Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1915-05-20
WHAT SWANSON DID
by J. r. STAFFORD.
(copyright.)


Swanson was fred at the bunk
house On the section bossed by odd
McQuirk" after he had used q spike
maui handle with telling efrect on the
heads and bodies Of the five Italians
who. with him and with Mcouirk,
made up the section-gang. And Nc
ouirk, who knew he would miss this
solemn-eyed and big-shoulderSd youth
from the NoTthland. and who loved
him, too, for all he had half killed the
gang, dismissed him sadly with Q few
woll-choson words:
"Anny mon, Swanson. that has that
smaal an intilllct that he caan take
the ahirt al IL back widout haNin'
70 onbutton the collar Nv II 10 O bad
mon to be runnin' amusk wild the
handle Of q maui. An I'm sorry to
lose the like av yes. Swanson. but.
faith, an yes don't mix wild dagoes,
an dagoes Is AL there is In this
domned country, 30 yez betther 30
al, Swanson, an cultivate that same
intiIlict an whin yea think yeG caan
come back an bay Q paceable mon.
thin DIN give yea Q tip where yes
caan git yes . Job.
But Il won't be here. Swanson
itn be over the Rio Grande. whin me
frind Porneryo Dyaz, the Drisidint OF
Mexico, II nadin' o new spacies OF
polissmen. Yez haad betther clear
out, now, Swanson. for Of maay mot
hear from the prisidint for some
tonne"
And Swanson, who did not under
stand exactly what Mcouirk was
driving at, did know for Q certainty
that he was fred, and that there was
no help for II, and that there would be
no use Of his hanging around In the
hope Of getting taken back again,
went into the bunk-houae and crammed
his few belongings into the little gray
cloth bag that he had brought from
Sweden with him.
Also, he got the few dollars coming
to him for the time since last payday,
and bidding the sectiOn'boss' wife
good.by, while great tears stood IN
his eyes, trudged away up the track.
bent on reaching the siding IL miles
ND the grade, from which the Red
Horse mine got In supplies 81 grub
and powder.
On there Swanson reasoned nat b
might ind WORK. for he had BEEN n
the mines back In the old country. aA4
would be Q miner yOt OoU that 3 be
grown afraid Of dynamite Afpk 10
missed hole went q end hsssd b
brother at he ifdA
Il was 1000 whM b RaAchSd ~
Red Horse. VAHcugh Q friendly teii6S
countryman who wac on che night
shit he learned that there was 10
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.
They talked Of tho Northland-the
home country-and the heart Of
Swanson melted within him and home
sickness SO filed him that tears came
into his eyes and sobs grpped him
by the throat.
After the pang Of inconsistencies had
left him he still sat there. For In q
little time, now, the east-bound
freight would be along, and perhaps
he would see the good.natured brake
man who always threw coal at him
playfully as the train passed the Sec
tion-gang.
After the freight had passed 1t
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 III
the train, and Swanson wondered why
Il was that brakeman got on the end
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 uncoupled and
the Kissing Of air and grinding Of
brakes.
Then the engine ran in on the
switch, dragging eight cars. Half
way up the siding they stopped. The
brakeman ran past him and checked
the trucks Of the last car with bowl
ders, and then, climbing up, set the
hand.brakes. After that there were
more sounds of uncoupling, and then
the engine pulled out leaving the last
car. The brakeman threw over the
switch and locked IL It was Swan
sons brakeman, but he was in such
a hurry that he paid no attention to
the swede
Swanson suddenly heard the sound
Of iron striking iron, like the ring Of
q spike-maul when 1t 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 left hand,
a squat and evil-looking Italian slow
" urged open the switch with his
right hand.
} swanson's slow wits gathered them
aalves "A he got TO his feet. He