The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-09-02

less person than Colonel Pennington
himself that II would he impossible
to send the swltcS-englne In until the
following afternoon. The Colonel was
sorry, but the switch-englne was In the
shop having the brick in her firebox
renewed. while the mogul that hauled
the log trains would not have time 20
| attend TO the matter. since the flats
would hnve to he spotted on the side
trnck at Cordigan's log landing In the
woods, and this could not be done un-
I'll the last loaded log train for the day
had been hauled out TO make room.
"Wby not switch back with the
mogul after the log train hns been
hauled out on the main line" Bryce
demanded pointedly.
Pennington. however. was not
trapped. "My dear fellow" he replied
patronizlngly. quite impossible, I as-
sure you. That old trestle across the
| creek. my bOy--lt hasn't been looked
at for years. While I'd send the light
ewitch-englne over It and hive no
| fears"
81 happen TO kno'7. Colonel, TINT the
big mogui kicked those fats In to loud
the railsl"
81 know II. And what hnppened7
Why. that old irestle squeaked and
shook and gave every evidence OF be-
Ing about to buckle IN the center. MY
engineer threatened TO quit II I sent
him In again."
Very well. ! suppose I'll have to
wait until the swltch-engine comes
out Of the shop" Bryce replied re-
signedly, and hung up. He turned n
troubled face TO Ogllvy. "Check-
mated !" he announced. whipped to
FRAGILE. The colonel Is lying. Buck.
and I've caught him nj II. Az mat
ter Of fact. the mogul didn't kick those
flats In at NIL The swltch-engine did
and ] know II. Now I'm going to
send man over to snoop around Pen
nington's roundhouse and verify his
report about the switch-engine being
In the shop"
He DID sc. Half an hour later the
messenger returned with the Informn-
tion that not only was the swItch-en-
CINE not In the shop but her fire
box had been overhauled the week be-
fore and WAC reported to be In ex-
cellent condition.
THAT settles IT," Buck Ogilvy
mourned. "The Colonel is as suspicious
as rhino. lie doesn't know anything,
but he smells danger just the same"
Exactly. Buck. So he is delaying
the game until, he ran learn something
definite" He drummed Idly on his
desk for several minutes. Then:
"Buck. can you run locomotiveY'
with one hand. old man."
"Fine busInessl Well. guess wen
put In that crossing tomorrow night.
The switch-engine will he in the round
house Mt Pennington's mill tomorrow
night so we can't steal that: hut we
can steal the mogul. I'll just send
word up to my woods boss not TO
have his train loaded when the mogul
comes up late tomorrow afternoon to
hau! II down 10 our log landing. or
course. the engine crew won't bother
TO run down TO Sequoin for the night
that Is, they won't run the mogul
down. They'll Just leave her Mt our
log landing all night and put up for
the night AT our camp"
'But how do you know they will put
up Mt your camp NIL night. Bryce7"
"My men will make them comfort
able, and II means they can lie abed
until seven O'Clock instead OF having
TO roll out at FIVE o'clock. which would
be the case II they spent the night nj
this end Of the line. There Is slight
grade Mt our log landing. know
Tat, because the air leaked out of
the brakes on log train was on n
short time ago. and the train ran
away with me. Now. the engine crew
will set the airbraies on the mogul
and leave her with steam uD to throb
all night; the"'ll not blow her down.
for that would mean work firing her
IN the morning. Our task. Buck, will
ba TO throw Off the arhrnkes and let
her glide silently ont OF our log land
Ing. Ahont mile down the road
we'll stop. get mn steam. run down TO
the junction with the main line. hack
in on the Laurel Creek spur. coupIe
onto those fiat cars and breeze mer-
rily down tc SequoIn with them.
They'll he loaded waiting for us; our
men will he congregated In our dry
yard just Off Water street near n.
waiting for us 10 arrive with the rails
and bingo-we 20 10 II. After we
crop the fats we'll run the engine
back to the woods leave II where we
found II. return a-fylng. You can get
back In ample lime 10 superintend the
cutting OF the crosslng,'
spoken like manr Quoth Buck
OgIlvy. you're the one man in this
world for whom I'd steal a Iocoro-
tive. 'At.a-boy"
Had either cf the conspirntors
known Of Pennineton's plans TO enter.
tnin Mayor Poundstone at dinner on
Thursday night. II Is prohnhle thev