Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-13
CHAPTER VII.-Continued.


that morning, and he registered a kicl
because the Ruby Ciulch station agent
wasn't out of bed in time TO sell him a
ticket He paid Johnston on the train
and that one fare alone was five dollars
and sixty cents.
I.idgerwood was adding another minu.-
square 10 the penciled checker board or
his desk blotter.
Discharge Johnston and hold back his
time check. Then have him arrested foI
stealing. and wire the legal department al
Denver that want him prosecuted"
Again McCloskey's rough-cast face be-
came the outward presentment of "a soul
IN anxious trouble.
Call il done-and another stick of
dynamite turned loose he acquiesced.
rs there anything else?"
Yes. What have you found out about
that missing switch engine:" This mad
come TO he the stereotyped query, vocal
izing Itself every time the trainma sIer
showed his face i'm the superintendent S
room.
Nothing. yet. I'm hunting for proof y
Against the men you suspect? Who
are they. and what did they do with the
engine?
McCloSkey became dumb.
Il don't dare to say part of it till 1
can say it all. Mr. Lidgerwood. You hit
too quick and too hard. But tell me one
thing-have you had to report the loss or
that engine 10 anybody higher up?
Il shall have to report il to General
Manager Frisbie, of course, if we don't
find it
But haven't you already reported it,
No; that is, / guess not Wait d
minute.
\ touch of the bcil-push brought IIaI-
lock To the door OF the inner ofhce. The
green shade was pulled low over his eyes,
and ne ncld the pen he mad Deen using
If il were a dagger.
.Hailock. have you reported the disap-
peaTance OF that switching engine 10 MT.
FrisDie2' asked the superintendent
The answer seemed reluctant. ana IL
vas given in tine single word OF assent
When asked Lidgerwood.
In the weekly summary for last week;
YOU signed il, said the chief clerk
Did tell you 10 include that particu-
lar item in the report l.idSerwood d1d
not mean to give the inquiry the tang OF
an implied reproof. but the nSht with the
outlaws was beginning 10 Aldhe MS his'h
ner IucIsive.
You didn't need 70 tell me; know my
business" said Hallock, and his tone
matched his superiors.
tIuSerwood iooked at McCloSkey- ana
at the trainmaster's almost imperceptlple
nod, sad, That's all and Haliock dis
appeared and closed the door
''Well?' queried LIdgerwood. sharply,
when they had privacy again.
McCloskey was shifting uneasily from
one foot 70 the other.
My names Scotch. and they tell me
I've got Scotch blood in me-" he began.
Il don't like To shoot my mouth OFF till L
RLOW what m doing. | suppose quar-
relied with Hallock once day regular
before You came on the job. MIR. LldSer-
wocd, and I'll say again that / don't like
hin--never did. That's what makes me
careful about throwing II into him now
Go on said Lidgerwood-
''Wel. you KNOW he wanted TO be super
intendent of this road. He kept the wires
a
found out that the p. S--W- was in con-
troll He missed ii, and YOU naturally
took it over his head-at least maybe
that the way he looks at it.
Take il for granted and get to the
point. urged Lidgerwood, always i'm
patient of preliminary Dush-beating-
There isn't any point. il you don't see
any SAID McCloskey- Stub5ornly- But
1 can tell you how 1T would strike me, If
1 had TO be wearing your shoes just now.
You've got a man for your chief clerk
|ho has kept this whole town guessing
FOR two years Some say he isn't all to
the bad; some say he is a woman killer:
but they all agree that he's as spiteful
as an Indian He wanted your job-sup-
posing he still wants it"
Stick to the facts, Mac" said the
superintendent You're theoriZing now,
YOU know.
Well. by gravels, l will" rasped Nc
Closkey, pushed over the cautionary edge
by Lidgerwood's Indifference to the main
question at issue. What l know don't
amount to much Vet, but it all leans one
: way. Hallock puts in his daytime
scratching away at his desk out there,
and you'd think he didn't know il was
this year. But when that desk is smut
up you'll find him at the roundhouse
over in the freight yard. round the switch
shanties. or up at Biggs'-anywhere ne
can get half a dozen of the men together.
/ haven't found a man yet that ] couK
trust to keep tab on him, and l don't
know what he's doing; but can guess
Is hat a Il SciA doc "
No. il isn't, That switch engine drop
ped out two weeks ago last Tuesday
night I've been prying into this locked
up puZZle-box every way 1 could think
= of ever since. Hailock knows where that
engine WENT
~ hat makes you think so?"
I'm tell you. Robinson. the night-crew
eQgineer, was a little late leaving her
that night. His fireman had gone home
and SO had the yardmen. After he had
crossed the yard coming out, he
man sneaking toward the shifter, keeping
IN the shadow of the coal chutes. lie
was just curious enough 10 want to know
who il was, and he made little sneak
of his own. When he found it was Hal
lock he went home and thought no more
about il till l got him to talk.
Lldgerwood had gone back to the pencil
and the blotting pad and the making OF
squares. But the motive. Mac" he
questioned, without looking up. How
could the theft or the destruction of a
locomotive serve any purpose that Hal
lock might have in We've"
McCloskey did not mean any disrespect
to his superior officer when he retorted:
I'm no 'cyclopedia. There are lots OF
things / don't know. But unless YOU call
il on, I'm going to know a few more OF
them before quit.
II don't call IL off, Mac; find out what
you can. But j can't believe that Hal
lock is heading TINS organized robbery and
rebellion
Somebody is heading it. to a dead
moral certainty. Mr.. Lidgerwood: the
ticks are coming too straight and too
well timed"
Find the man if you can and well
eliminate him. And. by the way. if il
comes to the worst how will Hepburn,
the town marshal, stand?
The trainmaster shook his head.
II don't know. Jacks got plenty of
sand, but he was elected out of the shops
and by the railroad vote. II il comes TO
a showdown against the men who elect
ed him
THAT is what I mean, nodded Lidger-
wood 1t will come to showdown
sooner OF later, if we can't nip the ring
leaders. Dung Rufford and a dozen
more of the dropped employees are threat
ching to get even That means train
wrecking. misplaced switches, arson
anything you like. At the first break
there going to be some very striking
examples made of all the wreckers ana
hooters can Ia nd on
McCloskey's chair faced the window