The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-12-02


"Huh?" he queried; and then: "Of
| get you, now; IL used to be Gale
Placerville."
THANK you; that helps. Now HOY
much farther is II to Angels?"
bout twenty miles"
"All right. And when will there b
train coming back to this Atropil
place."
"Way-freight - tomorruh mornin'-
eight-thlrty out o. Angels"
Good. Now If those fire people an,
the brass band don't miss me-"
couldn't resist the temptation to CIV,
him final shot. and it hit the bulls
eye. As he edged away | could see b,
his expression that he still thought m,
crazy.
When | got back to my Pullman
after luncheon perceived at once thai
the. train conductor had promptly
passed the word about the episode in
the dining car. The Pullman conduc
tor evidently had his weather eye or
me, and the negro porter SHE'D every
time he passed my section. This was
rich. but If | could have known the
tenth part of what was going to POP
out of this Pandora box that | had
foolishly dug up in the dining car. the
amusement feature would speedily
have been forgotten in pretty
strenuous eff,rt to straighten things
OUT while tlrie was yet time.
| descended from, the train at my
ticket-named destination of Angels.
and found a typical mining camp of a
single street and tawdry, dusty
Oh eiriness scarcely exceeded by that
of the dead-alive Atropia. The first
thing / saw on the station platform
was my train conductor talking earn
estly to a large. Notwithstanding
man whose greatest need was for a
clean shave BY the manner of the two
| saw that their talk was aiming itself
at me; the railroad man was only too
plainly warning the Angelic person
that Angels the Blest had probably
harmless, but possibly dangerous,
maniac In its midst.
Still saw only the humorous side
of II and refused TO be disturbed. Fired
by the ambition to find some way of
returning at once to Atropia. before
the magic horse and dog should disap-
pear, | tramped off in search of place
where | could leave my two grips. The
place that offered, and the only one.
was the Celestial IIctel." and | won
dered what sly wag had suggested the
name, which was a double pun upon
the name of the town and the fact that
the tavern. half restaurant and half
lodging-house. was kept by China
man.
But | secured accommodation, and
as | was turning to leave the restau-
rant-tavern trouble doomed up In the
shape of the heavy shouldered des-
peradoish-looking person whom | had
seen at the station talking with the
train conductor.
I'm onto you with both feet" he re-
marked, boring me with an eye that !
could eaeily fancy might strike terror
into the heart of the most reckless
criminal. I'm givin' you warnin' right
now that no funny business don't go in
this mans town; seer
I'm quite harmless" | assured him.
"Gi,e me little information, and I'll
forthwith remove myself from the con-
fines of your charming city. How far
is il by wagon-road TO Placerville-
Atropia, and how can get there?"
my gosh r. he said gloomily; 1.-TWO
of you in the same dog-goned week r.
Even So When did the other one
arrive?'
DAY before yistidday. He didn't
look so much bughouse as you do, but
reckon he must "a been off his ka-
whcop. too, r he wouldn't "a gone to
'Tropia."
Let him rest in peace. Do get my
Inf Srination?"
ashore: we speeds the partin' guest
awe come apast your place. Twenty
D se mile back; and the way-freight II
g.s you there to-morruh mornin'"
I'm going to Atropia-this after
s.,on," | Dragged.
He let me pass. and tramped uli |
ne street until found the one livery |
table. Here. again, my fool reputa |
ion had quite evidently outrun me.
The man had idle horses. plenty OF |
hem, as couldn't help seeing. but
couldn't hire one for love or money.
When II came right down TO the pinch.
lie wouldn't even sell me one.
BY this time | was in n no: sweat
# impatience TO be on my way; TO
ridge that twenty-one miles before
he elusive clue-if IL were the clue
ould once more dodge me and vanish
ntO thin air. In that frame of mind |
old the cautious liveryman, In gentle
hrase. what thought of him and his
ind and hurried down to the rail-
oad hoping to be able to catch an
ast-bound train of some kind, any
ind. whose crew could be bribed or
ajoled into carrying me TO Atropia.
II was just as | was about TO inquire
+ the telegraph operator what the
hances were that the great tempta-
on rose up and slapped me In the
ice. Up the grade from the westward
tiny, three-wheeled car. carrying two
EN-, came spinning along. | recog- {
zed II at once as a track-inspection | I
lr. driven by small gasoline engine;