The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-09-20
PETE'S
BAD HOUR.
By FRANK H. SWEET.

} copyrighted, 1907, by p. C. Eastment
| O~~~~N~~~
Pete Duffy ran crouchIng across the
freight yards, scrambling under the
vars on all tours. Then, ascending to
The top OF the box car with the agility
Of a eat, he lay painting beside the
fOOtbOnrd
The city rose from the yards as from
m amphitheatcr. They were bathed
in dust, though red cash still showed
In the west where the hostile sun with
drew after Il day that had filled the
hospitals. The heat was Intensified by
reflection from the labyrinth Of rails
and the metal of the rolling stock.
4 switch engine coughcd unseen far
down the yards, where harsh, Earring
sounds accompanied the shunting and
coupling of cars. Lanterns danced and
fiickered In jerky undulations.
Pete was saturated with perspiration.
He pressed his chest against the slope
Of the car roof, where it fell away from
the footboard, to still the pounding of
his heart His temples throbbed, his
mouth was dry rs ashes, and he
breathed with wheezy sObs. Yet, in
the midst of his torture, he listened
with IL sense SO sharpened by preda-
tory habit and present danger that the
physical consciousness of 1t added to
his pain.
As yet he dared not move. Voices
foatcd to him, mutfied and indistinct,
and he strained his ears to catch what
was being said, or, falling that, to
gather from their tones some clew to
the identity of the speakers. A burst
Of laughter relieved him. The police
would not laugh.
The revolver thrust into the tight
hlpped trousers that he wore In COM
mon with his type, pressed against his
ribs as he lay ON 1t. He drew it out
and placed it under the footboard with
In easy reach. There were still three
cartridges In ii. The other two had
done their vork-done it well, he hoped,
with Il grim tightening of his thin lips.
Iulligan had been looking for it
since the section mems down the river
picnic, when Pete proved himself the
better man. as everybody had de-
clared MulIigan deserved 1T too.
Couldn't he have taken beating
without making such a rumpus about
1t and then spinning Old Man Leary
a whole string of lies? And Lcary
was just on the point of adding his
consent to NoralIs and letting them hit
it off together on the next picnic down
the river. Even the priest had been
spoken to with Leary's knowledge.
Oh we'll, there was no use whining
about 1t now Mulligan was soft on
Norah too, as everybody knew, and
that was the real bone of contention.
and MuIlfgan was brother-in-law to
the section boss, who was supposed to
have n pull with the division superin-
tendent himself. The end was as
plain now as If pronounced in the
crisp tones of judges sentence.
Mulligan was In the doctors hands
and good for at least month In the
hospital. When he came out he would
through the lies told her, and-and-
we'll he, Pete, would either have to
skulk around In hiding or give himself
up and take his medicine. And, Of
course, he had forever lost all chance
of job on the road with Mulligan.
Pete dug his nails into his palms and
writhed Remorse he had none. He
would have done it all over again
What had happened was, from his
viewpoint. inevitable, the one honor
able thing. He would resist to the
last, of course. Now that Norah was
lost to him, what was the use of liv-
ing?
They would search the freight yards.
though they seemed to have lost the
scent. The growing darkness favored
him. Perhaps he might venture now
on change of position.
He raised his head. The switch en-
CINE still puffed. and the uneasy re-
Election OF lanterns glmmered in spots,
their bearers hidden by intervening
cars. The tracks shook with the vi
bration OF trains passing on the main
line To the north massive bridge
overhung the yard where 1t narrowed.
Under the arc light that snapped and
flickered above it two policemen were
posted, their faces blue black under
the shadow of their summer helmets.
He was about to descend between
the cars when the sound of approach
ing feet arrested linn even as his hand
closed upon the top rung of the iron
ladder to swing off. He noiselessly
cooked the revolver.
The car door rolled open. There was
a scramble and the crack of a match
within Pete lowered his weapon and
Decred downward just as a dark form
emerged from the interior, closely fol
lowed by second. There was that
in each stumbling figure which needed
no more than outline to declare the
tramp.
They stood leaning with their backs
against the sill.
Hes goin' TO croak," asserted one
of them. "Me for Beertown."
you've lost your nerve. It's nothin'
but the heat l seen kids like that be-
fore"
81 tell We he's goin' to croak," reiter-
ated the first voice. Listen to him
breathe"
There was short silence.
you're chump," the other struck
in presently. didn't we find him lost
near the yards an lock him in the car
for safe kccpin'? What have we done?
Nothin'- only took care of him. An
won't his folks make good when we
write 'em how we rescued little Willie
from hoboes up the line? 1t ought 10
be good for fifty apiece the way he's
rugged ont. An you want to weaken"
thin. Qucrulous cry sounded from
the depths of the car. The second
tramp stuck his head into the door
and growled fcrocious threat.
Il won't stand for it," protested the
other. ITS plain kidnapin'."
Hun, We only takes him up the
line Il hundred miles or so. This train
pulls out at II. It's Il cinch."
''Stay with il. then. If you Nwant to.
l amt takin' no chances wikh dead
Kid"
The speaker dived under the rods
and disappeared. His companion swore,
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