The Topeka state journal., 1906-05-19

pet, sweating from sheer gr0ggllless
and excitement. The job of front END
brakeman on a mountain division IS no
great stake for man ordinarily. D Duo
1t was one for me just then. We knew
when we went into the superintend-
ent's office that somebody was 10 get
fred. The only question vas. no,
the train crew or the operator OuI
engine crew were out of it. 1t was up
to the conductor and to me. Had me
operator displayed red signals me
conductor said no; I said no me
operator said yes but he lied e
couldn't prove it. We could only. put
our word against his. and. what made
it the worse for me, my conductor was
something Of a liar himself.
stood beading in a cold sweat, Tor
i could see with half an eye Il vas
going against US The superintendent'
an up and up railroad man every men
and all business, but suspicious was
leaning the operators way the strong
est kind
There wasn't another soul i'm the lit
tie room as the three of US stood be-
fore the superintendent desk eNcept
a passenger conductor. who sat oehlitu
me with his feet on The window ieage'
looking out into the yard
MorTisOn's record in THIS once Is
clean the superintendent was saying
of the operator, who was doing US
smooth as smokeless powder. he mas
never TO my knowledge lied IN an IN
vestigation; but, AllDers cohtlliueu
the superintendent speaking blunIl9 10
my conductor. you've never tod
straight story about that Rat River
switch matter vet. This man IS 4 new
man" he added, throwing hard look
at me. Ordinarily be inclined 70
take the word of TWO men against one,
but I don't know one at all and the
other has done me once. / can't see
anything for il but TO take Morrison
word and let you fellows both out
There wasn't any wreck. but Jhat s not
your fault, not for minute
Mr.. Rocksby, l protested, speak
ing up to the division boss in clean
flink-the prospect of losing my job
that way, through lying operator
took the heart clean out Of me you
don't know me, 1t IS true, but L pIedse
YOU my word Of honor
What's your word of honor asked
the superintendent, cutting me Ike
hatchet. Il don't know any more
about your word of honor than 1 do
about you Allbers, take your man
and get your time
A wave of helples rage swept over
me. The only thing / could think OF
was strangling the lying operator IN
the hall. Then somebody spoke
Show your papers. you fool
Tt came calm as sunshine and cold
as a northwester from the passenger
conductor behind me from Dave
Hawk. and it pulled me into line like
bugle call. felt my English all back
at once. Everybody heard him and
looked my way. Again it was up to
me. This time I was ready for the
superintendent, or, for that matter, for
the blooming Mountain division. [ had
forgot all about my papers till Dave
Hawk spoke I put my hand, shaking.
into my inside vest pocket for a piece
OF oilskin-it was all I had left.
was a good way from my base that
year. laid the oilskin on the superin-
tendent's s table unfolded il jealousy
and took out q medal and a letter. that
in spite of the carefu1est wrapping
was creased and sweated- But the let
ter was from my captain and the bit Of
bronze was the cross. Rocksby pick
ed up the letter and read il.
Have you been in the British
army ?" he asked curtly.
Yes. sir
He scowled a minute over Picton' s
scra7vl laid it down and grauhed his
curiosity by picking up the medal He
studied the face of the token. looked
curiously at the dingy red ribbon,
twirled Il and saw the words on the
reverse. For Valor," and looked again
at me
''Where'd you get this?" he asked
indica ting the Victoria
In the Sudan. sir
Dave Hawk kept right on looking
out the window. Neither my cOnduc-
tor nor the operator. seemed to know
just what the row was. Nobody
what you doing here?" Rocksby
went on
Il came out to learn the cattle bust
ness. His brows went up easy-like
They cleaned me out" Brows drop
ped gentle-like. "Then [ went bad
with mountain fever" and he looked
decent at me.
You say you had your head out
the cupola and saw the white signal -
he asked. sort OF puzzled.
II saw the white signal" Rocksbv
looked at the operator Morrison
Wen adjourn this thing" said he
at last. "till 7 look into It a little fur
ther. For the present go back to your
runs.
We never heard any more of it.
Allbers got out quick I waited to pick
up my stuff and turned to thank Dave
Hawk. He was zone
It wasn't the first time Dave had
pulled me out of the water About
two weeks before that I had craWled
one night up on the front platform Of
the baggage at Peace River to steal q
ride to Medicine Bend on No J. II vas
Dawes train. had been kicked out
OF the McCloud hospital two davs he
fore without a cent or a friend IN
earth outside the old country and 7
hadn't a mind to bother the folks at
home any more, come Conan or the
devil
=
Fuzzy and sleeting out Of the foothiiJs
like manslaughter. When the train
stopped at Rosebud for water. what
with gripping the icy hand rail- and
trying to keep my teeth steady on nv
knees / must have been hard sixbf
just as the train was ready to pull ont
Dave came BY and poked his lantern
1ull in my face
II II had been a headlight I couldn't
have been worse scared. and I fo,,rd
afterward he carried the brightest
lamp on the division. looked IN into
his face. and he looked into mine 7
wonder II in this life it isn't mostly in
the face after alp ] couldn't say snV--
thing I was shaking in chill as
climbed down into the storm.
Yet I never saw a face harder in
some ways than Dave Hawks His
visor hid his forehead and bIacl-
beard covered his face till 1t leff onl1-
his straight cold nose and a dash a.
olive white under the eyes HIS wbis-