Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-08-17

out in the country, somewhere, taking
the air in Dick Maxwelrs runabout. l
wanted to borrow the wagon myself,
and Dick told me he had already lent
it to Smith"
Were needing him." said the colonel
shortly, and then he told Starbuck of
the newest development in the paper
railroad scheme of obstruction.
From that the talk drifted to a dis
cussiOn of Kinzie's latest attitude. By
this time there had been an alarming
number of stock sales by small hold
ers, all of them handled by the Brew
ster City National, and it was plainly
evident that Kinzie had finally gone
over to the enemy and was buying-as
cheaply as possible-for some unnamed
customer.
'If they keep it up, they can wear
us out by Titles, and We'll break our
necks finishing the dam and saving
the franchise only to turn it over to
them in the roundup" said the colonel
dejectedly. "Fve talked until I'm
hoarse, but you can't talk marrow into
an empty bone, Billy. l used to think
we had fairly good bunch of men in
with us, but in these last few days
I've been changing my mind at a fox
trot"
The remainder of the day, up to the
time when the offices were closing and
the colonel was making ready to &c
home, passed without incident. In
Smiths continued absence Starbuck
had offered to 90 to the dam to stand
a night watch with Williams against
possible surprise by the right-of-way
claimants; and Stillings, who had beer
petitioning for an injunction, came VI
to report progress just as Baldwin was
locking his desk.
''The judge has taken it under ad
visement, but that is as far as he
would go today" said the lawyer. "It'S
simply a bold steal, of course. I'm
sworn to uphold the law, and 1 cam
counsel armed resistance. Just the
same, 1 hope Williams has his nerve
with him.
HE has; and 1 haven't lost mine
yet" snapped voice at the door an(
Smith came in, dust-covered and swar
thy with the CRIME of the wind-swep
! grasslands. Out of the pocket of hi!
driving coat he drew a thick packet O
papers and slapped it upon the drawn
down curtain of Baldwin's desk
There you are" he went on gratingly
"NOw you can tell Mr.. David Kinzi
to go straight to blazes with his stock
pinching, and the more money he put
into it, the more somebody's going t.
lose!"
John what have you done?" de
manded Baldwin.
"Ive shown 'em what it means t
go up against winner!' was the halt
triumphant, half-savage exultation. I"
have put a crimp in that fence-climt
ing banker of yours that will last hir
for one while! I've secured thirty-da
options, at par, on enough High Lin
stock to swing a clear majority
Kinzie should buy up every other shar
there is outstanding. 1t has taken m
all day, and I've driven a thousan
miles, but the thing is DONE"
But, John! If anything shoul
happen, and we'd have to make goo
on those options. 1t woul
break the last man of usT"
"We're not going to let things hal
pen" was the gritting rejoinder. "Pv
told you both dozen times that II
in this thing to win! You take car
of those options, Stillings; they'r
worth a million dollars to somebod
Lock 'em up somewhere and then fo
get where they are. Now I'm goin
to hunt up Mr.. Crawford Stanton-b
fore l eat or sleep!"
Easy, John; hold up a minute !" IL
colonel broke in soothingly; and Sti
lings, more practical, closed the offiC