The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-05-12
CHAPTER VII
A Close Call

At the 'Y" siding we stopped-with-
out going on - the gravel track where
Gorcher had seen the los, 1Ol6-and
kirgan and ] got of with lantern.
This was because, on the way down,
] had managed 10 tell the big master
mechanic about the Cantrell talk,
though ] hadn't succeeded In making
him believe that Il accounted for Mr..
Norcross' drop-out just the same he
humored me by having Billy Gorcher
stop, and now he was trying TO make
me take II sort OF slow and easy as
we stumbled out toward the stem Of
the "Y." That was Klrgan's way. He
was as hard as nails with gang OF
men, bnt he could be as soft-hearted
as any woman when fellow was all
In. And he knew l wasn't half "at
myself yet. physically.
Don't get too much hope up. Jim.
mie,' he was saying. as we bumped
along around the crooking track Of
the "Y." "We amt goln' to find any
thing out yonder but rusty loggin'
track and that broken rail CON
nection. You see. I've been here be-
fore. and know"
He WAS as right as could he. When
we reached the end of the "Y" there
was the broken connection. inst ms
he'd said. The old saw-mill track was
still there. leading Off In the dark up
the gulch. but the two switch rails
had been taken out and the switch
Itself was ns rusty as II II hadn't been
used In years
What you heard from Mr. Cantrell
may have been all true enough" Kir-
gan said, while stood swallowing
hard and staring down at the broken
rail connection, "Only II didn't have
anything 10 do with the big boss. Them
thugs was probably plannin' to wreck
the Mall, all right, and they came
down here to do It. The Lord only
knows why they didn't do a.: p'raps
there wasn't time enough, after they'd
got the Sixteen In on the gravel
track"
l only just about half heard what
he was saying. He had the lantern,
and its light fell squarely upon a
crdss-tle foot or two beyond where
we were standing II was the last
tie in the empty string from which
the two rails had been taken up to
break the connection with the lighter
saw-mill track steel, and what / was
looking at was fresh spike hole
fresh beyond all question OF doubt
because there was clean new splinter
of the wood sticking up beside lt--a
splinter that had been broken out
when the spike was pulled.
! took the lantern from Klrgan I'm
my one good hand. and he stood there
waiting for me while I walked on
out 10 the chOpped-off end OF the saw.
mill track, examining the loose ties
as | went along. There were fresh
spike holes In some Of the others;
just one here and there. But that was
enough. After had knelt to hold
the lantern close TO the rails OF the
rusty timber track / knew my hunch
was all right.
Come here, Mart r. / called. and
when hc came. shcwed him the new
holes and new wheel-marks on the
old rusty rails OF the timber track
hat proved as clear as daylight that
an engine or train had been over
hem away this side OF the rains and |
he SHOWS that had rusted them.
Kirgan didn't say word-not TO |
ne. He just took one look at the |
'ubbed rails and then yelled back TO |
iorcher TO run out on the "Y." What |
went like clockwork. There |
we're tools, a splke-puller and driv-
ng-mnul. on the light engines tender,
md while the two firemen were throw
ng them of, Klrgan made a couple
IF swift measurements with his pocket |
ape.
These two, right here. boys" he
'rdered, indicating n pair of rails In
he other leg Of the "Y," and In less
han no time the two rails were up
md relald TO bridge the gap OF the
,r0ken connection.
l suppose we poked along into the
lack heart OF the Timber range for
IS much as five or six miles before