The Huttig news., 1909-09-18
SYNOPSIS.

I JHAF Elk T.-MUTTay SlnCTafT and hls gang of wreckers were called out to clear the railroad tracks at Smoky Creek. CHAPTER 1I.-McCloud. a young road superintendent, caught Sinclair and his men in the act of footing the wrecked train Sinclair pleaded innocence. declar- ing 1t only amounted to small sum-a treat for the men. McCloud discharged the whole outfit and ordered the wreck age burned.
 | CHAPTER III-McCloud became ac- quainted with Dicksie Dunning a girl of the west. who came to look at the wreck. She gave him message for Sinclair.
 CHAPTER Iv.-"whispering'' Gordon Smith told President Bucks of hezrail- road, of MeCloud's brave fight against gang of crazed miners and that was the reason for the superintendent appoint ment to his high office. McCloud ar ranged to board at the boarding house of Mrs. Sinclair, the ex-foreman's desert | ed wife.
 CHAPTER v~Dicksie Cunning was the daughter of the late Richard Dun ming. who had died of a broken heart shortly after his wife's demise. which occurred after one year Of married life. CHAPTER VI.-sinclair visited Marion Sinciair's shop and a fight between him and McCloud was narrowly averted.
 CHAPTER VII.-Smoky Cheek bridge was mysteTiously burned. McCloud pre- pared to face the situation. President Bucks notified Smith that he had work ahead
 CHAPTER vIII-MeCloud worked for days and finally got the division running In fairly good order. He overheard Dick sic criticising his methods. to Marion Sinclair.
 CHAPTER Ix.-A stock train was wrecked by an open switch. Later a pas i senger train was held up and the express car robbed. Two men of a posse pursuing the bandits were killed McCloud was notified that Whispering Smith was to hunt the desperadoes.
 CHAPTER X.-Bill Dancing a road l lineman, proposed that Sinclair and his gang be sent to hunt the bandits. A stranger, apparently with authority. told stranger was Whispering Smith"
 CHAPTER XI.-Smith approached Sin clair. He tried to buy him off. but failed He warned McCloud that his life was in danger
 CHAPTER xII.-McCloud wa carried forcibly into Lance Dunning's presence Cunning refused the railroad a right-of- way. he had already signed for. Dick sic nterfered to prevent a shooting af- fray.
 CHAPTER XIII-Dicksie net MeCloud on lonely trai a to S,s warn him no his life was passed through his hat
 CHAPTER XIV.-Whispering Smith re ported that Du Sang one of Sinciair's gang. had been assigned to kill McCloud | He and Smith saw Du Sang.
 CHAPTER XV-Whispering Smith taunted Du Sang and told him to get out of Medicine Bend or suffer. Du Sang seemed to succumb to the buf
 CHAPTER xyI.-McCloud's big con | struetion job taken from him be- cause of an injunction issued to Lance | Cunning by the United States court A flood stifed further railroad operations
 CHAPTER XVII Beset by flood Dick proposed asking aid to stem the flood from MeCloud At first Dieksie refused s IT. she .~reed.
 1 Why, yon are in real earnest aren't you? But I am not making fun Of you. Do you know President Bucks No? Too bad. He's a very handsome old bachelor And he is one of those men who get all sorts of men to do all sorts of things for them You know, building and operating railroads 1 in this part of the country is no joke. The mountains are filled with men that don't care for God, man. or the devil. Sometimes they furnish their own ammunition to fight with and don't bother the railroad for years; at such times the railroad leaves them alone. For my part. I never qu rrea with man that doesn't quarrel with the road. Then comes a time when they get after us, shooting cur men or rGbbing our agents or stopping our trains. Of course we have to get busy then. A few years ago they wor ried Bucks till they nearly turned his Lair gray. At that unfortunate time 1 happened into his office with a letter of introduction from his closest Chi eago friend, Willis Howard. prince of good men, the man that made the Palmer house famous--yes. Now had come out here, Miss Dunning-I almost said Miss Dicksie, because I | hear it so much"
 T should be greatly set up to hear you call me Dicksie. And I have won- dered a thousand times about your name. Dare ask-why do they call you Whispering Smith? You don t whisper"
 He laughed with abundance of good humor. That Is a ridiculous accident, and it all came about when l lived in Chicago. Do you know anything about the internal climate there? Well, in Chicago ! used to lose my voice when ever 1 caught a cold-sometimes for weeks together. So they began call ing me Whispering Smith. and I've never been able to shake the name. l Odd, isn't 1t? But l came out to go into the real estate business was looking for some gold-hearing farm lands where I could raise quartz, don't you know, and such things-yes. don't mind telling you this, though wouldn't tell it to everybody"
 ''Gertainly not" assented Dichsie dlawing her skirt around to sit in closer confidence.
 ''I wanted to get rich quick" mnr mured Whispering Smith. conf dentially.
 Almost criminal, wasn't it?"
 q wanted to have evening clothes
 Yes"
 And fer once in my life two pairs of suspenders-a modest ambition, but a gnawing one. Would you believe [ Before left Bucks office he had hir.s,! me for a railroad man. When he ask.. me what 1 could do, and I admitted little experience in handling real ;, tate, he brought his fist down on the