Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-15

had come to chase him into oblivion.
For Lidgerwood to have earned the en-
NIFTY of this man was considered equiva-
lent to ore OF three things-the superin-
the Red desert. preferably by the first
train; or Rufford would kill him: or he
must kill Rufford. Red Butte Western
opinion was somewhat divided as to which
horn of the trilemma the victim of Ruff
fords displeasure would choose. all ad-
hitting that. for the moment. the choice
| lay with the superintendent. Would Lid
| gerwood fight, or run. or sit still and be
second morning following the attempt
upon Lidgerwood's life at the gate OF the
Dawson cottage, the discussion was spir-
tied. not to say acrimonious.
I'm telling you hyenas that Collars
and-Cuffs amt going to run away. in
the all-night trip to Red Butte ard re-
turn. He amt built that way"
| Lester. the roundhouse foreman. HIM
self man-au>ller of no mean repute
most likely. take to the high grass and
the tall timber. The alternative was to
/ pack a gum for Rufford-an alternative
quite inconceivable to Lester when 1t was
II don't know about that" said Judd
son, the discharged-and consequently
momentarily sobered-engineer Of the 211.
Hes fooled everybody more than once
crack. everybody said he didn't know his
business. cause he wore billed shirts
he does know it. Next. you could put
your ear to the ground and hear that he
maverick r. B. W.. He's doing it. I
don't know but he might even run a
bluff on Bart Rufford. If ne fsit like it,
Come off. joint growled the big fore
man. 'You NEEDN'T be afraid to taii
straight over here. He hit YOU when you
was down. and We all know you're only
waitin' for a chance to hit back.
! Judson was a. red-headed man, ELUSIVE
~ good when he was in liquor.
and a quick-tempered fighter Of bait s
| when he was not.
| Don't YOU make any such mistake.
he snapped. That's what McClOskey
said when lie handed me the goodbye.
| You'll be one more to go round feelin'
for Mr. Lidgerwood's throat. / suppose.
says he. BY cripes! what I said to Mac
I'm saying to you. Bob Lester. ! know
! good and well a-plenty when I've earned
my blue envelope. If I'd been in the
| super's place the FL would have had a
new runner a long time ago..
on. hell! l say he'll chase his feet
pufed Broadbent the fat machinist who
was wa. truing off the valve seats Of the l95.
II Runord doesn't make him. there S
| some others that will"
Judson Jared up again.
Who You auotin' now. Fatty? One O.
the shop 'prentices? Or maybe it's Rank
Hallock? Say. what's he dom mon
keyin round the back shop SO much
lately? I'm going to stay round here till
! | get chance to lick that scrub"
Broadbent snorted- his derision Of all
mere cnginemen.
You RAJ Founders d better get next to
Rankin Hallock,' he warned. He's the
next superintendent of the K. b. w.
| You'll see the 'pointment circular the
next day after that jim-dandy over In
the Crows Nest gets moved off'n the
map
We'll. I'm some afeared Bart Ruff
ford's likely to move him." drawled Clay,
the six-foot kentuckian who was fling
| the 1858 brasSes at the bench. (which
the same amt rejoicin' about. neither.
| That little cuss Is shore a mighty good
railroad man. And when YOU amt rub
bin his fur the wrong way lie treats you
white
For instance" snapped Hodges. a
freight engineer who lad been thrice ION
the carpet in Lidgerwoods Office for
overrunning his orders.
oh. they Amt 80 ELAINE hard to find. -
Clay retored. Last week. when We was
out on the Navajo wreck. me and the
| ford was runnin' the super's car, and
when Andy just sort O happened to men,
ton the famine up along, the little man
made that Jap cook o hisn get us up a
dinner that'd made your hair frizzle. He
shore did
| why don't you go and take up for
| him with Bart Rufford?" sneered Broad
bent. stopping his facing machine to set
sd new cut On tho so v sod fsst
| the KentuckiaU. I'm like the little KID s
daddy in the Sunday-school song-I amt
| got time to die yet-got too much to do.
| II was Williams innings. and what he
| said was cautionary.
| DRY up. you fellows; here comes Grid
ley
To be continued tomorrow.)