Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-19

$50 cSSth ~ ol
time the special picked up the gand of
s%urfacers just turning out to the days
work. An Irish foreman was in com.
inand, and to him Gallagher appealed,
lucidly but moi too gently. The reply
was a volley Of abuse and a caustic
refusal 10 land his men to the track
laying department.
Gallagher turned 10 Adair with his
red-apple face wrinkling ~dismayfully.
lis up TO me to push thot FELIX'S
face in, Mtsther Adair; and what wild
two night and q day, %shtandin', and
wan fight wild a bully twice me size,
I'm not man enough
Adair tossed away the stump of his
cigarette.
You're quite sure that is what is
needed?" he queried.
TO knock a grain av sinse into
thot Wicklow MANI gueried Gala
CHER. Sure, it is" And then whis.
pering: But not for you, Misther
Adair; he'd ate you in two bites. Lave
me haye a thry wild him
But Adair was off and fronting the
surly MacMorrogh foreman.
we need a dozen OF your men and
some tools" he said quietly. DO we
get theme"
Not by a fstful," retorted the
surly one. Maybe you think you're
enough of B. TO axe EN-"
i anl a better man than you are"
was the even toned reioinder,
Prove 1t, then"
Gallagher, leaning from his cab
window. fully awake now, and chuck.
ling and rubbing his hands together
softly. saw the blow. 1t WAS clean.
cut. swift as the lightning's flash, true
to q fingers breadth, and the sound
of 1t was as bone upon bone. As its
impact the Wicklow mar bounded In.
to the air, arched his back like a bow,
and pitched on his head in the ditch.
When he rose up, roaring blasphemies
and doubling his huge fists for the
fray; the quite voice was assailing
him again. DO we get the men and
tools?"
Not"
Again the lightninglike passes of
the hands, and the Wicklow man sat
down forcibly and gasped. The
Italian surfacers threw aside their
picks and shovels and made q, ring,
dancing excitedly and jeering. The
big foreman, whose scepter of author
ity was commonly a pick.handle for
the belaboring of offenders. was not
loved.
"kick-a da shin--kick-a da shin-he
Ikea da niggermans.'' suggested one
Of the Italians. but there was no need.
Being safely out Of range of the cata-
| mil fstc tho foror,oy, for,ad tbo~o r
Take your track gang and be damn
ed to youi' he snarled.
Adair made a forward step and
stood owe him,
Are you quite convinced that | am
the better man." he asked very gent.
ly.
TITS a trick!" growled the wicklow
man savagely. II could get onto it in
another whirl or two
"Get up said the gentle voice,
you'll neer have a better chance to
learn the trick But the foreman had
the saving race to shun anti-clima axes.
"G'wal! Take the men, I say; ali
of 'em, if you like
Thanks" said Adair pleasantly.
Well do it. and we'll take you. as
well--to answe for their good be-
havior. Let me help you up" and he
stopped and snapped the big one to
mis- feet as a man would collar a
reluctant boy.
Great Judgment" sasped the fore.
man. Say, Misther Cock-o'-the-walk
where do you hide all that muscle? 2"
And without waiting for an answer he
piled a dozen of his men upcn the
! q RI ri ay,I .fo11~-,-J L. .x.11 --.-4
ter1ns.
1t was a partly surfaced ten miles
over which the special train Numbered
for the third time since dawn-break-
ing, and Gallagher took the last wheel
turn out OF the $50. None the less,
the run was %reddening the western
mountains when the italians took
ground at the mysterious gap. The
rails were found In the stream, as
Adair had predicted, and il was a
work OF minutes only to snake them
up the embankment and to spike them
lightly into place. But when Adair,
for the healing of wounds, had thrust
a bank-lote into the hand Of the Wick
low man, and the special was once
more on its unhindered way west
ward, the sun had fairly topped the
eastern range, and Johnson, the por-
ter of the co., was shouting across
the rocketing tender that breakfast
was served.
The young man in the London-cut
clothes might have climbed back to
the car over the coal; or Gallagher
would have stopped for him. But he
elected to stay IN the cab, and he was
still there, hanging from the open
window on Jackson's side when the
one-car special woke the echoes with
it's whistle, clattered in over the
switches az Horse Creek, and came to
a stand opposite the MacMorrogh's
commissary.
1t was Brian Marlborough who
came across the tracks 10 greet Adair,
and, since this was their first meet
ing, he made the mistake of his life
in calling the young director by
name.
THE Top of the morning to you,
Misther Adair. Is it Misther Colbrith