The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-30
CHAPTER Vii.
Smoky Greek Bridge.

II was not alone that a defiance
makes a bad dinner sauce; there was
more than this for McCloud 10 feed
on He was forced to confess to him
self as he walked back to the Wickiup
that the most annoying feature Of the
incident was the least important
namely. that his only enemy in the
country should be intrusted with COM
missions from the Stone ranch and be
carrying packages for Dicksie Dun
ming. 1t was Sinclair's trick to do
things for people. and to make himself
so useful that they must like first his
oblig1ngness and afterward himself
Sinclair, McCioud knew, was close in
many ways to Lance Dunning. IL was
said to have been his influence that
Won Cummings consent to sell a right
of way across the ranch for the new
Crawling Stone line. But McCIoud
felt It useless to disguise the fact 10
himself that he now had a second
keen interest in the Crawling Stone
country-not alone a dream of a line
but dream OF a girl. Sitting mOOdilv
in his once, with his feet on the desk.
a few nights after his encounter with
Sinclair. he recalled her nod as she.
said goodbye. It had seemed the least
! bit encouraging. and he meditated
anew on the only twenty minutes of
EEu1 Rlt&-oQEaDlG excitement ne mad
felt in his life, the twenty minutes with
Dicksie Ounning at Smoky Creek. Her
1ntimates, he had heard, called her
-0dcksie, and he was vaguely envying
her intimates when the night dispatch
er, Rooney Lee. opened the door and
disturbed his reflections.
How is No. 1, Rooney" called Nc
Cloud, as il nothing but the thought OF
a train movement ever entered his head.
Il
held a message, and ne faced McCloud
with evident uneasiness. Holy smoke
Mr.. McCloud, here's a ripperl We've
lost Smoky creek bridge"
Lost Smoky creek bridge ?" echoed
McCloud, rising in amazement
Burned tonight. Seventy-seven was
Ragged by the man at the pump sta
ton"
That's tie-up for your life" ex-
claimed McCloud. reaching for the
message. How could it catch fire?
Is it burned up?"
Il can't get anything on that vet
this came from Candy. III have a good
wire In few minutes and get It all
for you
Have Phil Haley and Hyde notified.
Rooney, and Reed and Brill Young ana
get up train. Smoky creek bridge,
BY heavens. We are ripped up the back
now! What can we do there, Roonev?'
he was talking to himself. There isn't
thing for IL on Gods earth but
switchbacks and per cent grades down
to the bottom OF the creek and cribbine
across IL till the new line is ready.
Wire Callahan and Morris Blood. and
get everything you can for me before
we start"
Ten hours later and many hundreds
OF miles from the mountain division.
President Bucks and a companion
were riding in the peace Of a June
morning down the beautiful Mohawk
valley with an earlier and illustrious
railroad man, William c. Brown. The
three men were at breakfast I'm
Browns car. A message was brought
In for Bucks. He read IL and passed
II TO his companion WHISPERING
Smith, who sat at Browns left hand
The message was from Callahan with
the news Of the burning Of Smoky creek
bridge. Details We're few, because no
one on the west end could suggest a
plausible cause for the fire
What do you think Of IT, Gordon?"
demanded Bucks. bluntly.
Whispering Smith seemed at All
times bordering on good-natured sur
prise, and in that normal condition he
read Callahan's message.
He was laughing under Bucks scru-
tiny when he handed the message
back. why. I don't know a thing
about it, not a thing: but taking long
shot and speaking by and far. I should
say IL looks something like first blood |
for Sinclair" he suggested, and 20 |
change the subject lifted his cup of |
coffee
Then IT looks like you for the |
mountains tonight. instead of for We |
Der and Fields" retorted Bucks, reach |
Ing for cigar. Brown. why have you |
never learned to smoker"