The Lamar register., 1919-02-19
in his temper.

he'll only keep busy. He has the hot
end of IL. We couldn't very well get
along without him, right now, colonel.
With all due respect to you and the
members of the board, he Is the fight
Ing backbone of the whole outfit"
He is that" was Baldwin's ready
admission. He is just what we've
been calling him from the first, Bart
iey-a three-ply, dyed-in-the-wOol won
der In his speciality. He is fighting
now like man in the last ditch. and
| believe he thinks he Is in the last
ditch"
''It will be only two days more"
said the engineer, saying 1t as one who
has been counting the days In keen
anxiety. And then: "Stllings told me
yesterday that we're not going to get
an extension of the time limit from the
state authorities"
NO; that little fire went out blink.
lust us Smith said II would Stanton's
hackers have the political pull-ln the
state as well as in Washington. They're
going to hold us to the letter of the
law"
LET 'em do II. Wen win out yet
If we don't run up against one or both
Of the only two things I'm afraid of
now: high water, or the railrruri call
down"
THE railroad grab? Have you heard
anything more about thatf'
"'rhat is what | was trying To get to
town for: to talk the railroad business
over with you and Stilllngs and Smith.
They've had a gang here this morn
lng-a bunch of engineers. with
stranger. who gave his name as Hal
lowell. In charge. They claimed to be
verifying the old survey and Hallowell
squnrely in their right Of way for
bridge crossing of the river"
"They didn't serve any papers on
you. did they?" inquired the colonel
anxiously.
"No; the notice was verbal. But
Hnllowell wound up with n threat. He
said. You've had due warning, legally
and otherwise. Mr.. Williams. This is
our right of way, bought and paid for,
us we can prove when the matter gets
Into the courts. You mustn't be sur
prised II we take whatever steps may
be necessary to recover what belongs
to u.s."
"FOrce?" querled the Missourian,
with a CLINT Of the border fighters fire
In his eyes"
Maybe. But we're ready for that.
Did you know that Smith loaded half
dozen cases OF new rifles on n mo-
tortruck yesterday. and had them sent
out hereT'
"Noi"
"He did-and told me TO say nothing
about II. II seems that he, ordered
them some time ago from an arms
agency In Denver. That fellow foresees
everything. colonel"
Dexter Baldwin had climbed Into his
,nr and was making ready 10 turn It
FOR the run back to town.
"lf were you. BARLEY, I believe I'll
open up those gun boxes and pass the
word among as many OF the men as
you think you can trust with rifles Ia
their hands. I'll tell Smith-and Bob
Stillings."
Colonel Baldwin saw the compuny-s
attorney. us soon ns he reached Brew
ster. But Smith was not In his Office,
and no one seemed to know where he
had gone. The colonel shrewdly sus-
pected that Miss HIGHLANDER was max
Ing another draft upon the secretary's
time. and he said us much to Starbuck,
later In the day. when the mine owner
sauntered into the High Line head
quarters and proceeded TO roll the In
eyitable cigarette.
"Not any. this time. colonel" was
Starbuck's rebuttal. You've missed II
by whole row Of apple trees. Miss
Rich-dollars Is over at the hotel. saw
her ut luncheon with the Stantons less
than AN hour ago"
"You haven't seen Smith. have youi'
mo; but know where he Is. He's
out In the country. somewhere. taking
the air In Dick Maxwell's runabout l
wanted to borrow the wagon myself.
and Dick told me he had already lent
1t to Smith"
"we're 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 Kinzle'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
u,ar Ct,y National and II was MAINLY