Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-12-05
"Then Ill Come Back to YOU
LARRY EVANS
AUTHOR or ONCE TO EVERY MAN"
AUTHOR or ONCE TO EVERY MAN"

to swapping and white water work and
that sort Of thing. In a pinch they're good
for rweniy-four hours 4 day ovel stretches
that would take the heart ont 6f most
gangs. ! don't know Of ANYTHING tina; ean.
beat a lnmberjaek on a squeeze job once
Won get him to realize that he's M against
long odds. It, this ten hour a day thing
and too much ready money every pay day
its a town too emptingiy close that makes
them IA trifle tempermental. Mr.. Elliott.
Is that what You meant"
Elliott pondered for Il moment.
'.That entirely duplicates what Mclean
said just a day or so ago" On any 9th
er's lips ElIiott's deliberate neatness If
phrase might have sounded solemnly fun
ny. Thoroughly logical. of COURSE
thoroughly possible. And Yet somehow il
doesn't tit the ease. We've had the usual
Monday morning vacancies right along. ~
YOU know. but the delinqEents always
turned up before the ; o'clock whistle blew
or nj least reported Tuesday morning. But
this j. the end of the week. and we're
short right this minute very close 10 thir-
.ty men. They aren't coming back. Mr..
0Mara. On the contrary, they continue
to dribble away. a few every day. And.
though they appear 10 do nothing but talk
their time away in the saloons in the low
er end of the town, they seem To have Just
as much money 10 spend a. they did when
they were getting their time checks from
u.s.
"Nhat sort Of talking7" Steve wanted
to know.
"That's just it," Elliott exclaimed.
"Their talk leads nowhere. | went down
and attempted 10 find out what their griev-
anccs might be. bnt they close up like
clans whenever | come within carshot.
They stare nj the ceiling. rub their chins
and laugh when there's nothing Ia laugh
at. This morning. however, | finally con
WINGED Mclean that something was radi-
cally wrong. SO he took one Of them who
had just decided TO quit and pinned him
up against the embankment-but YOU know
Mclean and hi~ methods-he showed his
jaw up within an inch of the Others nose
and invited him 10 talk. and-well. he
found out enough 10 make him begin TO
worry. too. Somebody's been talking to
them. Mr.. D'Mara. Somebody has put the
fool notion into their heads that this strip
of railroad will mean the end of all lum-
her operations in this countrv-the old
time river drives, of course. And some Of
them are beginning to believe whoever was
responsible for that statement.
"You know and | know how absurd il
is. We know that this road viii mean work
for every riverman in this section, rs often
as he wants TO work. But it isn't gong to
help u any if they can't see il that way.
II isn't going to replace the men who quit.
I've been deliberating one point. Don't.
YOU suppose we might import 4 r%csuiar
squad of construction men now. before its.
too latce"
"It'~ too late now" Steve told him. his.
word none the less final for all that they
were ab~ently quiet. 1T was too late the
day We began operations. And yesterday
at this time ! wouldn't have given much
worry 70 this particular brand If trouble.
They're IN odd lot. They're the hardest
working. hardest living crowd of big men
that ever failed entirely ~ grow up. But
since yeSterday-since yesterday-who, did
Won say. was responsible for that state
ment. ~ YOU call itP'
Il didn't say. And If If | had to
guess The hand passed across hi eyes
now. "O'Nlara. do Won know how deeply
Mr.. AinnesIey and myself are involved in
this prospect"
II don't believe ! nave ever given II
much actual thought" Steve replied IL
never viewed il ~ any ~ my affair. But
| haven't forgotten the last time wc talked
The plans over. that YOU couldn't ~ INTO il
to lose
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