Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-03-21
by
FRANCIS
LYNDH
Copy right by Chns, scribners Sons

about this siding ten miles west Of
Eanta. SO | asked kirgan.
THAT siding isn't in any such shape
that the Fast Mail could get by with
out seeing a meet train on the side
track, Is ltT'
The big mastcr-meChanic shook his
head
Hardly, you'd think. reckon we ARE
up stump. Jimmie. That siding il
part Of IN Old ~ at the mouth Of u
gn'ch that runs back into the noun
tains for maybe n dozen miles or so.
They tell me the " was put in for
the Timber Mountain Lumber outfit
when they used the guIch mouth for
their shipping point. They had one
Of their saw-milIs up in the cnlch
somewhere, but III" business died out
when they got the timber an cut off,
"TelI me This. Mart, put in quick
ly. THE Timber Mountain company
is one Of the Red Tower monopolicS :
did II have "A railroad track up that
gulch connecting with our l':"
why yts; reckon So. I'm not
right sure that there amt one there
yet. But II there is, it's been dis
connected from the " I'm sure OF
that, because | went In on that ~
one day with the wrcckcr."
You'd think this would have settled
It. But | hung on like dog to a
root.
Say Mart insisted, this ~
siding were talking about is Just
around where the Ten Sixteen ought
TO have met the Mail; so far as we
can tell by this map It's the only place
where it could have met IT, And the
old gulch track would have been a
mighty good hiding place for the stolen
engine"
There amt any track there said
kirgan, shaking his head cor. least.
wise If there is. II hasn't any rail con
nection with our siding Just AS I'm
telln' you. Wen have to look far
ther along"
Somehow. | couldn't get II ont of
my head but that ! was right. our
gllesSes all went as straight as n
string to that ~ siding ten miles. west
of Banta, and | was sure that If had
been talking to Mr. Van Britt could
have convinced him. But kirgan was
awfnlly hard-headcd
ITS supper time" ~ said after
we had mul"d while longer over
the map, Tomorrow, If you like
well take an engine and run down
there, But We amt goin' TO find any.
thing. | can tell You that, right now.
yes, and tomorrow we may have
the new general manager. ANA then
you and and all the others will he
hunting for some other railroad to
work on" | retortcd.
| pretty nearly had him over the
edge, but ! COuIdn't push him tho
rest. Of the way To save my life.
III there was the least little scrap-a
reason even to imagine that Mr.. Nor.
cross had gone off on that stoleu
wheeler, it would be different,
Jimmie" he protested. But there
amt; and you know doggoncd well
there amt, Let's 90 uptown ana
hunt mp something TO eat You'lI feel
a heap clearer in your mind when you
get good square meal inside o your
clothes"
We left the shop Offices together
and got shut out. crossing the yard
by freight that was pulling in from
the west. There was yard crew
shifting on the other side of the in
coming train, and rather than wait
for the double obstruction TO clear itself
We walked down the shop track. mean.
ing to go around the lower end OF
things.
This det0ur took us past the round
house, and when we reached the turn
table lead, the engine of the Just,
arrived freight came backing down
the skip-track. Seeing kirgan. the
engineer swung down from the step
at the lead switch, leaving the hoStler
10 spot" the engine on the table. |
knew the engineer by sight. His name
was Gorcher. and he was Il reformed
cow-punch with "A record for gpttin..
out of more tight places with heavy
train than any other man on the diyi.
sion
Here's looking at you, Mr. kir.
gam he said with sort of Happy
Hooligan grin on his smutty face
You been passin' the word. quiet,
among the boys to keep an eye out
FIR that Atlantic-typc that got lost in
the shuttle, amt you? Well, | found
her"
whats that-whcre?" snapped Kir-
gan, in tone that made n noise like
the pop of a whip-lash.
You know that old gravel pit that
digs into the hill mile west of the
old " on the Timber Mountain grade?
Well. she's there; plumb at the far
end o that gravel track, cold aud
dead"
Crippled" kirgan raped out
Not as we could see; JUS; dead
She's got her nose showed piece
int. the gravel bank. but she amt
off the rail"
Krgan nodded. "Who else saw
herr
Nobody but the boys on our train.