Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-10

farther on. Penfield came sliding over
the coal to say that the president
wanted to know what the shooting was
about
Ford turned the 1Nl2 over to Hec
tor. The track hazards Of the noun
tain grade were safely passed
did any Of the shots hit the carr"
he asked Of Penf field
NO
well il you have to say ANYTHING
before the ladies 1t might DE advisable
to make joke OF It, Signal torpedoes
so,nd very much like pistol shots, you
know
penAeld noaded "Rut tc Mr. Col
hrith?"
"To MI. Colbrith yor may say that
gang OF drunken MacMorrogh SUI.
/ fncers tagged us down and %hen
we wouldn't let them have the train,
made little gun play
"Heavens!" said the clerk, whose
curiosity stopped short at the farthcst
confines Of any battlefield, rs that
sort Of thing likely to happen again,
/ Mr.. Ford?''
"Your guess is as good as any
body's," said Ford CURLY. Better get
back to the car as quickly as you can,
! before Mr.. Colbrith whistles us down
4 to find out what has become of YOU
Below the camp of the suTfacers
there were a few miles Of better track
and Hector made fair time until the
train circled the mountain shou der
at the lower end of the great loop.
Beyond this the roughness began
again. and there were more of the
skimped rock cuttings. At Ten Mile,
which was relay station in the up
per canvon for the halttns of supplies
and material for which there was no
room at the ever-advancne front, !
they stopped to try for track clear
ings.
J AS Leckhard had foretold. the oper-
ator could give them little help. Two
4 hours earlier. train Of empties IN
two sections had left the end of-track.
COMING eastward Whether it was
hung up at one of the intervening side
tracks or was still coming. the opeT-
ator could not say; and there were
no means of finding out Also, Mr.
Frisbie, who had reached RileF's camp
late in the afternoon, had left there
after supper and Yves somewhere on
the line with his light engine-prop-
ably on his way to the front, the oper-
ator thought.
Hector removed his great weight
from the telegraph counter and the
woodwork creaked its relief. What
he said was indicative Of his frame Of
mind
"Humph." he growled tTf we don't
| Ev~seL s.Sr 1irI,S
{ engine. it's us for head-ender with
, the string of empties. Isn't that about
: it, Mr.. Ford ?"
}, That's it, precisely
Which means that Jimmy Shovel
. trots ahead of us for hundred mile
. r so, carryin' a lantern like blame
, Dio-geenes huntin' for an honest man.
;, THAT lis the size Of it, said Ford /;
! but Just then the sounder on the table
began to click and the operator held
up his hand for silence.
4 Hold on a minute" he interrupted
, here's a piece Of luek--it's Mr. Fris
, bic, cutting with HIS field set from
!. Camp Frierson. He is asking Saints
Rest about you"
/, Break in and tell him we're here
. said Ford; and when it was done:
3 ASK him about that string of emp
2 ties"
1 The reply was apparently another
. piece Of luck Frisbie, going west
1 ward, had passed the first section d
the freight train at Siding Number
Twelve. 1t was hung UP with :
|. broken draw-head on tho engine, and
1 was safe to stay there, Frisbie thought
n until somebody came along with re
o pair kit, which, It might be assumed
would not be before morning.
n At this point Ford went around tn,
d counter and took the wire for q littl'
( personal talk with the first assistant
It ignored the stalled freight train
r and Ford's rapid clickings spelled
2 out an oyder. Frisbie was to drol
S everything else and constitute himsel
J. the presidents ayant-courier to thu
d end of-track camp, which. at the mo
i. ment. happened to be the MacMor
roughs' headquarters at the mouth .
q Horse Creek ALI liquor-selling was t
Q be stopped. the saloons closed, ant
the strictest order maintained durini
g the presidents stay--this IL it shout,
r take the entire field force of the ell
II gineering department to bring it t
Q pass.