The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-08-10
THE TANNING N
RED BUTTE WESTERN
BY FRANCES LYNDE
Copyright 1910 by Charles Scribner's
Sous
CHAPTER III.
NI1dT LII II
A LITTLE BROTHER OF THE COWS.

Matsuwari by name and a subject OF
the mikado by race and birth. came to
the car door to call his new employer
to the breakfast table as the service
car approached Crosswater Gap
1t was an attractive table. well ap-
pointed and well served, but Lidger
wood, temperamentally single eyed in
all things, was diverted from his reor-
ganization problem for the moment
only Since early dawn he had been up
and out On the observation platform.
noting. this time with the eye Of mas
tership, the physical condition of the
road.
To a disheartenfng extent the Red
Butte decentralization had involved the
permanent way. Originally a good
track. the roadbed and equipment had
been allowed to fall into disrepair un-
der Indifferent supervision and the
short handing Of the section gangs
Lidgerwood had seen how the baHast
had been suffered to sink at the rail
joints, and he had read the record Of
careless supervision at each fresh
swing Of the train, since it is the Sec
ton foreman's weakness to spofl the
geometrical curve by working it back.
little by little. into the adjoining tan
gent.
Rejecting upon these things, LidgH-
woods comment fell into speech over
his cup Of coffee and crisp breakfast
bacon.
About the first man we need is an
engineer who won't be too exalted to
get down and squint curves with the
section Bosses" he unused, and from
that on he was searching patiently
through the memory card index for
the right man.
At the summit station, where the
line leaves the Pannikin basin to
plunge into the western desert, there
was delay. Bradford. the conductor,
black shirted and looking in his SLOUGH
hat and riding leggings more like 4
horse wrangler than captain Of rail-
road trains, lounged in to explain that
there was hot box under 266's
tender. Bradford was not Of any fac
ton Of discomfort, but the spirit Of
morose characterization. born Of the
late change In management, was in the
air, and he spoke grufhy.
"Were the boxes properly overhauled
before you left Copah?" demanded the
new boss.
Bradford did not know, and the
manner Of his answer implied that he
did not care. And for good measure
ho 4~ A~<
house dope kettles were not in bis
line
Lidgerwood passed over the large
impudence and held to the matter In
hand.
How much time have we on POI p
he asked, train POI being the west
bound passenger overtaken and left
behind in the small hours Of the morn
ing by the lighter and faster special.
Thirty minutes here" growled the
little brother Of the cows, after which
he took himself Of as If he considered
the incident sufficiently closed
Fifteen minutes later L1dgerwood
finished his breakfast and went back
to his camp chair on the observation
| platform Of the service car A glance
over the side rail showed him his
train crew still working on the heated
| axle bearing. Another to the rear
picked up the passenger train storm.
ing around the climbing curves Of the
eastern approach to the summit. There
| was a small problem impending fol-
| the division dispatcher at Angels, and
the new superintendent held aloof to
see how 1T would be handled.
| It was handled rather tndiferently
The passenger train was pulling II
over the summit switches when Brad
ford, sauntering into the telegraph Of
| fee as If haste were the last thing In
the world to be considered, asked fol
his clearance card, got 1t and gave
| Williams the signal to 90.
Ldgerwood got up and went into
she car to consult the time table hang
ing In the Office compartment. Trair
POI had no dead time at Crosswater
hence II the ten minute interval be
tween trains Of the same class NOV
| ing In the same direction was to bt
preserved the passenger would have
to be held.
The assumption that the passenge,
| train would be held aroused all thu
railroad martinet's fury In the new
| superintendent. In Lidgerwood's cal
endar time killing on regular trains
| stood next to An infringement Of the
rules providing for the safety Of HE
| and property. His hand was on the
signal cord when, CHANGING to loof
| back. he saw that the passenger traiI
had made only the momentary tim.
card stop at the summit station ant
| was coming on.
This turned the high crime into s
mere breach Of discipline, common
| enough oven on we'll managed rail-
| roads when the leading train can b<
| trusted to increase the distance inter
| val. But again the martinez in Lid
| gerwood protested. It was his theory
| that rules were made to be observed
| and his experience had proved thai
| little infracttons paved the way fol
great ones. In the present instance
| SO he drew a chair out In line with one
| Of the rear observation windows and
sat down to mark the event
| Pitching over the hilltop summit
| within a minute Of each other the tive
| trains raced down the first few curv
ing inclines almost as one. Mile afte.
| mile was covered. and still the perilou:
situation remained unchanged. Lid
gerwood began to grow uneasy. On