Morris tribune., 1906-03-03

y
grew so bad they couldn't keep a
sWitchman. About 10 O'Clock at night,
! after No % had pulled in and they
We're distributing a train load Of bridge
timber, switchman's lantern would
go up in signal, wlen-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 a celluloid
pipe-you never could tell when it
; would go Off.
Cowboys shot away the lamps faster
! than acquisitions could be drawn for
! new ones. They shot the signals off
the switches and the lights from the
| tops of moving trains. Whenever a
| brakeman showed a flicker two cow
boys stood waiting to snuff it. If they
| missed the lamp, they winged the
brakeman. 1t compelled Bucks after
awhile to run trains through Benkle-
! ton without showing ever a light This,
though tough, could be managed, but
to shunt flats in the yard at night with
no light or to get a 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 Oh 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
I'D with cartridges in his ears and
bowie knives dangling from his watch
chain. 70 live in fear of the cowboys
was one thing but to live in fear of
the cowboys OF 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 50 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 50 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
90 Ivy
his light, sprngy amble and his Ratchet
face.
'Mr. Callahan"
"Yes''
'.Bucks sent me up to take the yard"
s'What's your name?"
''ShockIey."
"Step upstairs. I'll be up in a 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 Z the new yardmas-
ter took hold. Callahan had intimated
that the night air in the yard, it being
low land, was miasmatic 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 bewildering
array of material, it was enough to
take the heart out of a Denver switch
ing crew.
While, he stood at the window he saw
their plug switch engine that hae been
Kicked out Of every other yard on the 4
system wheeze out of the roundhouse,
saw the new. yardmaster fiirt his hand
at the engineer and swing up on the
footbDard, but the swing-it made Cal
lahan's heart warm to him. Not the
lubberly jump of the hoboes that had
MOVIFteui :4Ae l4lPeo1t " suiH Ill suulHei.
even when the eattleman didn't bother.
It was the swing of the sailor into the
shroufds, of the gGssossack into the saddle,
Of. the yacht into the wand. It was like
falling fall down or falling UP nr:,falling on
the gracsee. ED # a mastery of grayitation
that tina was. iSShoekleys swing on the
footboard Of the. yard engine,as.it shot
snoEti.npg past him. ai.41.ss2 a.sf.i.
tiles aalllrighb,', smuttered .CaIlahan
It. was nough s..s u, = .<s5si;. ~.
sAsman Wh0gfiRPed astender like that
was not like to go very. wrong even, in
that chaos bf rails and ties and string.
ers and coal
Nov, Continued callahan to him
self, timidiy hopeful, s.if the cuss only
doesn 't,get, to drink1ngi'' He watched
brehensiveay ding the first time
he should him entering Pat Barlies
place. but sheekleyi didn't appear to
know Pat had d place. Tie cowboys,
~ Fta