The Tupelo journal., 1909-07-30
CHAPTER viii.
The Misunderstanding.

Smoky creek bridge put almost l,UUU
miles of the mountain division out OF
business. Perishable freight and time
freight were diverted to other lines.
Passengers were transferred; lunches
were served to them in the deep val
ley, and they were supplied by an in
genuous advertising department with
pictures Of the historic bridge as 1t
had long stood, and their addresses
were taken with the promise of a pic
ture of the ruins. The engineering de.
partment and the operating depart
ment united in a tremendous effort to
bring about a resumption of traffic.
Glover's men, pulled off construction,
were sent forward in trainloads. Dan.
cing's linemen strung arc lights along
the creek until the canyon twinkled
at night like a mountain village, and
men in three shifts worked elbow to
elbow increasingly to run the switch
backs down to the creek bed. There,
by cribbing cross the bottom, they
got in a temporary line.
McCloud spent his days at the creek
and his nights at Medicine Bend with
his assistant and his chief dispatcher,
advising, counseling, studying out
trouble reports, and steadying wher-
ever he could the weakened lines of
his operating forces. He was getting
his first taste Of the trials of the hard
est worked and poorest paid man in
the operating department of a railroad
the division superintendent.
To these were added personal an
noyances. A trainload of Duck Bar
steers, shipped by Lance Dunning
from the Crawling Stone ranch, had
been caught west of the bridge the
very night of the fire. They had been
loaded at Upton and shipped to catch
promises from the livestock agent of a
quick run to Chicago. When Lance
Dunning learned that his cattle had
been caught west of the break and
would have to be %unloaded, he swore
up a horse in hot haste and started for
Medicine Bend. McCloud, who had
not closed his eyes for 60 hours, had
just got into Medicine Bend from
Smoky Greek and was sitting at his
desk buried in a mass of papers, but
he ordered the cattleman admitted.
He was, in fact, eager to meet the
manager of the big ranch and the
cousin of Dicksie. Lance Dunning
stood above six feet in height. and
was a handsome man, in spite of the
hard lines around his eyes; as he
walked in; but neither his manner nor
his expression was amiable.
"Are you Mr.. McCloud? I've been
here three times this afternoon to
see you." said he, ignoring McCloud's
answer and a proffered chair. "This
is your Office, isn't it,"
McCloud, a little surprised, an
swered again and civilly: ut certain
ly is; but I have been at Smoky Creek
for two or three days"
what have you done with my cat
tle?"
1.-The Duck Bar train was run back
to Point of Rocks and the cattle were
unloaded at the yard"
Lance Dunning spoke with increas-
ing harshness: by whose order was
that done? Why wasn't I notified?
Have they had feed or water?"
"All the stock caught west of the
bridge was sent back for feed and
water by my orders. It has all been
taken care of. You should have been
notified, certainly; it, is the business
of the stock agent to see to that. Let
me inquire about it while you are
here, MI. Dunning," suggested Nc
Cloud, ringing for his clerk.
Dunning lost no time in expressing
himself. Il don't want my cattle held
at Point Of Rocks!" he said, angrily.
"Your Point Of Rocks yards are in
fected. My cattle shouldn't have been
sent there"
ooh, no! The old yards where they
had a touch of fever were burned off
the face of the earth a year ago.. The
new yards are perfectly sanitary. The
loss of the bridge has crippled us, you
know. Your cattle are being well
cared for, Mr.. Dunning, and If you
doubt it you may go up and give our
men any orders you like in the matter
at MI expense"
you're taking altogether too much
on yourself when you run my stock
over the country in this way" ex-
claimed Dunning, refusing to be pla-
Gated. aHow am I to get to Point of
Rocks-Walk there?"
"Not at ALL" returned McCloud, ring
ing up his clerk and asking for a pass,
which was brought back in a moment
and handed to Dunning. "The CATTLE"
continued McCloud, "can be run down.
unloaded, and driven around the break
to-morrow-with the loss of only two
days."
"And in the meantime / lose my
market"
1T is too bad, certainly, but / sup
pose it will be several days before we
can get a line across Smoky creek"
why weren't the cattle sent
through that way yesterday? What
have they been held at Point Of Rocks
for: / call the thing badly managed"
1--WE couldn't get the empty cars up
from Piedmont for the transfer until
to-day: empties are very scarce every
where now
There always have been empties
here whom they we're wanted until
lately. There's been no head or tail
to anything on this division for ok
months"
I'm sorry that yon have mat I'm
preston
THAT impression II very general"