The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-09-23


taken care Of. You should have been
notified, certainly: 1t is the business
OF the stock agent to see TO that. Let
me inquire about IL while you are
here, Mr.. 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 Roeks!" he said. angrily.
your Point OF Rocks yards are In
fected. My cattle shouldn't have been
sent there"
ooh, MOI The old yards where they
had a touch of fever were burned on
the face of the earth 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 II you
doub. II you may go up and give our
men any orders you like in the matter
at our expense"
You're taking altogether too much
on yourself when you run my stock
over the country In this way" ex-
claimed Dunning. refusing 10 be pla-
Gated. How nm l to get to Point Of
Rocks-walk there?"
Not at ALL" returned McCloud, ring
ing up his clerk and asking for a pass.
when was brought back in moment
and handed TO Dunning. The CATTLE"
continued McCloud, "can he 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 I sup
pose II will be several days before We
can get 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"
I'VE couldn't get the empty cars up
fiom Piedmont for the transfer until
today; cmpties are very scarce every
where now"
There always have been emptics
here when they were wanted until
lately. There's been no head OF tail
to anything on this division for SIX
months
I'm soiry that you have that i'm
preston"
That impression is very general"
declared the stockman. with an oath.
and II you keep on discharging the
only men on this division that are
competent TO handle a break like this.
II is likely to continued"
Just n moment" McCloud's finger
rose pointedly. MY failure to please
you in caring for your stock in an
emergency may be properly a matter
for comment; your opinion as to the
way ! am running this division Is. Of
course. your own; but don't attempt
10 criticise the retention or discharge
OF any man on my pay rolf"
DuunlnS strobe toward him. I'm
a shipper on this line; VIXEN Il suits
me to criticise you or your methods.
or anybody eise's. expect to do So"
he retorked ia high tones.
"But you cannot tell me how 10 run
my tusiness!" Numbered McCloud,
leaning over the table in front OF him
As the two men glared at each 9TH
or Rooney Lee opened the door. His
surprise at the situation amounted TO
CONSERVATION. He shufied to the cor
ner OF the room. and while McCloud
and Dunning engaged holly again,
Rooney, from the corner. threw a shot
OF his own into the quarrel. ION
tImei" he roared.
The angry men turned. What's
on timer" asked McCloud. CURLY.
Number One; she's In and chang
ing engines. told them you were go
ing west" declared Rooney in so deep
tones that his fiction would never
have been suspected.
DunDing. to emphasize. without
further word, his disgust for the stu.
alton and his contempt for the man.
agement. tore into scraps the pass
that had been given him, threw the
scraps on the floor, took a cigar from
his pocket and lighted It.: insolence
could do no more.
McCloud looked over az the dis
patcher. mo. am not going west,
Rooney. But II you will be good
enough to stay here and find out from
this man just how this railroad ought
TO be run, will go 10 bed. He can
tell you; the mlcrobs seems to be
working in his mind tight now" said
McCloud, slamming down the roll-top
OF his desk. And with Lance Dunning
glazing at him. somewhat speechless,
he put on his hat and walked out OF
the room.
II was but one OF many disagreeable
incidents due to the loss OF the bridge.
Complications arising from the tIe-up
followed him at every turn. It seemed
as II he could not get away from trou-
BILE following trouble. After 40 hours
further Of toll, relieved by four hours
of sleep, McCloud found himself rath-
or dead than alite, back at Medicine
Bend and in the little dining room at
Marion's. Coming in at the cottage
door on Fort street. he dropped into
chair. The cottage rooms were
empty. He heard Marion's voice in
the front shop; she was engaged with
a customer. Putting his head on the
table 10 wait a moment nature as
serted itself and McCloud fell asleep.
He woke hearing a voice that he had
heard in dreams. Perhaps no other