Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-07-02

took down the telephone, and called
up Shirley Sumner.
"Mademolselle," he said, Jules
Rondeau speaks to you. ! have for
you zee good news. Bryce Cardigan,
she puts in the crossing today. one
man Of the law she comes from San
Francisco with papers, and Msieur
Sexton say to me- 'Rondeau, we are
whip. Deesmess your men SO have
deesmess doze men, and now | dees-
mess myself. Mebbeso bmcby ! 20
to work for M'sieur Cardigan. For
Mademoiselle have no weesh to make
trouble to fire me. queet. VIII
not fight dose dirty fight some more
Au revoir, mademOiselle. | 60"
And without further ado he hung
up.
"What's this, what's thlsy Sexton
demanded. you're going to quit!
Nonsense, Rondeau, nonsense"
II will have my time, Msieur," said
Jules R0ndeau. ~ 60 to work for Il
man. Mebbeso I am not woods boss
for heem, butt work"
you'll have to wait until the Col
Onel returns, ROndeau."
II will have my time said Jules
Rondeau patiently.
"Then you'll wait till pay day for
It, Rondeau. You know our rules.
Any man who quits without notice
waits until the regular pay day for
his money"
Jules advanced until he lowered d.
rectly over the manager. II tot
Msieur l would have my time" he
repeated once more. rs Msieur
deaf in re ears?" He raised his right
hand, much as bear raises It's paw !;
his blunt fingers worked little and
there was smoderlng fire In his
dark eyes
Without further protest Sexton
opened the safe, counted out the
wages due, and took Rondeaus re-
ceipt.
"Thank you, Msieur," the woods
boss growled as he swept the coin
into his pocket. Nov | work for
Msleur Cardigan; so, Msieur, | Will
have zee switch engine weeth two
fiat cars and zee wrecking car Doze
dam trash on zee croSSing-Msleur
Cardigan does not like, and by gar. |
take heem away. You understand,
Msieur? am Jules Rondeau, and
work for Msieur Cardigan. La la,
Mseur" The great hand closed
over Sections collar. mot zee pistol
mo. not for Jules Rondeau."
Quite as easily as a woman dresses
a baby, he gagged Sexton with Sex
TONS own handkerchief, laid him gent
~ on the floor and departed, locking
the door behind him and taking the
KEY. At the corner Of the building
where the telephone line entered the
Office he paused, jerked once at the
wire, and passed on, leaving the brok
en- ends on the ground.
In the roundhouse he found the
switch engine crew on duty, waiting
for steam in the boiler. The with
drawal of both locomotives, brief az
had been their absence, had caused
glut of logs mt the Laguna Grand'
landings, and Sexton was catching NJ
with the traffic by sending the switcl
engine crew out for one trainload
even though It was Sunday. The crew
had been used to receiving order'
from Rondeau. and moreover the,
were not aware of his recent action
hence at his command they ran thu
switch engine out of the roundhouse
coupled up the two fiat cars and thu
wrecking car, and backed down to th'
crossing. Upon arrival, Jules Ron
dean leaned out of the cab window
and hailed Bryce. "M'sieur," he said
"do rot bozzer to make zee derrick
7 have here zee wrecking car-all yol
need pretty soon we lift him off zet
crossing, | tell you, eh, M'sieur Cardi
GAM
Bryce stepped over to the switcl
engine and looked up ut his late en-
envy. "By whose orders is this trail
here?' he quered.
Mine" Rondeau quickly answered
"M'sleur Sexton | have tie like on
leetle pig and lock her in her office
| work now for Msieur."
And he did. He waited not for
confirmation from his new master blu
proceeded to direct operations lik
the born driver and leader of mel
that he was. With his late employ
er's gear he fastened to the old cast
inrs and the boiler, lifted them witt
the derrick on the wrecking car, ant
swung them up and around onto tn
fiat cars. BY the middle of the after
noon the crossing was once more clear
Then the Cardigan crew fell upon
. while Jules Rondeau ran the trail
back to the Laguna Grande yards, dis
missed his crew, returned to the mil
office, and released the manager.
you'll pay through the nose TO
this, you scoundrel," Sexton whim
pered. "Ill fix you, you traitor"
"You feex nothing. M'sleur Sexton,
Rondeau replied imperturbably. "Wh
is witness Jules Rondeau tie you up
Somebody see you, no2 I guess yo
don feex me. Sacre! guess 20
don try"
CHAPTER XVIII.