The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-09-11

LxASStnECt - 0a1tn~~A% @e@----g
are killed and injured
NOW co ON WITH THE STORY
CONTINUED from Yesterday
CHAPTER X.
Storm Signals.
Though Lidgerwood had not
slept for many hours, it was
apparent to at least one menu
Der of the headquarters force
that he did not go to bed I'm
mediately after the arrival of the
service-car from the west; the
proof being a freshly typed tele-
gram which Operator Dix found
impaled upon his sending-hook
when he came on duty in the dis
patcher's office at o'clock In
the morning.
The message was addressed to
Leckhard, at Copah. 1t was in
cipher, and 1t contained two un-
codtfied wrods-"Fort" and NC
Cook" which small circumstance
set Dis TO thinking - Fort Nc
Cook being the army post, IL
miles as the crow flies from
Copah.
Dix went off duty at eleven,
his second trick beginning at
three in the afternoon. 1t was
between three and four when
McCloskey raped at the door of
his chiefs sleeping-room. Fifteen
minutes later Lakewood Joined
the trainmaster in the private
office.
Il couldn't let you sleep any
AAn(IACtau hAUon anil
ogeticaily, land l don't know but
you'll give me what-for as 1t is.
Things are thickening up pretty
fast"
"Put me in touch" was the
command.
IAN right. I'll begin at the
front and. Along about ten
O'Clock this morning Davidson,
the manager of the Copperette,
came down to see Mr.. Brewster.
He gave the president a long
song and dance about the tough
trail and the upshot of IL was
that Mr.. Brewster went out to
the mine with him alone, leav-
ing the party in the Nadia here. 7"
Lidgerwood said "Damni" and
let IL go at that for the moment.
Taking Il for granted that
you mean to fight this thing to a
cold finish, I've done everything
I could think of. Thanks to Will
Hams and Bradford, and a few
other like them, we can count
on a good third of the train
men; and I've got about the same
proportion of the operators In
line for US. Taking advantage
of the twenty-four-hour notice
the strikers gave us, I've scat
tered these men of ours east and
west on the day trains to the
points where the trouble will
hit us at twelve O'Clock tonight"
Good" said Lidgerwocd
briefly. How will you handle
it,"
AT midnight. in every impor--
tant office, where a striker
throws down his pen and grounds
his wire, one of our men Will
walk in and keep the ball roll
ing. And on every train in tran
sit at that time, manned by men
we're not sure OF, there will be a
relief crew of some sort, dead
heading over the road and ready
to fall i'm line and keep it COM
ing when the other fellows fall
out"
Again the superintendent nod
ded his approval. The trainmas-
ter was showing himself at his
loyal best.
That's what I'd give all my
old shoes to know" said McClos-
KEY, his homely face emphasize
ing his perplexity. They say the
shopmen are against us, and IL
that's so we're outnumbered here
six to one. / cant find out
anything about the shop force"
Il wish Gridley were here,
said Lidgerwood. HE could
handle the shop outfit. I'm rath-
er surprised that he should De
away. He must have known that
the volcano was about ready to
spout"
-.GridIey's a law to himself"
said the trainmaster. Some
times 1 think he's all right. and
at other times I catch myself
wondering Il he wouldn't tread
en- me like I was q cockroach, II
I happened to be in his way"
Having had exactly the same
Feeling, and quite without rea-
con. Adgerwood generously de-
/. fend sd the absent master-me-
ehanic.
That IL preiudies. Mac. and
Sou mustn't give IL room. Grid
fsyss all right. We nusn.t for
SCI that his department thus far.