The San Francisco call., 1908-12-20


so you are coming around 10 ask
favor OF -Ford?' said the young man.
unfeelfngly. HE won't help you out
You mustn't forget that you kicked
him out of the family; OF rather you
kicked him to prevent his getting into
IT."
But think of the profit 20 him.
20 cents for his half of the Alicia, he
told me so himself. At two hundred he'd
clear ninety Thousand; a magnificent
amount for so young a man"
Ford decent care anything about
money. You can't move him that way"
well then. find him sor me and I'll
III apologize" said Er. Coibrith.
pressed now to the last extremity.
He doesn't want your apollo sies.
Uncle Sidney. Your little til was be-
tween man and man. and he'd never
think of holding you accountable for
anything you were foolish enough to
say"
Then what in heavens name does he
want?' irascibly.
"Oh. a lot of gs-reinstatement; !;
your order to investigate the Dem
yer mana cement: chance TO build
his railroad unmolested; and. as a side
issue, chance TO whitewash your ad-
ministration OF Pacific Southwestern by
name-this last because he thinks
something OF the family honor. He
doesn't have to consider US, you know
At the next annual meeting he can
elect Brewster president over your
head; then you will have TO stand for
all the grating and deviltry that will
be unearthed."
The ground for this duel between
President Colbrith and the determined
young pace setter was the lobby Of
the tar paper covered hotel. cleared
now of the impromptu mining stock
exchange. which had moved into per-
manent quarters. The old man rose
stiffiy and stood, grasping the chair
back.
1.-The same reckless charges against
Mr.. North and his subordinates-and
now you are making them,s he rasped.
They are groundless; groundless. tell
you,''
Adair looked at his watch listened
a moment as for some expected sound
from out of doors. and motioned toward
the vacated chair.
"Sit down. Uncle Sidney, and let me
tell you what happened at Horse Creek
camp a week ago last night he said
evenly: and then he told the story OF
the attempt upon Ford's ise. OF the
siege of the Nadia, OF terrible
catastrophe which had in yolved all
three of the MacMorroghs. the com
missary staff, Eckstein, and the head
quarters camp When he finished. the
president was shaking as II from &
chill Yet one thread of the strong
strand of loyalty still held.
"It was Notwithstanding he shud-
dered But 1t was the MacMorroghs
fight. It does not necessarily incrimi-
nate North
'It does" said Adair. in the same
even tone. II told you that we lef'
a few men at the wrecked camp tt
warn the incoming material trains
They found single survivor of the
13 men to tried 90 destroy US and the
Nadia. 1t was Eckstein. North's sec
retary. and before he died he amply
confirmed all OF our guesses. They
had plotted to have you quarrel with
Ford. Ford had bought his half OF the
Little Alicia without any prompting
but from that as starting point the
entire scheme was worked up The
MacMcrroghs' book keeper, mar
named Merriam-who is at present a.
Copah, and whose deposition l have
had taken before a justice OF th'
peace-was detailed to win Frisbi'
over to the change OF route-no difh
cult, thing, since the change was fol
the better. But Merriam's part wa
chiefly to keep Frisbie from finding ou
anything about Ford's mine; which M
did. Am making it clear%'
The president bowed his head.
Then. when you came west on. you
inspection trip, the trap was sprung
You were told that Ferd had beei
doing a dishonorable thing. and yol
were urged to come over here and SCI
for yourself. To make sure that ther'
should be no slips. Penheld was sen
with you, ostensibly as your aetini
secretary, but really as spy
"Oh, no: I can't think that of youni
Penfeld," protested the president.
II say yes; and the proof is that Pen
field has confessed. He was scared int
1T when 1 told him what had happene'
. at Horse creek and gave him his chotc
; of telling me what he knew, or goini
to jail. Then 1 came on the scene a
the inopportune moment, and after
/, North had carefully issued instruction
, intended to delay me as much as pos
sible, he sent Eckstein in posthaste b,
way OF Jacks, canyon and the stag
, trail to get ahead OF me- You see. n
, was afraid to trust matters to PenfelG
who would most certainly have stoppe
| short of the desperate measures Eek
stein and the MacMorroghs finally took
. 1t was decided at a council in whicl
, Penfield was present. that Ford's elm
inatIon must go through. II you didn'
: quarrel with him and drop him, h
, was to be murdered"
: Mr.. Colbrith was silent for a loni
minute after Adair ceased speaking
Then he looked up to say: What wa
(: Ford doing at Horse creek that night
3 He had left me only few hours be
5 fore; and, as have said. we had-w
5 had some words"
g Adair smiled. HE was about to be
E gin doing what he has been doing eve
i since: fogging the extension into shap
a night and day to get 1t ready 10 carr
e passengers and freight He conceive
q II to be his duty-to you as well as {
t the other stock holders. And he ha
e hogged II into shape. Look out o
Y that window, Uncle Sidneyw
e A long passenger train, crowded {
e the platforms, and with the privat
: car "01" in tow, was winding dow
d the grade OF the opposite hillside, an
y as they stepped to the windows the en-
t gineer woke the echoes with the engin
whistle.
'The first one of many. let US hope,
y said the young man, standing at hi
v uncle's elbow. Then. with quite dif
d ferent note in his voice: It's Stuart
o work, all of II. He has scarcely. stop