The Greeley tribune., 1907-01-17


Fitzpatrick while we were searching
called continually for sicione Clark
We didn't tell him the truth. Indeed
we didn't know IT, nor do we yet know
1t. Every brace, every beam, every
brick, was taken from the charred Pile.
every foot Of cinders every handful a
ashes sifted. but Of human being the
searchers found never trace, not
bone, not a key, not knife. not but
ton which could be identified rs his.
Like the smoke which swallowed him
up, he had disappeared completely and
forever.
Is he alive? I cannot tell
But this know:
Years afosrward Sidney Blair, head
of our engineering department, was
running line, looking then, as we are
looking yet, for coast outlet.
He took only u 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 drfv-
ing n bunch Of steers up the Yellow
Grass trail. Blair noted that the fore
mas was n character-a man of few
words, but of great muscular strength.
and. moreover, frlghtfully SCARED.
He was silent and inclined to be mo-
rose at first. but after he learned Blair
was from McCloud he unbent bit
and after a time began asking ques-
tions which indicated surprising Ia
mliarity with the northern country
and with our road. In particular, this
man asked what had become of Bucks
and, when told what big railroad
man he had grown, asserted, with
sudden bitterness and without in any
way leading up to It, that with Bucks
on the West End there never would
have been 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 recollected the night the
barracks burned, but Blair at that time
was east Of the 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 Slclone 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, "Fitzpat-
rick is running an engine up there
now. l saw him within three months"
But the cowboy was loath to convic-
ton.
Next morning their trails forked
The foreman seemed disinclined to
part from the surveyors, and while the
bunch was starting he rode long way
with Blair. talking In a random way.
Then, suddenly wheeling, he waved .
goodby with his heavy Stetson and,
galloping hard, was soon lost to the
north In the ruts Of the Yellow Grass.
When Blair came in he told Neighbor
and me about 1t. Blair had never seen
Siclone Clark and so was no Judge as
to his identity. but Nelghbor believes
yet that Blair camped that night way
down in the Panhandle with no other
than the cowboy engineer.
Once again. that only two years ago,
something came back to us.
Holmes Kay, one of our stan Of sur
geOns. the man, in fact, who took care
Of Fitzpatrick, enlisted in Illinois and
went with the First to Cuba. They
got In front of Santiago just after the
hard fighting of July l, and Holmes
was detailed for hospital work amorg
Roosevelt's men, who had suffered Sc
verely the day before.
One of the wounded, a sergeant. had
sustained gunshot wound In the jaw
and In the confusion had received
scant attention. Kay took hold of
him. He was cowboy, like most of
the rough riders, and after his Jaw
was dressed Kay made some remark
about the hot fire they had been
through before the blockhouse.
I'D been through hotter before I
ever saw Cuba" answered the rough
rider as we'll as he could through his
oandages The remark directed Kay's
attention to the condition of his
breast and neck, which were a mass
of scars
Where are you fromY' asked
Holmes
Everywhere"
Where did you get burned that
wayT"
"Out on the plains"
"How?"
But the poor fellow went OF into a
oehrium and to the surgeons amaze
ment began repeating train orders.
nay was paralyzed at the way he
talked our lingo-and a cowboy. When
ne left the wounded man for the night
ne resolved to question him more
closely the next day. but the next day
orders came to reioin hia roOiment at