his
hand and the nerve clean out of his
head. Handling light in the Benkle-
ton yard was like smoking q celluloid
pipe-you never could tell when it
! would go off.
Cowboys shot away the lamps faster
than requis&ions could be drawn for
new ones. They shot the signals off
| the switches and the lights from the
1 tops of moving trains. Whenever
! brakeman showed flicker two cow
/ boys stood waiting to snuff it. If they
missed the lamp, they winged the
| brakeman It compelled Bucks after
awhile to run trains through Benkle-
ton without showing ever light. This,
! though tough, could be managed, but
| to shunt flats in the yard at night with
no light or to get switchman willing
! to play young Tell to Peg Leg Reynolds
| William for any length Of time was
impossible At last Bucks, on whom
the worry reflected at headquarters,
swore he would fight them with fire,
and he sent shockley. Callahan still
sat specializing on what he would be
up against when Shockley arrived.
The impression Bucks letter gave
him, knowing Bucks to be frugal of
words. was that Shockley would rise
up with cartridges in his ears and
bowie knives dangling from his watch
chain. To live in fear of the cowboys
was one thing, but to live in fear Of
the cowboys on the one hand and in
terror of a yardmaster on the other
seemed, all things considered, confus-
ing, particularly if tie new ally got to
drinking and his fire scattered. Just
then train SO whistled. Pat Barlie's
corner began to sputter it's salute. Cal
lahan shifted around behind his bomb
proof, lit his powderhorn and, looking
down the line, wondered whether
Shockley might be on that train.
1t was not till the next night, though
that tall, thinnish chap, without visi-
BILE reasons for alighting, got off 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 Ratchet
face.
"Mr. Callahan
ayes"
"Bucks sent me up to take the yard
''Whats your name?"
"Shockley."
"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 Shockley
had actually arrived or not AS Cal
lahan studied the claimants inoffen
sive appearance walking away he rath
err 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, it being
low land, was miasmatic and thai
Shockley had maybe better try fol
awhile to do his switching in the day
time Just before the appointed houl
in the morning the assistant had look
ed out on his unlucky yard. He though
to himself that if that yard didn't drive
man to drink nothing ever would
Piled shanty high with bewilderins
array of material, it was enough Il
take the heart out Of Denver switch
ing crew.
While he stood at the window he saw
their plug switch engine that had beer
. 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
lahans heart warm to him. Not the
lubberly jump of the hoboes that had
, worried the life out of him all summer
, even when the cattlemen didn't bother
It was the swing Of the sailor into the
ehrouds, of the Cossack into the saddle
of the yacht into the wind. 1t was like
falling down or falling up or falling on
the grace of mastery Of gravitation
that was Shockley's swing on the
footboard of the yard engine as it shot
snorting past him.
He's all right" muttered Callahan
It was enough.
a man who Tipped tender like that
was not like to go very wrong even In
that chaos of rails and ties and string
ers and coal.
Now" continued Callahan to him
self. timidiy hopeful. eff the cuss only
doesn't get to drinking" He watched
aDDrehenSively dreading the first time