Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-05-02
THE
CRAETERS
By
FRAN CHS LYN DE
Copyright. 1904. by The Bcbbs-Merrill Co.,
CHAPTER XII.-CoNTINUED.


This was the work of the first few
administrative days or weeks, and
while it was going on, the business
attitude of the road remained I'M
changed. But once seated firmly in
the saddle, with his awkward squad
we'll in hand, the major proceeded to
throw bomb of CONSERVATION into
the camp of his competitors.
Kent was dining with Ormsby in the
grill-room of the Camelot club wher
the waiter brought in the evening
edition of the Argus, whose railroad
reporter had heard the preliminary
fixing of the bomb fuse. The story
was set out on the first page, first
column, with appropriate headlines.
WAR TO THE KNIFE AND THE
KNIFE TO THE Hit.
TRANS-WESTERN CUTS COMMODI-
TY RATES.
Great Excitement in Railroad Circles.
Receiver Guilford's Hold-up.
Kent ran his eye rapidly down the
column and passed the paper across
to Ormsby.
Il told you so," he said. "They
didn't find the road insolvent, but they
are going to make it SO in the shortest
possible order. A rate war will do it
quicker than anything else on earth -
Ormsby thrust out his jaw.
Have we got to stand by and see
'em do it?'
The man from Massachusetts says
yes, and he knows, or thinks he does.
He has been here two weeks
now, and he has nosed out for himself
all the dead-walls We can't appeal.
because there is no decision to appeal
from. We can't take it out of the
lower court until it is finished in the
lower court. We can't enjoin an Off
Ger of the court; and there is no au-
thority in the state that will set aside
Judge MacFarlane's order when that
order was made under technically Ie-
gal conditions"
You could have told him all that
in the first five minutes" said Ormsby
Il did tell him, and was mildly sat
upon. To-day he came around and
gave me back my opinion, clause for
clause, as his own. But | have no
kick coming. Somebody will have to
be here TO fight the battle to finish
when the Judge returns, and our ex.
pert will advise the Bostonians to re-
tain me-"
Does he stay?" Ormsby asked.
"Oh, no; he is going back with Lo-
ring tonight. Loring has an idea OF
his own which may or may not be
worth the powder it will take to ex-
plode it. He is going to beseech the
Boston people TO enlarge the pool until
it controls safe majority of the
stock
What good will that do?"
None, directly. It's merely safe
preliminary to anything that may
happen. l tell Loring he is like al
the others: he knows when he has
enough and is willing to stand from
under. I'm the only fool in the lot
Ormsby's smile was heartening ant
good for sore nerves.
Il like your pluck, Kent; I'll b.
hanged if l don't. And I'll back yor
to win, yet"
Kent shook his head unhopefully.
Don't mistake me-" he said. &c
am fighting for the pure love of it
and not with any great hope of savins
the stockholders. These grafters MAJ
have us by the nape of the neck. w.
can't make a move till MacFarlan,
| comes back and gives us a hearing OIL
the merits. That may not be till tn,
naxt term of court. Meanwhile, tn,
temporary receiver is to all intent.
and purposes permanent. receiver
and the interval would suffice to wrecl
q dozen railroads.
And still you won't give up?"
No"
| I hope you won't have to. But t,
man up tree it looks very mucl
like dead cock in the pit As hay
said, if there is any backing to dc
I'm with you. first, last, and all tn
time, merely from spcrtsman's inter
est in the game. But is there any us