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

Lidgerwcod sat back In his chair and
smiled.
~ don't blame you much, Mac; this
thing il getting TO be pretty binding upon
all Of US. But think you are mistaken
In your conclusion, / mean. Hallock has
been making IN inventory Of material
on hand for the past week or more, and
now that think Of 1t. I remember hav-
ing seen your wire and tho telephone sets
included in his last sheet Of telegraph
supplies"
There IL goes again. said the train
master. sourly. Every time get q half
hitch on that fellow something turns UP
to make it slip. But IL I had my way
about twenty minutes Id go and choke
him till he'd tell me what he has done
with that wire
Lidgerwood was smiling again.
TRY to be as fair to him as you cam
ne advised, good-naturedly. Il know you
dislike him. and probably YOU have good
reasons: But have you stopped to ask
yourself what possible use he could make
Of the stolen material?'
Again McCioskey's hat went to the
pugnacious angle. II don't know any
me what day Of the week it Is. But i
can tell you one thing. Mr.. Lidgerwood''
shaking an emphatic fn8er-"FIemister
has just put complete system of wiring
and telephones In his mine, and II he hal
the stuff for the system shipped in over
our railroad the agent ut Little Butte
doesn't know anything about 1t.
asked Goodloe. by grapples!
But even this was unconvincing to the
superintendent.
That proves nothing against Hallock.
Mac. as you Will see when you cool down
a little" he said.
II know it doesn't" wrathfully: moth
ing proves anything any more. / sup
pose I've got TO say II aeain-Pm all In.
down and OUT And he went away.
growing TO his hat-brim.
Late In the evening Of the same day
Benson returned from the west, coming
I'm on a light engine that was deadhe ad-
ing from Red Butte to the Angels shops.
He sought out Lidgerwood at once. and
fitngfng himself wearily into chair q,
the superintendent's elbow. made his re-
port OF the days doings.
Il have and haven't. he said. be-
ginning in the midst OF things. as his
habit was. You were right about the
track connection At Silver switch. 1t Is
ago. when he had carload Of coal taken
up to the back door Of his mine.
did you 60 UP over the spur?
Yes. and ! had my trouble for my
wood. Ia like TO ask you one question
can we afford to quarrel with Mr. Pen
nington F1emister?'
Benson. we shan't hesitate a single
moment to quarrel with the biggest mine
owner or freight shipper this side of the
Crosswater hills If We have the right OF
our side. Spread it out. What did you
| fnds''
! Benson sank a little lower in his chair
The first thing I found was couple OF
armed guards-a pair OF tough looking
! citizens. with guns saGging at their hips
iounging around the Wire-silver back
\ door. There is quite q little nest OF
buildings at the old entrance TO the Wire
Silver. and a stockade has been built to
! inclose them. The old spur runs through
| q gate I'm the stotkade and the gate was
open: but the two toughs wouldn't lei
me go inside. ] wrangled with them
| first, and tried to bribe them afterward
but II was no go. Then | started to
walk around the outside OF the stockade
which Is only a high board fence. and
! they objected to that. Thereupon ] told
| them to 60 straight to bIaZes and walked
| away down the spur. but when l got Out
| Of sight around the fifet curve ! took &c
| the timber on the butte slope, and climbed
to . point from which could look ove'