Cleveland County herald., 1920-09-02


 "Why not switch back with the mogul after the log train has been hauled out on the main lineY' Bryce demanded pointedfy.
 Pennington, however, was not trapped. My dear fellow" he replied patronizingly, quite impossible, I as sure you. That old trestle across the creek, my boy-it hasn't been looked at for years. While I'd send the light switch-engine over it and have no fears"
 ''I happen to know, Colonel, that the big mogul kicked those flats in to load the rails''
 q know it. And what happened? Why, that old trestle squeaked and shook and gave every evidence of be- ing about to buckle in the center. My engineer threatened to quit if I sent him in again."
 'Very well. 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 troubled face to Ogilvy, 'Check mated" he announced "Whipped to frazzle. The colonel is lying, Buck, | and I've caught him at 1t. As a mat ter of fact, the mogul didn't kick those | flats in at all. The switch-engine did and I know it. 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 informa- ton that not only was the switch-en- zine not in the shop but her fire l box had been Overhauled the week be fore and WAS reported to be in ex- cellent condition.
 "That settles It." Buck Ogilvy mourned. "The Colonel is as suspicious l as rhino. He doesn't know anything, l 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 locomotive?' "With one hand, old man." "Fine business We'll, I guess we'll | put in that crossing tomorrow night The switch-engine will be in the round house at Pennington's mill tomorrow night, so we can't steal that; but 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 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 mogul down. They'll just leave her at our log landing all night and put up for the night at our camp"
 But how do you know they will put up at your camp all night. Bryce?"
 My men will make them comfort able, and 1t means they can lie abed 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 slight grade at our log landing. I know that, because the air leaked out of the brakes on a log train I was on short time ago, and the train ran away with me. Now, the engine crew will set the airbrakes on the mogul 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 we'll stop, get up steam, run down to the Junction with the main line, back in on the Laurel Creek spur, couple onto those fiat cars and breeze mer- rily down to Sequoia with them. They'll be loaded waiting for us; our men will be congregated In our dry yard just off Water street near R, waiting for lis to arrive with the rails and bingo-we go to It After we drop the flats, we'll run the engine back to the woods. leave it where we found,it, return a-fying. You can get back In ample time to superintend the eating of the crossing!"
 Spoken like man! quoth Buck Ogilyy. You're the one man in this world for whom I'd steal locomo- tive. 'At-a-hoy!-
 Had either of the conspirators known of Pennington's plans to enter tain Mayor Tombstone at dinner on Thursday night, 1t is probable they would not lave cheered until those flat cars were out of the woods. 
 Mayor Tombstone and his Wife ar rived at the Pennington home in Red wood boulevard at six forty-nve Thurs day evening. It was with a profound feeling of relief that his honor lift cd the lady from their modest little ''tliyver," for once inside the Penning- ton house. he felt. he would be free from a peculiarly deyilish brand of persecution inaugurated by his wife about three months previously. Mrs.