The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-08-25
CHAPTER TX.
JUDsoN's JOKE.

AhIoN hOF fohD, eA-ulStNier
X OF Illicit whisky in the Tennes-
see mountains, ex-welsher turn
- ed informer and betraying his
neighbor lawbreakers to the United
States revenue officers, ex-eyerything
which made his continued stay in the
Cumberlands impossible. was a man OF
distinction In the Red desert.
In the wider field Of the west he had
been successfully a claim jumper, a
rustler OF unbranded cattle. tele-
graph operator in collision with a
gang OF train robbers and finally a
faro lookout, the armed guard who
sits at the head Of the gaming table in
the untamed regions to kill. and kill
quickly, If dispute arises.
Angels acknowledged his citizenship
without Joy. He tyrannized the town
yet no counter bully had come to chase
him into oblivion.
For Lidgerwood to have earned the
enmity Of this man was considered
equivalent to one Of three things-the
superintendent would throw up his job
and leave the Red desert, preferably
by the first train. or Rufford would
kill him, or he must kill Rufford. In
the Angels roundhouse on the second
morning following the attempt upon
Lidgerwood's life at the gate of the
Dawson cottage the discussion was
spirited, not to say acrimonious.
I'm telling you hyenas that Collars
and Cuffs amt going to run away"
insisted Williams, who was just in
from the all night trip to Red Butte
and return. "He amt built that way"
Lester, the roundhouse foreman.
himself man queller Of no mean re-
pute, thought differently. Lidgerwood
would most likely take to the high
grass and the tall timber. The alter
| native was to 'pack gun" for Ruff
ford, an alternative quite inconceiva-
BILE to Lester when 1t was predicated
of the superintendent.
II don't know about that" said Jud-
son, the discharged-and consequently
momentarily sobered-engineer of the
271. "He's fooled everybody more
than once since he lit down in the Red
desert. 1 don't know but he might
even run a bluff on Bart Rufford II he
felt like it,
Come off. John" growled the big
foreman. you needn't be afraid to
talk 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, effu-
sively good natured when he was in
liquor and quick tempered fighter
of battles when he was not.
Don't you make any such mistake!"
he snapped. That's what McCloskey
said when he handed me the 'goodby.'
You'll be one more to go round feelin'
for Mr.. Lidgerwood's throat. l sup
pose says he. By cripes. what I
said to Mac I'm sayin' 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
271 would have had new runner a
long time agoH"
II say he'll chase his feet" pulled
Broadbent, the fat machinist, who was
truing off the valve seats Of the 1876.
IF Rufford doesn't make him there's
some others that WILL"
Judson fared up again.
"Who you quotin' now, Fatty-one
of the shop 'prentices? Or maybe it's
Rank Hallock? Say. what's he dom
monkeyin' round the back shop so
much lately? I'm goin' to stay round
here till l get a chance to lick that
scrub
"You rail peunders d better get next
to Rankin Hallock," Broadbent warn
ed Hes the next Superintendent of
the r. B. W. You'll see the point
ment circular the next day after that
1im-dandy over in the Crows Nest
gets moved off'n the map"
well, I'm some afeared Bart Ruff
ford's likely to move him." drawled
Clay, the six foot Kentuckian, who
was fling the 1868 brasses at the
bench. (Which the same | amt re-
joicin' about neither. That little cuss
Is shore mighty good railroad man.
And when you amt rubin his fur
the wrong way he treats you white
For instance"' snapped Hodges, a
freight engineer who had been thrice
''on the carpet in Lidgerwood's office
for oyerrunning his orders.
"Oh, they amt so blame hard to
find" Clay retorted. Last week
when We was out on the Navajo
wreck me and the boy didn't have no
dinner buckets Bradford was runnin'
the super's car. and when Andy just
sort of happened to mention the famine
up along, the little man made that Jap
cook o his'n get US up a dinner thatd
| made your hair frizzle. He shore did"
1t was Williams inning, and what
he said was cautionary.
Dry up. you fellows. Here comes
Gridley."
The master mechanic was walking
down the planked track from the back
shop carrying his years. which showed
only in the grazing mustache and chin
beard. and his $50 pounds Of wel set
up bone and muscle jaunttly.
Like many another man, Henry Grid
ley lived a double life, or perhaps it
would be nearer the truth to say that
there were two Henry Gridleys. Lid
gerwood. the Dawsons. the little world
OF Angels at large, knew the virile, ac-
compiished mechanical engineer and
| master Of men, which was his normal
personality. What time the other per-
sonalfty, the elemental barbarian.
yawned, stretched itself and came