Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-02-19

/ which rolled over him In choking
bursts and looked down Old the crowd.
They begged him to jump-held out
their arms frant!cally. The two men,
again side by side. waved hand. 1t
looked like a farewell. There was no
calling from them, no appeal. The
nurse would not desert his charge.
and we saw 1t all.
Suddenly there was a cry below
keener than the confused shouting OF
the crowd, and one running forward
parted the men at the front and, clear
ing the fence. jumped into the yard
under the burning gable.
Before people recognized him lariat
was swinging over his head. II was
Siclone Clark. The rope left his arm
like slungshot and flew straight at
Fitzpatrick. Not seeing or confused,
he missed 1t, and the rope, with a
groan. from the crowd. settled back.
The agile cowboy caught it again into
n loop and shot 1t upward, that time
fairly over Fitzpatrick's head.
make fastw roared Siclone. Fitz-
patrick shouted back, and the two men
above drew taut. Hand over hand
SIclone Clark crept up, like a monkey.
bracing his feet against the smoking
clapboards, edging away from the
vomiting windows, swinging on the
single strand of horsehair and fol-
lowed by hundred prayers unsaid.
Men who didn't know what tears
were tried to cry out to keep the
choking from their throats. 1t SEEM
ed an age before he covered the last
five feet and the men above caught
frantically at his hands.
Drawing himself over the easement
he was lost with them moment
Then from behind a burst Of smoke
they saw him rigging q maverick sad
die on Fitzpatrick, saw Fitzpatrick
lifted by Clark and the nurse over the
sill, lowered like wooden tie. whirl-
Ing and swinging. down into twenty
arms below. Before the trainmen had
got the engineer loose the aurse. fol-
lowing, slid like a cat down the incline.
but not an instant too soon. \ tongue
of flame lit the gable from below and
licked the horsehair up into curling.
frIzzllng thread. and Siclone stood
alone in the upper easement.
It seemed for the moment he stood
there the crowd would 90 mad. The
shock and the shouting seemed to con.
fuse him. 1t may have been the hot
air took his breath. They yelled to
him to Jump, but he swayed uncertain
ly. Once, an instant after that. he was
seen to look down; then he drew back
from the easement. never saw him
| again.
The flames wrapped the building In
yellow fury. BY daylight the big
barracks were smoldering pile Of
ruins. SO little water was thrown that
II was nearly nightfall before we could
get into the wreck The tragedy had
blotted out the feud between the strik-
ers and the new men. Side by side
they worked. rs side by side Siclone
md FitZpatrick had stood In the morn
ing, striving to uncover the mystery
of the missing man. Next day twice
rs many men were In the ruins
Fitzpatrick while we were searching
called continually for Siclone Clark.
We didn't tell him the truth. Indeed.
we didn't know 1t. nor do we yet know
It, Every brace, every beam. every
brick, was taken from the chnrred pile.
every foot of cinders, every handful of
ashes sfted. but Of human being the
searchers found never trace. not a
bone, not Il key, not a knife not but
ton which could be identified rs his
Like the smoke which swallowed him
I'D, he had disappeared completely and
| forever.
Is he alive? cannot tell.
But this I know:
Years afterward Sidney Blair, head
Of our engineering department. wos
running line. looking then, as we are
looking yet. for coast outlet.
He took only flying camp with
him. travelling In the lightest kind Of
| order, camping often with the cattle
men he ran across.
One night away down In the Pan.
handle they fell in with an outfit driv.
ing II bunch Of steers up the Yellow
Grass trail Blair noted that the fore
mas was character--a man OF few
words, but Of great muscular strength.
| and, moreover, frightfully SCARED.
He was silent and inclined to be mo-
ose at first. but after he learned Blair
was from McCloud he unbent a bit
and after q time began asking ques-
tions which indicated surprising ia.
miliarty with the northern country
and with our road. In particular, this
| man asked what hid become Of Bucks
| and, when told what big railroad
man he had grown. asserted. with
sudden bitterness and without In any
way leading mp to 1t, that with Bncks
on the West End there never would
have been a strike.
Sitting at their campfire while their
crews mingled. Blair noticed in the
| flicker Of the blaze how scanned the
| throat and breast Of the cattleman
were. Even his sinewy forearms were
drawn out OF shape. He asked. too.
whether Blair recollccted the night the
barracks burned. but Blair ut that time
was east of tie river and so explained.
though he related to the cowboy Incl
dents OF the fire which he had heard
among others the story Of Fitzpatrick
and Siclone Clark.
"And Fitzpatrick Is alive. and 81
clone Is dead" said Blair in conclu
sion. But the cowboy disputed him.
"You mean Clark is alive and Fitz'
patrick Is dead" said he.
NO" contended Sidney. "Fltzpat'
rick Is running an engine up there
now. I saw him within three months"
But the cowboy was loath to conv'c
ton.
Next morning their trails forked.
The foreman seemed disinclncd to
part from the surveyors. and while the
bunch was starting he rode II lon" WY
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