The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-08-03


Call it settled" he said. "Shall
use my own judgment as to the proper
moment TO make the break, or viii
you pass us the word?"
I.idgerwood took time TO consider
Conditions might arise under which
the Crows Nest would be the most
Unsafe place in Angels to which to flee
for shelter
Perhaps you would better sit tight
until l give the word" he directed
after the reflective pause, then in a
lighter vein: "All of these careful pre-
figurings may be entirely beside the
mark, Mr.. Van Lew. / hope the event
may prove that they were. Don't LET
the women worry any more than they
have TO-"
"You can trust me for that" laugh
ed the athlete, and he went his way
to begin the keeping up OF appear
ances.
At O'Clock. just as Lidgerwood was
finishing the luncheon which had been
sent up to his Office from the station
kitchen, train 203 pulled in from the
east, and n little later Dawson's be-
lated wrecking train trailed up from
the west. bringing The "cripples" from
the Little Butte disaster Lidgerwood
summoned McCloskey
II wish you would go downstairs and
see If Gridley came i'm on 2O3. IL he
did bring him and Benson up here.
and well hold council of war IL
You see Dawson send him home to
his mother and sister. lie can report
to me later If he finds it safe to leave
his womankind."
The door of the outer Office had bare
ly closed behind McCloskey when that
opening into the corridor swung upon
its hinges to admit the master me-
chanic. He was dusty and travel stain
ed, but nothing seemed TO stale his
genial good humor
"Wcll, well, Mr.. Lidgerwood. So the
hobOes have asked to see your hand at
last, have theyy" he began sympathetic
cally. II heard of it over In Copah
Just in good time to let me catch DOB.
You're not going to let them make you
show down, are your
mo" said Lldgerwood
THAT'S right That's precisely the
way to stack 1t up. OF course you
know you can count on me. I've got
beautiful lot of pirates over in the
shops, but Wen try TO hold them lev
ell" Then in the same even tone:
"They tell me we went into the hole
again last night over at Little Butte.
Pretty badY"
every bad. Six killed outright and
as many more to bury later on, 1 am
told by the Red Butte doctors"
Heavens and earth! The men are
calling it broken rail. Was it?"
"a loosened rail-" corrected Lidger-
wood.
The master mechanics eyes narrow
ed
'NaturalT" he asked.
"No; artificial"
Gridley swore savagely.
"This things got to stop, Lidger-
wood! Sift it-sift it to the bottom!
Whom do you suspectr
1t was plain truth. though an un-
misleading one, that the
put into his reply.
81 don't suspect any one, Gridley,"
he began, and he was going on to say
that suspicion had grown to certainty
when the latch OF the door opening
from the outer office clicked again and
came in with Benson. The
master mechanic excused himself alb
ruptly when he saw who the trainmas-
ter's follower was.
"T'll go and get something to eat"
he said hurrledly, "after which I'll
pick up few men whom we can de-
pend upon and garrison the shops. |
Send over for me If you need me-"
Benson looked hard at the door
which was still quivering under Grid
ley's outgoing slam. And when the |
master mechanics tread was no longer
audible in the upper corridor the young |
engineer turned to the man at the |
desk TO say, What tickled the boss |
machinist. LidgerwoodY"
II don't know. Why?"
Benson looked at McCloskey.
Just as we came in he was stand
ing over you with a look in his eyes
rs III he were about to murder you and
couldn't quite make up his mind as TO
The simplest way of doing 1t. Then
The look changed to his usual cast iron
smile In the flirt of fiea's hind leg-at
some joke you were telling. I took It,"
Being careful and troubled about
many things, Lidgerwood missed the
point of Benson's remark; could not
when he tried Just what IL
was that he had been saying to Grid
ey when the interruption came. But
he matter was easily dismissed. Hav-
ng his two chief lleutenants before
lim, the superintendent seized the ON.
)ortunity to outline the plan of cam
)aign for the night. McCloskey was
o stay by the wires, with Callahan 70
mare his watch. Dawson when no
should come down was to pick IN n
ew OF the loyal enginemen and guard
ne roundhouse. Benson was 20 take
'harge OF the yards. keeping his eve ON
ne NADIA At the first Indication OF
I'M OIIfhraoE no xvo. A. |