The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1915-01-28
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WHAT SWANSON DID
BY }. r. STAFFORD.


mousse on IUe StCllOD DO65Eu Dy Olu
McQuirk" after he had used a spike
maui handle with telling effect on the
heads and bodies Of the five Italians
who. with him and with McQuirk,
made up the sectjon-gang And Nc
Quirk, who knew be would miss this
solemn-eyed and bis.shouIdered youth
from the NOrthland, and who loved
him, too, for all he ID half killed the
gang, dismissed him sadly with a few
well-chosen words;
Amy mon, Swanson, that has that
small an intillict that he caan take
the shirt aft is back widout haVin
to onbutton the collar av it is bad
mon to be runnin' amuck wild the
handle of a maui. An I'm sorry to
lose the like av yez, Swanson, but,
faith, an yez don't mix wild dagoes,
an dagoes is aal there is in this
domned country, so yez betther go
aft Swanson, an cultivate that same
intillict, an whin yez think yez caan
come back an bay a paceablc mon,
thin Oill give yez a tip where yez
caan git yez job.
But it won't be here, Swanson
it'll be over the Rio Grande, whin me
frind Porferyo Dyaz, the prisidint Of
Mexico, is nadin new spacies OF
polssmen. Yez haad betther clear
out, now, Swanson, for OF maay not
hear from the prisidint for some
tonne"
And Swanson, who did not under.
stand exactly what NcQuirk was
driving at, did know for a certainty
that he was fired, and that there was
no help for it, and that there would be
no use of his hanging around in the
hope of getting taken back again,
went into the bunkhouse and crammed
his few belongings into the little gray
cloth bag that ne had brought from
Sweden with him.
Also, he got the few dollars coming
to him for the time since last payday,
and bidding the sectiou-boss ylte
good-by, while great tears stood in
his eyes, trudged away up the track,
bent on reaching the siding IA miles
up the grade, from which the Red
Horse mine got its supplies of grub
and powder,
Up there Swanson reasoned that ne
might find work, for he had been in
the mines back in the old country and
would be a miner yet only that he had
grown afraid of dynamite after the
missed hole went OF and killed his
brother at his side.
1t was noon when he reached the
Red Horse. Through a friendly fellow
countryman who was ON the night
shift he learned that there was no
work to be had; every place was full,
and the mine would not run much
longer unless powder came Swanson
shivered at the mention of the stun.
Thry talked of the NOrthland-the
home country-and the heart of
Swanson melted within him and home
sickness so filled him that tears came
into his eyes and sobs gripped him
by the throat.
After the pang of homesickncss had
left him he still sat there. For in
little time, now, the eastbouud
freight would be along, and perhaps
he would see the good-natured brake
man who always threw coal at him
as the train passed the sec
tion-gang
After the freight had passed it
would only be a little while until the
east-bound express, drawn by two
powerful locomotives, would come
snorting up the heavy grade.
In due time the freight announced
itself and came dragging up the steep
ascent. There were no ore-cars in
the train, and Swanson wondered why
it was that brakeman got off the eni
and ran forward to open the switch
ahead of the engine. This soon be-
came apparent to him. For as soon
as the switch was opened there came
the pop Of an airpipe uucoupied and
tho kissing Of air and grinding of
brakes.
Then the engine ran IN on tho
switch, dragging eight cars Hall
way up the siding they stopped, The
brakeman ran past him and cQocEed
the trucks of the last chr with bowl-
ders, and then, climbing mp, set the
After that there were
more sounds of uucoupIing, and then
tho engine pulled ont, leaving the last
cay The brakeman threw over the
switch and locked it. II was Swan
sons brakeman, but Inc was in such
a hurry that he paid no attention 10
the Swede
Swanson suddenly heard the sound
OF iron striking iron, like the ring OF
a spike-maui when it misses the
spike and hits the rail He turned
around, and there within ten feet of
him, right by the switch, with the
broken lock.plate twisted around and
with a driller's sledge in his loft hand,
a squat and eyillooking Italian slow.
~ urged open the switch with his
right hand
swanson s SLOW wits gathered them.
selves as he got to his feet He
dashed at the fellow, but was met by
the uplifted sledge He stopped for a
stone but al that instant he saw the
sledge descending. He sprang for.
ward, and it was only the handle that
struck him on the head Tie was
da2ed by the shock, but beat his an,
tagonist down with heavy blows, aud
knelt upon him.
suddenly there was the sound 1f