The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-07-31

81 know II. And whit happencdf
Why, dat old trestle sGHeaked and
shook and gave every evidence of be-
Ing about to buckle in the center. My
engineer threatened to quit if l sent
him in again"
''Ver. we'll. I suppose I'll have to
wait until the switch-engine comes
out Of the shop" Bryce replied re-
signedly, and hung up. He turned Il
troubled face to Ogilvy. CHECK
mated!" he announced. whipped to
a fragile. The colonel is lying. Buck,
and I've cauCht him ut it. As mat
ter Of fact, the mogul didn't kick those
flats I'm at all. The Switch-engine did
and l know It. Now I'm going TO
send man over TO snoop around Pen
ningt0n's r0undh0use and verify his
report about the switch-engine being
| in the shop"
Re did SO. Half an hour later the
messenger returned with the inf0rma-
ton that not only was the switch-en-
CINE not in the shop hut her fire.
fore and was reported TO be in ex-
celient condition.
"That settles it," Buck Ogilvy
mOurned. 1.-THE Colonel is as suspicious
as rhin0 He doesn't know anything.
but he smells danger just the same"
Exactly, Buck. So he is delaying
! the game until he can learn something
| definite" He drummed idly on his
desk for several minutes. Then:
"Buck, can you run a locomotives"
with one hand. old man."
Fine business! Well, l guess we'll
put I'm that crossing tomorrow night.
The Switch-englne will be in the round
house at PenningtOn's mill tomorrow
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
haul it down to our log landing. OF
| course the engine crew won't bother
to run down to SequOia for the night
that is. they won't run the moCul
down. THEY'LL inst leave her mt our
/ log landing all night and put up for
the night at our camp"
But how do you know they will nut
up at your camp all night, Bryce?'
MY men will make them comfort
] able, and. it means they can lie ahed
until seven o'clock instead of having
to roll out at five O'Clock, which would
| be the case if they spent the night at
this end of the line. There is a slight
! grade at or log landing. / know
| that. because the air leaked out of
| the brakes on a log train / was on a
! short time ago, and the train ran
! away with me. Now. the engine crew
will set the airbrakeS on the m0gul
and leave her With steam up TO thrOb
all night; they'll not blow her down.
! for that would mean work firing her
in the morning Our task. Buck, will
be TO throw off the airbrakes and let
her glide silently out of our log land
ing. About a mile down the road
Wen stop, get up steam, nun down to
the junction with the main line, back
I'm on the Laurel Greek spur. couple
onto those fiat cars and breeze mer-
rily down TO SequOia with them.
They'll he loaded waiting for US; our
men will be cOngregated in our dry
yard just off Water street near r,
waiting for us TO arrive with the rails
and bingO-we go to 1t. After we
fHn Got tIr,
back to the woods leave it where we
found it, return a-fying You can get
back In ample time to superintend the
cutting of the crossing"
spoken like a man :" quoth Buck
Ogilvy. You're the one man in this
world for whom I'd steal a l0como-
tive. 'At-a-hoy!"
Had either Of the conspirators
known of Pennington's plans to enter
tain Mayor PoundstOne at dinner on
Thursday night, it is probable they
would not have cheered until those
fiat cars were out of the woods.
Mayor POundst0ne and his wife ar
rived at the Pennington home in Red
wood boulevard at six fOrty-five Thurs
day evening 1t was with a profound
feeling of relief that his honor lift
ed the lady from their modest little
oliver" for once inside the Penning-
ton house. he felt, he would he free
from a peculiarly devilish brand of
persecution inaugurated by his wife
about three months previously. Mrs.
PoundstOne wanted new automobile.
And she had entered upon a cam
paign of nagging and complaint, hop
ing to wear Poundstone's resistance
down to the point where he would he
willing to barter his hope of saliva |
tlon IN return for guarantee of peace |
on earth.
L feel like perfect fool, calling |
upon these people in this filthy rattle !
trap" Mrs. POundStone protested.
Mayor Poundstone paused. am
PHYS name, woman" he growled. |
talk about something else. Give me |
one night of peace. Let me enjoy my |
dinner and this visit"
II can't help it." Mrs. P retOrted |
with asperity. She pointed to Shirley |
Summers car parked under the porte !
cochere. IF had sedan like that, |
could die happy. And 1t only cost |