Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-07-26
his head In his hands

SpAAASIuS dIlVo TO answer ln0 DdlIIe
call. At the desk-end Starbuck sat
with his hands locked over one knee,
too disheartened to roll a cigarette,
normal solace for all woundings less
than mortal. After a minute or two
Smith jerked himself around to face
the news-bringer.
''Does Colonel Baldwin know" he
asked.
Sure! That's the worst Of it. Didn't
l tell you? He drove out to the dam,
reaching the works just ahead Of the
trouble. When M'Graw and the posse
outfit showed up, the colonel got it
into his head that the whole thing was
merely another trick of Stanton's-a
fake. Ginty, the quarry boss, brought
the news to town. He says there was
bloody miX-up, and at the end Of it
the colonel and Williams were both
under arrest for resisting the officers"
Smith nodded thoughtfully. "Of
course; that was just what was needed.
With the president and the chief of
construction locked up, and the wheels
blocked for the next twenty-fOur hours,
our charter will be gone"
'This world and another, and then
ting fireworks" Starbuck threw in.
With the property all roped up In
law tangle, and those stock options of
yours due to fall in, it looks as if
few prominent citizens Of the Timan-
yOni would have to take to the high
grass and the tall timber. 1t sure
| does, John"
"DO you know, Billy, I have been
| expecting something of this kind-and
eXpe ting it to be a fake. That's why
l sent Stillings to Red Butte; to keep
watch of Judge Lorching's court. Still
ings was to phone me if Lorching is
sued an order"
"And he hasn't 'phOned your
"No; but that doesn't prove any
| thing. The order may have been is
| sued, and Stillings may have tried to
let US know. There are a good many
ways in which mans mouth may be
stopped-when there are no scruples
on the other side"
| ''Then you think there is no doubt
! that the court order is straight, and
that this man MGraw is really a
deputy marshal and has the law for
what he is doing?"
''In the absence of any proof to the
contrary, we are obliged to believe it
Or at least to accept it. But we're
not dead yet. Billy, it's rum
ming in my mind that we've got to go
out there and clean up Mr.. MGraw
and his crowd
Starbuck threw up his hands and
made a noise like dry wagon wheel.
Holy smoke ! go up against the
whole United States?" he gasped.
Smiths grin showed his strong, even
teeth.
"Starbuck, you remember what I
told you one nighttime night /
dragged you up to my rooms in the
hotel and gave you hint Of the rea-
son why I had NO business to make
love to Corona Baldwin,"
yep"
"Well the time has come when I
may as well fill out the blanks in the
story for you" And with Billy look
ing straight into his eyes, he did so.
At the end StarbuCk was nodding So
berly. 'YOu sure have been carrying
a back-load all these weeks, John
never knowing what minute was going
to be the next. Now I know about
this Miss Rich-pastures. She knows
you and she could give you away if
she wanted to. Has she done 1t, John r
mo; but her father has. Stanton has
| got hold of the end of the thread, and,
while 1 don't know 1t definitely, it is
practically certain he sent wire. If
the Brewster police are not looking for
me at this moment, they will be short
ly. That brings US back to this High
Line knockout. AS the matter stands
absolutely nothing to lose I am an
officer of the company, and no legal
| notice has been served upon me. Can
you fill out the remainder Of the or
der?
''No, I'll be switched If I cant"
"Then I'll fill 1t for you. SO far as
I know-legally, you understandable
raid has never been authorized by the
courts; at least, that is what I'm 60
ing to assume until the proper papers
have been served on me. Therefore
am free to strike one final blow for
the colonel and his friends, and I'm
going to do it, if I can dodge the police
long enough to get action"
Starbuck's fitting chair righted itself
with a crash.
you've thought it all outAjust
how to go at it,"
every move; and everyone Of them
a straight bid for a second penitentiary
sentence"
"All right" said the mine owner
briefly. Count me In"
For information only" was the
brusque reply. you have q stake in
the country and a good name to main
tain. I have nothing. But you can
tell me few things. Are our work
men still on the ground?'
"Yes. Ginty said there were only a
few stragglers who came to town with
him. Most of the two shifts are stay
ing on to get their pay-or until they
find out that they aren't going to get
it."
"And the colonel and Williams: the
marshal is holding them out at the
DAMP"
"Uh-huh; locked up In the office