The Yale expositor., 1908-09-18
CHAPTER xxIx.-continued.

"Oh, surely not for stealing!" In
stantly Esther's mind few back to the
desert station. the overland journey,
the scene on the hillside, to many
lesser visions of him, even TO her last
meeting at Judge Harmons. Always
the same aversion to him, the same
wonder that the company trusted him
Yes, stealth, They gave him pas
senger out of Sacramento, an he didn't
run it three weeks till they caught him.
The boys say there's something back
of that, too, an it'll go hard with him.
Pore devil! He was bright 'nough fur
meanness; pity he couldn't a tried be-
in white. Come on. l got to go to
the kitchen
Here again reigned Vic Wah, the i'm
perturbable.
do you like it here?" Esther asked
him.
He grinned. You bettee! Heap
good. One dollah man out here no
two bittee man. Heap plenty loom.
You like say damn, all light. No
matter"
''Yic got converted down in Oak
land" Sally b. said when out of his
hearing. It'll give We a crick in yer
side to hear him singin' Sans. He's
the best hollerer Charley Crocker's
got. McLane's comm through tonight.
The boys has stuffed Vic with a lot
about Mac, told him Macs goin' to do
up Crocker's railroad; and I'm power
full 'fraid Yicll sass Mac" There was
trifle of worry in Sally BIS laugh.
How can he hinder our company
now?"
"He CANT hinder EN-, but he kin pes
ter 'em a heap, him an the gang he's
actin fur. He amt any wuss'n the
rest, only smarter. He's on his way
home from Washington and New York
now. Been tryin TO fix congress agin,
I'll lay. But bet Coils p. beats him!
| bet on Coils p. every time. Read
this" She tumbled over a pile of
papers, found a recent copy of the
Clarion and pointed out short tele.
graphic dispatch. Read il aloud,
honey. like to listen when our fellers
spouts at the government powwow."
It was an appeal from Mr.. Hunting
ton to Andrew Johnson, as the head of
the outgoing administration, on behalf
of the Central Pacific railroad.
Likely it's ter spike that gun, that
Macs been east. The boys says so.
But l bet on Coils p. all the same.
Ding that Clarion!" she continued,
whipping from one topic to another
with astonishing suddenness. They're
cluckin' to the u. P's now to pass us
and come on to Californy; an howlin'
about pushin' the Southern Pacific to
bust the c. p. If was Gov. Stanford
I'd mortgage my chance O. heaven,
maybe a little bit O. the other place,
but what I'd git holt o. that Southern
Pacific"
What is the Southern Pacific ex-
pecting to do?"
Build across the continent and have
a competin' line"
What? Two railroads? Surely,
one will be enough"
'If-them four git holt OF II, they'll
put II acrost all right. One line?
They'll be half dozen some day. An
you bet the G. P's won't lot nobody
git the start of them If they only Wit
a fair show"
The strange town stirred Esther's
imagination. Like flock of vagraht,
ugly birds, the shacks and fiimsy
wooden houses squatted on the inhos-
pitable mountain top OF huddled be
side the brawling stream. The mott
pretentious places were saloons. A
very long tent caught Esther's eye.
That's the dancehouse," Sally q.
said. They've got an extra big troupe
of hurdy- gurdies in now--there's the
place where they sleep Just 70 the lsft