La Junta tribune., 1907-07-27


be was excited. Anyway. he stood out
there with shovel and kept the whole
bunch on me. I thought they would
kill him. But I never tried to chase
range steers on foot again.
''ln the spring We got the rains-not
like you get now. but cloudbursts. The
section men were good fellows. only
sometimes We would get into storm
miles from n section gang and strike
place where We couldn't see u ming.
Then Sicione would stop the train.
take bar and get down ahead and
sound the roadbed. Many and many
washout he struck that way which
would have wrecked our train and
wound up our ball OF yarn In minute.
Often and often Sicione would so Into
his division without n dry thread Oh
him.
Those were different days." mussd
the grixZied striker. The old boys are
scattered now all over this broad land.
The strike did II. and you fellows have
the snap. But what l wonder often
and often Is whether Siclone Is really
alive or not"
Sicionc Clark was one Of the two
cowboys who helped Harvey Reynolds
and Ed Banks save 30 at Griffin the
night the. coal train ran down from
Ogailnla. They were both taken into
the service Siclone after awhile went
to wiping-
When Bucks asked his name. Siclone
answered. IS. Clark
whats your full name:'' asked
Bucks.
'-s. Clark"
But what does 8 stand FORT" per
sisted Bucks.
Stands for Cyclone. l reckon. Don't
IT." retorted the cowboy. with some
annoyance.
1t was not usual In those days on the
plains to press man too closely about
his name There might be reasons
why IL would not be esteemed cour-
teous.
II reckon II do" replied Bucks. drop
ping into Siclone's grammar. And
without a quiver he registered the
new man as Sicione Clark. and his
checks always read that way. The
name seemed to ht He adopted II
without any objection. and after every
body came to know him II fitted 80
well that Bucks was believed to have
second sight when he named the hare
Drained fireman He could get up "A
storm quicker than any man on the
division and. IL lie felt so disposed.
stop one quicker.
In spite of his eccentrclties. which
were many. and his headsirong way OF
doing some things SIclone Clark was
good engineer and deserved IL better
fate than the one that befell him.
though--whO can teIl?--lt may have
been just to his liking.
The strike was the worst thing that
ever happened to Siclone. He was one
OF those big hearted, violent fellows
who went Into It loaded with entiiusi-
asm. He had nothing to gain by It
at least. nothing to speak Of. But the
idea that somebody on the East End
needed their help led men like Sicione
In. and they thought II cinch that
the company would have to take them
all back.
The consequence was that. when We
staggered along without them. men like
Siclone. easily aroused. naturally OF
violent passions and with no self re-
straint. stopped at nothing to cripple
the service And they looked on the
men who took their places As entitled
neither to liberty nor life.
When our new men began coming
from the Heading TO replace the strik-
ers. every one wondered who would
get siclone Clark's engine. the 313. 81
clone had gently sworn to kill the first
man who took out the 313. bar no
body.
Whatever others thought of Sicione's
vaporings. they counted for a good
deal on the West End. Nobody wanted
trouble with him.
Even Neighbor. who feared no man.
sort Of let the 3i3 lie In her stall as
long as possible after the trouble be-
gan.
Nothing was said about 1t. Threats
cannot be taken cognizance OF official
ly. We were bombarded with threats
all the time; they had long since ceased
to move us. Yet SiclOne's engine stay
ed in the rOundhouse.
Then. after Foley and Mcrerza and
Sinclair, came Fitzpatrick from the
east. McTerza was put on the mails.
and coming down one day on the
White Filler he blew a cylinder head
out OF the 416.
Fitzpatrick was waiting to take her
cut when she came stumplng In ON
one pair of drivers, for we were using
engines worse than horsenesh then.
But of course the 416 was put out.
The only gig left In the house was
the 313.
imagine Neiglibor felt the finger of
fate In it. The mail had to go. The
time had come for the 3l3. He order
ed her fred.
1.-The man TINT rnn this engine swore
he would kill the man that took her
out" said NeIghbor. sort OF Incidental