The Dolores star., 1921-09-30
CHAPTER Ii-Continued.

help out much, either. From any point
of view 1t seemed perfectly foolish,
and the boss made mention of that
II we hadn't happened to be there to
bring the engine back, the worst that
could have befallen Mr.. Chadwick and
the crew of the special would have
been a few hours bother and delay.
In the course of time the conductor
would have walked out and got to
wire station somewhere. though It
might have taken him all night, and
then some, to get another engine
Naturally, Mr. Chadwick was red
hot about II. on general principles. |
guess he wasn't used to being kid
naped.
II can't help thinking that It is con-
nected with what is due to happen
tomorrow morning. Graham" he said,
at the end Of things. There are some
certain scoundrels in Portal CITY at
the present moment who wouldn't stop
at anything to gain their ends. and |
am wondering now IL Dawes wasn't
mixed up In it."
"Who Is Dawes?"
"DaweS Is mining man in Portal
City, and before I'd been an hour In
town yesterday he hunted me up and
wanted me to go over to Strathcona
to look at some gold prospects he's
trying to finance. | said No at first,
because l was expecting you, and
thought you'd reach Portal City this
morning. When you didn't show up,
knew | had twelve hours more on
my hands. and as Dawes was still
hanging on, had our tralnmaster
give Inc a special over TO Strathcona,
on a promise that I'd be brought back
early this evening. ahead of the
Flyer from the west-the train you
were on"
promise wasn't kept"
mo promise is ever kept on the
Pioneer Short Line" growled the big
magnste. And then, with beauti-
full disregard for the mixed figures
of speech: "Once in blue moon the
chapter OF accidents hits the bulls
eye whack in the middle, Graham
When Hardshaw wired me from Port
land, l knew you couldn't reach Portal
City before this morning, at the very
earliest. That was going to cut my
time pretty short, with the big gun
due to be fired tomorrow morning,
and you cut 1t still shorter by losing
twelve hours somewhere along the
road-they told me in the dis
patcher's Office that your train was
behind wreck somewhere up in
Oregon. But it has turned out all
right. in spite of everything. You're
here, and we've got the night before
U.S." Then I suppose he nodded to-
ward me, for the boss said:
"Oh, Jimmie's all right; he knew
what l had for dinner this evening,
and he'll know what I'm going to have
for breakfast tomorrow morning"
With the bride off, the big man
went ahead abruptly, cutting out all
the frills.
You finished your building con-
tract on the Oregon Midland, Gra-
ham, and after the road was opened
for business you refused an offer Of
the general managership. Would you
mind telling me why you did that"
Not in the least. There is nothing
In 1t. An operating head is now
nothing more than score-keeper for
q national gambling game. The boss
gamblers around the railroad post In
the Stock exchange tell him what he
has to do and where he has to get
of. Stock gambling, under whatever
name 1t Notwithstanding values,
buying and selling margins, reorgan-
izations, with their huge rake-offs for
the underwriters-is the incubus
which is crushing the life out of the
nations industries, especially In the
railroad field. 1t makes me wish Id
never seen a railroad track"
"Yet 1t Is your trade, isn't it"
asked the wheat king.
"It Is: but luckily | can build rail-
roads as well as operate them; and
there are other countries besides the
United States Of America. I'm on my
way home to Illinois for a little visit
with my mother and sisters; and after
that l think / shall close with an
offer I've had from one Of the Ca
madam companies"
magnate. "In due time we might
hope to be reading your name in the
newspapers-'Sir Graham Norcross,
D.S.O.,' or something Of that sort"
Then. with a sharp return to the sort
Of gritting seriousness: you've been
riding over the Pioneer Short Line
since early this morning, Graham:
what do you think Of 1T"
I couldn't see the boss smile, but I
csub4 Agurs 1t pretty well whon he
-: There nay be worss managed,