Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-13
II.-Continued.

Now. what in the mischief does all
that mean?' unused the chief clerk, when
Ford and his new track man had gone
out. "A months hunting trip over the
range. with the surveying instruments
taken along And last summer Mr.. Ford
spent a good part of his time over there
also hunting. so he said. Confound it all!
L wish l could get into that private
drawer of his in the safe. That would
tell the story. | wonder if Pacheco couldn t
make himself an errand over the pass
in the morning? By George" slapping
his thigh and apostrophizing the superin-
tehdent. 'I'l just go you once, Mr.. Ford,
if lose"'
Now the fruit, of which this little so
liloduy was the opening blossom. matured
on the second day after Ford and Frisbie
had started out on the mysterious hunt
ing trip across the range. Pacheco, the
half-breed Mexican who freighted provi-
sions by jack train to the mining camps
on the head waters of the Pannikin, came
in to report to the chief clerk.
well, 'Checo. what did you find out?''
was the curt inquiry.
The half-breed spread his palms
d i i
for hunt much. One day out, dey'll
make-a da camp and go for squint
trough spygass, so''-makng an mag
mary transit telescope of his hands
Den dey'll measure hon da groun' and
suuint some more. So"
Penfield nodded and gold piece
changed hands silently.
That's all. 'Checo: much obliged.
Don't ca ANYTHING ahout his over i'm be
camp. Mr. Ford said he was going hunt
ing. and that's what well say if anybody
asks u.s.
That night the chief clerk sent a brief
cipher telegram to the general manager
at Denver.
Ford and his new track supervisor.
who is really a highpriced constructing
engineer, gone over the range for a
months absence Gave it out here that
they were going after big game but they
took transit and are picking up the
line of the old S. l.. & w. extension in
the upper Pannikin.'
1t was late in the month of June when
Ford and Frisbie. tanned, weathered and
as gaunt as pioneers returned to Saint S
Rest, and for those who were curious
enough to be interested, there were a
couple of bearskins and one of noun
tain lion to make good the OStenSible OBJ
ject of the absence.
But the most important trophies of the
excursion were two engineers notebooks
we'll filled with memoranda, and these
they did not exhibit. On the contrary
they became part of the collection of
maps statistics. estimates and private
correspondence which Chief Clerk Pen
field was so anxious to examine. and
which Ford kept under lock and key
when he and Frisbie We're not porting over
some portion of it in the secusion of the
private office.
None the less, PenfieId kept his eyes
and ears open, and before long he had
another detail to report by cipher tele-
gram to the general manager. Ford was
evidently preparing for another absence
and from what the chief clerk could over
hear. he was led to believe that the
pseudo supervisor of track would be left
in charge of Plug Mountain affairs
1t was on the day before Ford's de-
parture for Denver that letter came
from General Manager North. Ford read
it with scowl Of disapproval and tossed
it across the double desk to Frisbie.
"A polite invitation for me to stay at
home and to attend to my business he
commented.
Had you written him that you were
going away?" inquired Frisbie.
mo. but evidently somebody else has. "