The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-03-10

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steals few buckets OF coal, and the
are clever enough at bouncing som
elght-dollar-a-week brakeman who let
a few too many hoboes ride on tn
bund baggage or the brake beams
but when it comes to ferreting out
real mystery, I tell you they're lon,
way worse than no good"
Cohoon paused because his vehe
mence had pumped him dry and part
~ to see what Marden had to sa,
IN response to this outf1y. Said tn
latter:
THE car completely disappeared
you say, silver and all?"
Absolutely"
How much would the car by itsel
weight"
Twelve thousand pounds-say 81,
TONS"
"And eight tons of silver-h'm-14
tons in ALL
There or thereabouts.
In what part of the train was
car 1852 coupled?"
Cohoon snorted. That's the devil
ish mysterious part of the whole at
fair" he said. Right in the middle OF
the whole blessed train! There were
26-cars in all-boxes and gondolas
or fiat cars-and the silver was in
No. 10, counting back from the en-
gine!"
Rather sinister fact, provided
you and believe in omens-which we
don't" commented Marden, dryly.
Then: What do the two conductors
say?"
We'll, you see," answered Cohoon,
conductor No. lone of our best and
Oldest men-is out of it, because the
yard master at Reno swears that No.
4S pulled out with 26 cars"
And them"
Nothing. When 43 pulled into the
yard at Oakland there were only rs
cars. No. 1862 was missing"
But how?"
Course you're wondering how a
heavy car could be cut out of solid
train. That's what gets the goat of every
man at this end of the road. Ask
me some more fool questions-excuse
me, l didn't mean exactly that-but
the more questions you put of the ordi-
nary common garden variety the
quicker you'll see what you're up
against. In fact, I'm free to admit,
before you take hold, that the railroad
mans experience gives no answer
and know the game from A to lizard.
The things a ID mystery, however
you look at It,"
Marden grinned, but went ahead
with his necessary fool questions"
for it was imperative that he clear
the ground Of all possible solutions.
Train robbers? Tramps? Inside
colElsion-you know what I mean?-
fake shipment?"
TO all of which Cohoon shook his
head emphatically.
Car mislaid in the Oakland Yards.
or routed by mistake over some other
road?"
Again that negative shake of the
head from Cohoon, half impatiently
this time as though he could say:
That sort of trouble we can attend to
ourselves!" The representative of Bull.
livants nodded in turn.
OF course there's an answer" said
Marden, "and probably a very simple
one. I'm not railroad man, and per-
haps that's point in my favor"
"Yours?" queried Cohoon in sur.
prise.
I'm going to tackle the problem of |
your missing box car myself-it rath-
er interests me" said Bullivants' man.
ager, quietly.
Good" calculated Cohoon. per.
aaps we'll get some action. Want a
pass UP and down the line?"
mo, think not" was the answer
Guess I'd better not attract atten.
ion BY flashing pass. News of that
sort travels fast, you know"
Maybe you're right" nodded Co.
loon. well, good luck. Let me know
when there's anything to report"
Marden picked up his hat, relighted
lis cigar, and rose to leave. ever
'lay poker?" he inquired, with appar.
mt irrelevance.
Sometimes" was the puzzled an.
wer. "Why?"
And car poker?"
What the devils that?"
Marden laughed. MEAN to saw Won
ever sat in your seat and watched
+ betted on the number of freight
airs you passed, watching for poker
ands?"
That's new one on me-" con.
essed the railroad man. How do Won
lay it,"
Just bet on the next freight car
18th five numbers that you meet It's
reat fun" |,
y don't see" grumbled Cohoon.
Il meant only this: Your missing
OK car carried full house'-22662- !
lree of kind and pair-don't You
ae?"
Cohoon nodded and laughed, but still t
ppeared mystifled. I
We'll, that looks to me like a
retty good omen," said Marden. t
Something tells we I'll find your car, t
n I'm pretty lucky at poker. Good. /
~. Let you know soon as I have
ny news" d