Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-29

Empire Builders
By FRANCIS LYNDE
Copyright I9OS-Bp Francis Lynde
Copyright 1eos--By Francis Lynde,

By FRANCIS LYNDE


hasty shot had accomplished all that
deliberate one might have.
There was no dead man tumbled N
a neap III the railroad yard, as he had
, hoped to find Silence. the silence of
arcs. Painfully the Mexican searched
shadows cast by the crowding mater
ia cars Finally. he crossed over o
the struggling street of the camp,
walking nov and leading the spent
mustang. Silence here. too. broken
only by the sputtering szzle Of the
electrics. The huge mess tent was
dark there were no lights. save in
the closed conmissary and in the
presidents car: no lights, and not /,
| man of the camps crowding labor
army to be seen.
At less strenuous moment the man
killer would have been puzzled by the
unusual stiffness and the air OF de-
isertion. AS II was, he was alertly
probing the carflung shadows. The
engineer, If only wounded, would
doubtless try to hide in the shadows
in the railroad yard.
! The Mexican left his horse in the
camp street and made an instant
search between and under the mater
lal cars, coming out now and again
TO stare suspiciously at the presidents
private car, standing alone on the sid
ing directly opposite the commissary..
The Nadia was occupied. It WAS
lighted within, and the window
shades were drawn down. Ruiz
1 Gregorio could never get far from
the lighted car without being ire
sistibly drawn back to it, and finally
he darted back in time to see a nun
rise up out of the Nadia and kick
Justify at the locked door. The door
was opened Immediately by some one
within, and the fugitive plunged ID
! cover-but not before the Mexican &
revolver had barked five times with
the rapid staccato of machine gun.
When Ruiz Gregorio, dropping the
smoking weapon into it's holster,
would have mounted to put into in.
slant action the plan of the well-con
sidered alibi, barreI-bodiad figure
launched itself from the commissary
porch. and a vigorous hand dragged
horse and man into the shadow of the
stables.
Off wild you now, you blunderin
dago divvle! gritted the MacMorrogt
sayagely. ITS all av our necks we've
, put into a rope, this time damn you!
The Mexican had dismounted apc
was can1ly reloadipg his pistol.
You t'ink-a-he's not.a sufficiently
hlll? I go over to da car and bring-s
: you da proof. SIP
You'll come wild me- raved the bis
contractor. $ tTis out av your clums,
hands, now, We black-heartet. blundel
) in cross betune Digger Indian ant
a Mexican naygur! Come on, say"
The back room Of the comnaissary j
which the MacMorogh led the way he'll
three men: Eckstein. and the tw
: Younger members of the contractin
firm They had heard the fusillade
the camp street and were waiting 70
news. Brian MacMorrogh gave it, sal
nished with many oaths.
!: THE pin-brained omadhaun av
! Mexican has twishted a rope for a
: av US! He's let Ford come bac
: alive; let him get to the very dure a
the presidents car. Then. begorra
: he must nades show himself unde
!. the electhrics and open fire on tn
! man who was kicking at the dure an
= looking straight at his.
Eckstein asked a single question
!, Did he get him? If he's dead :
, can't very well tell who shot him"
, That's the hell av it," ragged the bi
: man. who's to know
:, Eckstein spat out the extinct Gig;
: stump he was chewing.
We are to know--beyoud a que
y ton of doubt. this time. Who's in tt
:. Nadia besides Ford .
!, THE two naygurs.'
!, mo one else?''
l. Marlborough shook his head ~
II wan"
You are sure Mr.. Adair and Bri
~ sac are out of the way"
~ They got Gallagher to push the
= up to Frisbie's track camp in Misth
~ North's car an hour before dark
:, "None of your men are likely
"A drift in from the other way up Il
~ lines?'
Not unless somebody carries Il
:, news av the gold sthrike-and there
:. nobody going that way to carry
-. The camps empty but for u.s.
- Ecksteiu rose and buttoned his COZ
~. You have held your own strikers
~ the men you can depend upon; ht
:, many do we count. all told?''
-, 80 Thirteen, counting the five av
80 here, and the felly that runs the ell
- thric light plant
y, Hin; it's a hell of risk: thirte
- men knowing what only one shol
~ know-and what that one should hun
rs to forget. But your butter-finger
-, :, Mexican has left us no choice. Fc
.a knows enough now to send some of
in over the road for life. II he got il
~ that car alive, he must never Coz
- out alive"
w. Brian MacMorrogh had unlocked
~ cupboard in the corner of the roc
~. a' 1t was5a well-filled gun rack. and
"a. was passing the Winchesters out
AZ his brothers.
~ "'Tis So" he said briefly. The
40 There's the two naygurs in the C,
~ what av thin, Misther Eckstein?"
Eckstein took one of the guns a
- emptied the magazine to make sure
the loading.
We I'VE are thirteen to one: the
it's groes don't count" he replied colo
my Call in your men and We'll go and