Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-14
CHAPTER VIII.
Benson's Bridge-Timbers.

II was on the morning following the
startling episode at the Dawsones gate
that Benson, lately arrived from the west
on train 264, came into the superintend-
ent's office with the light of discovery in
his eye. But the discovery, if any there
were, was made TO wait upon a word of
friendly solicitude.
What's this they were telling me down
at the lunch counter just now-about
somebody taking pot-shot at you last
night he asked. "DouSherty said it
was Bart Runord: was it,"
Lidgerwood confirmed the gossip with a.
Eod Yes. il was Rufford, so Dawson
SAYS. j didn't recognize him, though: it
was too dark
Well, I'm mighty glad to see that he
didn't get you. What was the row."
Il don't know. definitely: | suppose 1t
was because l told McCloskey TO dis
charge his brother while back. The
brother has been hanging about town and
making threats ever since he was drop
ped from the pay rolls. but no one has
paid any attention to him."
A pretty close call, wasn't tor was
Dougherty only putting on a few frilIs to
go with my cup of Coffee"
1T was close enough. admitted Lid
gerwood, half abSently. He was thinking
not SO much of the narrow escape as of
the fresh and humiliatinS evidence il had
afforded of his own wretched unreadi-
ness
An right you'll come around to my
way of thinking after a while. | tell you.
Lidgerwood. you've got TO heel yourself
when YOU live in gun country. l said |
wouldn't do il. but / have done it, and
III tell YOU right now, when anybody
in this blasted desert makes monkey mo-
tons at me I'm going to blow the top
of his head off quick
LidgerwOod's gaze was resting on the
little drawer in his desk, which now con-
tanned nothing but handful of loose
cartridges.
Hasn't it ever occurred to YOU, Jack,
that i am the one man in the desert who
cannot afford TO 90 armed? | sup
posed to stand for law and order What
would my example he worth il it should
be noised around that l, too. had become
a 'gun-tOter
"Oh. I'm not going 10 argue with you.
laughed Benson. You'll go your own
way and do as you please, and probably
get yourself comfortably shot up before
YOU get through But l didn't come up
here to wrangle with YOU about your
theoretical notions of law and order.
came to tell you that l have been hunt
ing for those bridge tirnbers of mine.
''Well2" queried Lidgerwood have you
found them
No. and | don't believe anybody will
ever find them. It's going to be another
case of Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing 10 be comforted because they
are not"
But you have discovered something"
Partly yes. and partly no | think
told YOU at the time that they vanished
between two days like pun of smoke.
leaving no trace behind them How i,
was done / couldn't imagine. There is a
wagon road paralleling the river over
there at the siding. as YOU know, and the
first thing ! did the next morning was to
look for wagon-tracks. No set OF wheels
carrying anything as heavy as those
twelve by-twelve twenty-fours had gone
over the road.
How were they taken. then? They
couldn't have been fioated off down the
river, could they?
1T was possible. but not at all prob
able" said the engineer. My theory
was that they were taken away on some
hody's railroad car. There were only tive
sources of information at first-the nigh
operator at Little Butte, twelve mile:
west and the track-walker at Point o.
Rocks whose beat goes down to within
two or three miles of the Gloria bridge
Goodloe at Little Butte. reports tina
there was nothing moving on the mail
lire after tine passing of the midnigh
freight east, and Shaughnessy, the track