The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-01

! Not the lubberly jump of the hoboes
who had worried the life out Of him all
summer, even when the cattlemen didn I
bother. 1t was the swing of the sailor
into the shrouds, of the Cossack into
the saddle, of the yacht into the wind
! 1t was like falling down or falling up
or falling on-the grace of a mastery
of gravitation-that was Shockley's
swing on the footboard Of the yard en-
CINE as it shot snorting past him.
Hes all right muttered Callahan
tender like that was not like to go very
wrong even in that chaos of scrap and
rails and ties and stringers and coal.
" Now, - Callahan continued TO him
self, timidly hopeful, eff the cuss only
doesn' t get to drinking!'
He watched appreheusively, dreading
the first time he should see him enter
ing Pat Barlie's place, but Shockley
didn t appear to know Pat had place.
The cowboys, too. watched him, waiting
for his lamp to CLEAN at night down in
strained for q long time. Shockley got
all his work done by daylight.
To the surprise of Callahan, and
probably on the principle Of the
watched pot, the whole winter went
without brush between Shockley and
the cowboys. Even Peg Leg Reynolds
let him alone "He's the luckiest fel-
low on earth, remarked Callahan one
day at McCloud in reply to question
from Bucks about Shoclzley- '..There
hasn't a shot been fired at him all
winter
''He wasn't always lucky com
meuted Bucks, signing batch Of let
ters.
"He came from Chicago, Bucks
went on, after q silence. He was
switching there on the 90 at the time
of the stockyards riots. Shockley used
to drink like a pirate. [ never Knew
lust the right Of it. I understood II
was in a brawl-anyway, he killed
man there; shot him, and had to get
away in a hurry. I was trainmhster.
Shoclley was striker; but I'd always
found him decent, and when his wife
came to me about it I helped her out
q little; she's dead since HIS record
ism Z lust right back there yet. There's
something about the shooting hanging
over him I never set eyes on the tel"
low again till he struck me for a Joo
at McC1oud; then l sent him up to you.
He claimed he d quit drinking,-guess
he had. Long as he s behaving himself
| believe in giving him chance
hm2"
Ii really wasn't any longer case
of giving him a chance; rather OF
whether they could get on without him
When the Colorado Pacific began racing
us into Denver that summer, 1T began
TO crowd even Shockley to keep the
ward clean: he saw he would have to
have help,
tipker;ns ND the ties?' asked ShocRley
one dav,
"Doilar an half y
"'Whv don Il YOU take hold switch
ing with me and get three dollorsl"
Chris was thunderstruck. First he
said Callahan wouldn t let him, but
Shockley Guessed yes Then CHRIS
figured. To save the last of the hun
dred dollars necessary TO get the wom-
an and the babies over-it could be
done in three months instead Of six,
! if only Callahan would listen. But
when Shockley talked Callahan always
listened. and when he asked for new
switchman he got him. And Chris got
his three, which to him was sum un-
speakable. BY the time the woman and
the children arrived in the fall, Chris
would have died for Shoekley.
Inc idH LUHI Sh" tnc "pu'oh oEu
the stunted subjects Of the car slowed
away under the bench in Little Russia
brought also the cowboys down from
Montana TO bait tho Russians.
| One stormy night, when Chris thought
lit was perfectly safe TO venture MP to
Rubedo's after groceries. the cowboys
caught him and dragged him over to
Pat Barlie g
! IT was seven when they caught him
and by nine they had put him through
every pace that civilization could sug-
! gest Peg Log Reynolds, as always,
ma ster of ceremonies, then ordered him
| tied to the stove When it WAS dope
the cowboys got into n big circle for a
ready begun to frizzle, when the front
door opened, Shockley walked in.
Straight, IN his little hurried way, he
walked back past the deserted bar
through the ring OF cowboys at the rear
TO Chris frying against the stove, and
began cutting him loose. Through
every knot that his knife slit he sent
a very loud and very bad word, and
no sooner had he freed Chris than he
ierked him by the collar, as If quarrel
ing with him. toward the back door,
which was handy, and before the cow
boys got wind he had showed him
through il.
"Hold on there.' cried Peg Leg Rev
nolds. when IL was Just too late. Chris
was out Of it, and Shockley turned
alone
| "All right, partner; what is itf'' he