Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-06
FRANCIS LYNDE
XXI-Coutinued.
Copyright, 1907, by Francis Lynde)

XXI-Coutinued.
Eve passed a camp av surfacers tin
mile back. and there'd be rails at Arroyo
siding. tin mile book o. thot" he said. re-
flectively
Adair had passed over to the river side
of the line and was looking at q fresh
blowing of the embankment.
THE rails have been dragged down here
and they are probably in the river" he
announced. IF we had men and tools
We might fish them out and repair dam
ages"
Come on. thin cried the little Irish
man. and when he ran back to climb to
the footboard of the $50 Adair climbed
with him.
Jackson. refreshed by his cat maps on
the coal. was sent to the rear end OF the
"O1" to flag back. and i'm due time the
special picked up the gang OF surfacers
just turning out to the days dork. An
Irish foreman was in command. and to
him Gallagher appealed. lucidly but not
too gently. The reply was volley OF
abuse and caustic refusal to lend his
men to the track-laying department
Gallagher turned to Adair with his red
apple face wrinkling dismayfully.
It's up to me to push thot felly's face
ILL., AOdlE, ana Wnat via TWO
nights and a 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
ITO knock a grain av sinse into thot
Wicklow MANI" queried Gallagher Sure
1t is And then whispering: But not
for you. Misther Adair: he'd ate you in
two bites. Lave me have thry wild
But Adair was of and fronting the
.surly Marlborough foreman.
I'VE need a dozen Of your men and
some tools" he said. quietly. do we
get them?
mot by a fistfulr' retorted the suriy
one. Maybe you think you're enough
of - - to take EN-"
Il am better man than you are" was
the even-toned rejoinder.
prove it then
Gallagher. leaning from his cab win
dow. fully awake now. and chuckling and
rubbing his hands together softly. saw
the blow. 1t was clean cut. swift as the
lightning's flash. true to fingers
breadth and the sound Of II was as bone
upon bone. At its impact the Wicklow
man bounded into 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 quiet voice was assail-
ing him again. do we get the men and
tools?'
Not"
Again the lightning-like passes of the
hands. the Wicklow man sat down fore
IDLY and gasped. The Italian surfacers
threw aside their picks and shovels and
made a ring. dancing excitedly and jeer-
ing. The big foreman. whose scepter of
authority was commonly a pick handle
for the belaboring Of offenders. was not
loved
"Kick-a da shin-kick-a da shin-he
Ikea da nigger-mans." suggested one of
the Italians. but there was no need. Be
ing safely out Of range of the catapult
fists the foreman stayed there.
Take your track gang and be ID
to you." he snarled.
Adair made forward step and stood
over him.
Are you quite convinced that am the
better mani" he asked. very gently:
It's a trick" growled the Wicklow
another whirl or two"
Get up." said the gentle voice. you'll
never have better chance to learn the
trick" But the foreman had the saving
grace to shun antEclmaxes.
"G'wan! Take the men, I say; all of
'em. If you like"
Thanks said Adair. pleasantly
We'll do It. and we'll take you as we'll
to answer for their good behavior. Let
snapped the big one to his feet as a man
would collar a reluctant boy
Great Judgment gasped the foreman.
Say. Mister Cock-o'-the walk-where do
you hide all that muscle?" And without
waiting for an answer he piled a dozen Of
them. still muttering.
1t was a partly surfaced ten miles over
which the special train Numbered for the
third time since dawn breaking. and CAL
- "a ~. - -
$50. None the less. the sun was redden-
ing the western mountains when the Ital-
ians took ground at the mysterious gap.
The rails were found In the stream. as
Adair had predicted. and Il was work of
minutes only to snake them up the en-
bankment and to spike them lightly into
place. But when Adair. for the healing
of wounds. had thrust a bank note into
the hand Of ihe Wicklow man. and the
special was once moro on it's unh!ndered
the eastern range. and Johnson. the por-
ter of the "01.' was shouting across the
rocketinE tender that breakfast was
served.
The young man in the London-cut
clothes might have climbed back to the
have stopped for him. But he elected to
stay in the cab. and he was still there.
hanging from the open window OF Jack
sons side. when the one-car special woke
the oCnDeS Win lis ~IiStlc CIdttcIco III
over the switches at Horse creek and
came to a stand opposite the MacMor-
roghs' commissary.
1t was Brian MacMorrogh who came
across ,ne tracks to greet Adair. and.
since this was their first meeting. 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 you'd be
looking for?"
ct is said Adair. shortly. not falling
to remark that the barrel-bodied. black
bearded man seemed to recognize and to
be expecting him.
IT'S two hours gone they all are" was
the oily voiced explanation. up the
grade and over to Copah. But THEY'LL be
back tomorrow. heaven savin' thin. and
we'll make you comfortable here-as COM
Portable as we can.
THAT will be quickly done" said Adair.
swinging down from the engine step.
Just give me a horse and tell me which
way they have gone and I'll overtake
them"
But here the barrel-bodied one spread
his hands helplessly.
It's Just our luck he protested. in
the keenest self-reproach. There isn't
bhrca a mule in camp that Won could