Charlevoix county herald., 1916-12-01


stack, the engine with Rhinelander's
movable hotel in front Of 1t, bore down
on, Cassidy's house. Cassidy, himself,
summing on a pile of Seagrue's ties.
with his pipe in his mouth and his
two checks in his pocket, little sus-
pected what was coming. But Rhine
lander's men saw and understood 1t
all. A mighty yell rose from the de-
lighted gang as the engine and car
sped on. Storm, bareheaded, his black
hair streaming in the sun-clinging
with one hand for safety as he swung
from the end of the foot-board and
stretched his left arm far out as q
semaphore-signaled the cab.
The engineer checked heavily. A
stream of fire ground from the driving
wheels; the engine jumped in the grip
Of the brakes and the outfit car, re-
leased, headed like a catapult straight
at Cassidy's house. Men jumped back
as it hurtled past. The next instant,
crashing and smashing ahead, 1t tore
completely through Cassidy's house.
A great cloud of dust and timbers
rose as from an explosion and the next
moment what had been house lay
torn into a thousand pieces along the
right of way.
Like a spent cannon ball the outfit
car drove on; men, amazed, watching
its wild flight. 1t struck the end of
the rails, hung for a moment poised,
trembled and toppled headlong from
the embankment into borrow pit.
Storm sprang from the foot-board of
the engine, and before the dust of the
crash had settled, called his men for
ward. Rhinelander's gang responded
with fresh hope and energy. Seagrue
saw with wrath how completely he
had been outplayed. He called his
men together to rush the Copper
Range forces for possession of the
Cassidy yard. They ran forward with
picks and shovels, and 1t looked to
Storm as If blood might be shed in
spite of everything, when the long.
shrill whistle OF Soda Water Sal was
heard down the line, and within q
few moments Helen brought the old
engine to stop at the end of the
steel.
The deputies, followed by Rhine
lander and his attorney, poured out
of the gangway. Storm met his boss.
Just what view Amos would take of
the summary measures he had adopt
ed to clear their right of way the
young man felt now a little uncertain
about. Rhinelander looked ahead for
the familiar landmark which he had
Just acquired at the rather extrava-
CANT price of ten thousand dollars and
asked where the Cassidy house was.
"Ahl gain t hell" interposed Cassidy
(who stood listening), pathetically.
Storm pointed to the wreckage lit.
tering the right of way and told the
story of what had been done by Sea-
grue and how his play had been de-
feated. Rhinelander's face lighted
with enthusiasm and Helens eyes
danced with sheer Joy. Seagrue, dis
gruntled and beaten, had seated him.
pile of ties vacated in excitement by
CASSIDY. In another hour Rhineland-
er's men had made their title to the
disputed property good
Cassidy, bewildered by the extraor.
binary turn things had taken, started
to walk back to where Seagrue was,
but on reflection, he changed his mind
and, lighting his pipe, sat quietly
down on a part OF the roof that had
for many years given him peaceful
shelter, to view the vengeance so
swiftly taken on his former abode. He
had less than Seagrue HAD to worry
about. With both checks In his pock-
ct, he felt sure he must realize on at
least one, and he sat on the scene
long after the men had quit work.
thoughtfully smoking his pipe and re-
flecting on the queer things that may
happen in real railroad war.
<ro nm COMMUNICATION