Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-07-17
CHAPTER XII

The beginning OF the Crawuu- stone
line marked tho first determined EFFORT
under President Bucks. while under
taking the reconstruction of the sys-
TEN for through traffic. 90 devotion the
rich local territory tributary 20 the
mountain division New policies In
construction dated from the same
period Glover. with an enormous
capital stakcd for the new undertake
inEs. gave orders Go push the building
every month iu the year. and for the
first time On mouuta.u railroad build
ing winter was GO be ignored The
older mountain men met the iuuova-
ton as they mot any departure from
their traditions. with curiosity aud dis
trust on The other hand the now and
younger blood tooE hold with CON
ndence. and when Glover called. -Yo.
heave ho!" az headquarters they bent
themseNcs clear across fEe system Tor
hard pun to-..A er
McClCg5. r..tac the operating en-
the shou'f .rs of Dis assistant Auler-
son. devoted himself wholly t0 f0r-
wardiug the construction plans. and
his FIRST clash over winter road-buid-
n
righthaud man. Nears McCloud put
IN switch below Piedmont opened
material yard and began track laying
toward the lower Crawling Stone sal.
ley. when Mcars said So was time 90
stop work tin sprinc When McCl,ud
told him he wanted track across he
divide and into the lower valley by
spring. Mcars threw mp his hands But
there was metal iu The old man. aud
he was for orders AN the time he
kept up a running FIRE of protests and
forebocings about the danger of exc
posing men during the winter season,
but stuck 90 his post.
Spring found the construction OF the
valley line well advanced. and the
grades nearing the lands Of The Dun
ing ranch. RightofWay men had been
working for months with Lance Dun
ming over the line and HcCloud had
been called frequently into consulta-
ton 20 adjust the surveys Ia ohiec-
lions raised by Dichsie's cousin 10 the
crossing OF the ranch lands Even
when the proceedings had been closed.
a strong current Of discomfort set
from the maEag.ng head OF the stone
ranch Rumors OF Lance Dunuing's
dissatisfaction often reached the rail
road people. Nague talk OF an exten-
sive irrigation scheme planned by Sin
clair for the Crawling Stone valley
crept into the newspapers and 10 was
generally understood that Lance Dun
ming had expressed himself favorably
20 the enterprise.
DiCksie gave slight heed 10 matters
as weighty as these. She spent much
OF her time on horseback with Jim
under the saddle; and in Medicine
Bend. where she rode with frequency,
Marion's shop became her favorite
abiding place. Dicksie ordered hats
until Marion's conscience rose and she
practically refused to supply any
more. But the spirited controversy
on this point, as on many others
Dicksie's haughtiness and Marion's re-
straint quite unmoved by any show of
displeasure-ended always in drawing
the two closer 10 each other.
One March afternoon coming home
from Medicine Bend, she saw at some
distance before her a party OF nen on
horseback. She was riding a trail
leading from the pass road that fol
lowed the hills. and the party was
coming up the bridge road from the
lower ranch. Dicksie had good eyes.
and something unusual In the riding
Of the men was soon apparent 10 her.
Losing and resaining sight of them at
different turns in the trail. she made
out. as she rode among the trees, that
they were cowboys OF her own ranch.
and riding. under evident excitement.
about a strange horseman She rec.
ognized in the escort Stormy German.
the ferocious foreman Of the ranch,
and Denison and Jim Baugh, two OF
the most reckless OF the men. These
three carried rifles slung across their
-pommels. and in front OF them rode