Morris tribune., 1906-03-03

] PROBABLY on the principle of the watch
ed pot, the whole winter went without
| brush between Shockley and the COW
| boys Even Peg Leg Reynolds let him
alone. He's the luckiest fellow on
/ EARTH" remarked Callahan one dav at
McCloud in reply to question from
Bucks about Shockley. There hasn't
shot been fired at him all winter"
He wasn't always lucky comment
ed Bucks, signing batch Of letters.
''He came from Chicago" Bucks
| went on after a silence .He was
switching there on the @ at the time of
the stockyards riots. Shockley used to
drink like pirate. l never knew just
| the right of it. | understood it was III
| a brawl. Anyway, he killed a man
/ there-shot him and had to get away
! ia a hurry. | was trainmaster. Shock
! ley was Il striker, but I'd always found
| him decent, and when his wife came to
| me about it | helped her out. little
! She's dead since. His record isn't just
right back there yet. There's some
thing about the shooting hanging over
him. ! never set eyes on the fellow
again till he struck me for a job at
McCloud; then / sent him up to you
He claimed he'd quit drinking. Guess
he had Long as he's behaving himself
believe in giving him a chance, HIM z"
1t really wasn't any longer a case of
giving him a chance; rather of whether
they could get on without him. When
the Colorado Pacific began racing us
into Denver that summer it began to
crowd even Shockley to keep the yard
clean. He saw he would have to have
help.
Chris, what Go they give you for
tinkering up the ties?" asked Shockley
one day.
Dollar an half
'Why don't you take hold of switch
ing with me and get $50"
Chris was thunderstruck First he
said Callahan wouldn't let him. but
Shockley guessed yes" Then Chris
figured To save the last OF the hun
dred dollars necessary to get the WON
an and the babies overt could be
done ii three months instead Of six if
only Callahan would listen. But when
Shockley talked Callahan always lis
tened, and when he asked for a new
switchman he got him And Chris got
his So. to him a sum unspeakabIe.
By the time the woman and the chill
dren arrived in the fall Chris would
have died for Shockley.
The fall that saw the woman and the
stunted subjects Of the car slowed
away under the bench in Little Russia
brought also the cowboys down from
Montana to bait the Russians.
One stormy night when Chris thought
it was perfectly safe to venture up to
Rubedo's after groceries, the cowboys
caught him and dragged him over to
Pat Barlie's.
1t was Z when they caught him and
by they had put him through every
pace that civilization could suggest.
Peg Leg Reynolds, as always. master
of ceremonies, then ordered him tied to
the stove. When it was done the cow
boys got into a big circle for dance
The fur on Chris's coat had already be-
gun to sizzle, when the front door open
ed. Shockley walked in.
Straight, in his ambling, hurried way.
he walked past the deserted bar through
the ring Of cowboys at the rear to Chris
frying against the stove and began cut
ting him loose. Through every knot
that his knife slit he sent very loud
and very bad word, and no sooner had
he freed Chris than he jerked him by
the collar, as if quarreling with him,
toward the back door, which was
handy, and before the cowboys got
wind he had showed him through it.
Hold on therer' cried Peg Leg Reyn-
olds when it was just too late. Chris
was out of it, and Shockley turned
alone.
"All right. partner; what is it?'' he
asked amiably.
''You've got a ripping nerve"
''I know it."
whats your nameY'
"Shockley."
"Can you dance?"
"No."
1t was Peg Legs opportunity He
drew his gun. Il reckon maybe you
can. Try it," he added, pointing the
suggestion with the pistol shockley
looked foolish. He didn't begin trip
ping soon enough and bullet from the
cowboys gun splintered the Dashboard
at his feet Shockley attempted to
shuttle. To any one who didn't know
him it looked funny. But Peg Leg was
a rough dancing master and before he
said Enough" an ordinary man would
have dropped exhausted. Shockley,
breathing a good bit quicker, only
steadied himself against the bar.
Take off your hat before gentlemen
cried the cowboy. shockley hesitated,
but he did pull off his cap.
That's more like it. What's your
name?"
''Shockley."
'Shockley? echoed Reynolds with
burst of range amenities. sWell,
shockley, you can't help your name.
fnY 80, e