Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-04-14

11+17
"Pve sifted This Blame Outfit Through
an Eighty-Mesh Screen"
a goin' on over III the head
quarters, l didn't want to bother Mr..
Van Britt, and I haven't been ad-
vertisin' in the newspapers. But it's
a. holy fact, Jimmie. The 'Sixteen's
gomez"
l was trying to pry myself loose
from the notion that the loss Of the
engine and the boss disappearance
at about the same time were in some
way connected with each other. 1t
was no use the idea refused to let go.
Look here, Kirgan," I showed in;
"can YOU think of any possible reason
why Mr.. Norcross should write Mr..
Van Britt a letter saying that he had
quit and was going east on the mid
night train and then should change
his mind and come down here and go
somewhere. ON that engine?"
After I had said 1t, it sounded so
foolish that I wanted to take it back.
But kirgan didn't seem to look at It
that way.
well, I'll be shot ~ he exclaimed.
81 never once thought of that! But
where the devil would he go? And
how would he get there without some
body finding out? And why in Sam
Hill would he do a thing like that,
anyway? Why, sufferin' Moses! IL
he wanted to go anywhere. all he had
to do was to order out his car and
tell the dispatcher, and go.
Il can't figure it out any better than
you can" l confessed. "Mr. Norcross
is gone, and the Ten-Sixteen is gone,
and they both dropped out between
ten and twelve o'clock on the same
night. Mart, I don't believe Mr.. Nor
cross went east at all! I believe,
when we find that engine, We'll find
him!'
Kirgan got out OF his chair and be-
gar to walk up and down in the little
space between his desk and the draw
ing-board. Besides being the best boss
mechanic in the West, he was a first
class fighting man, with a clear head
and nerve to burn. When he had got
as far as he could go alone he turned
on me.
Jimmie, do you reckon this Red
Tower outfit was far enough along in
its scrap with the boss to put up a job
to pass him out of the gamer he de-
manded.
I told him it didn't seem to fit into
any Notwithstanding scheme of
things, and past that l mentioned the
fact that the Hatch people had taken
the back track and were now offering
to sell out and stop checking the
wheels of reform.
Il know" he put in. "But I've been
Eeadin' the papers, Jimmie, and 1t
amt all Red Tower, not by a jugful.
rhe big graft in this neck-a woods is
political, and the Red Tower gang is
only set-a cogs in the b%ull-wheel. Mr..
Norcross a gettin' himself mighty
pointedly disliked; you know that.
The way he was amin to run things,
it was beginnin' to look as if maybe
the people of this state might wake up
some day and turn in and help him.
Il know all about that" I threw in.
"But where are you trying to land.
Mart?'
Fright here. Mr.. Norcross was the
whole show. Take him out Of it and
the whole shootin'-match would fall
to pieces-as it's dom, right now.
They didn't need to slug him or shoot
him up or anything like that: if 1t
could be made to look as IL he'd
jumped the job, quit, chucked. 1t all
up, why, there you are. A new boss
would be sent out here, and you could
bet your sweet life he wouldn't be
anybody like MI. Norcross. Not so
you could notice II. The New York
people would take blamed good care-a
that
you think the Dunton people are
standing in with the graft?"
Nobody could've grabbed of the
motive.power job in this railroad, as
I did. Jimmie, and not think it--and
be DIN sure of 1t. Why, Lord o
Heavens. the Red Tower bunch was
usin' us just the same as IL we be-
longed to 'emi-crdering our men to.
do their machinery repairs. heipin'
themselves 10 any railroad material