Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-03-22

lllll track, examining we lpo~' l''N
as | went along. There We're fresh
spike holes in some Of the others
Just one here and there But That was
enough. After | had kneIt to hold
the lantern close to the rails of the
rusty timber track | knew my hunch
WAS all right.
"Come here, Mart" ! called, aud
when he came | showed him the new
holes and new wheclmurks on the
old rusty rails OF the timber track
that proved as clear as daylight that
an engine or train had been over
them away this side Of the rains and
the SHOWS that had ruSted them.
Kirgan didn't say q word-not TO
me-. He just took one look at the
rubbed rails and then yelled back to
GOrcher TO run ont on the ~" What
followed went like clOckwork. There
were tools, a spikepuller and a drly.
ingmaul. ON the light engines tender,
ana while the two hremen were throw.
ing them Off Kirgan made couple
OF swift measurements with his pOC6et
tape
These two. right here, boys" he
ordered, indicating pair Of rails in
the other leg of the "Y." and in less
than no time the two rails were up
and relad TO bridge the gap Of the
broken connection.
suppose We poked along into the
black heart Of the Timber range Tor
as much rs five or six miles before
the engine headlight showed us the
remains Of the old SaW.mill camp ~.
Ing IN little pockctlike valley from
the sides Of which all the mill timber
had been cut The camp had been
long deserted There were perhaps a
dozen shaCEs of all sizes and shapes,
and with single exception they were
all djIapidnted and dismartled, some
with the roofs falling in.
The one exception was the stout log
building which had probably served as
the mill-gang commlsS0ry and store
The ties at this end Of the line were
50 rotten with nge that our engine
was grinding a good half Of them 10
powder as she edged up and n little
below the switch that had formerly
led IN to the mill, Kirgan gave Gorcher
the stop signal.
After We had piled Off, there wasn't
any question raised as to what we
should do. KirGan had taken a ham.
mer from Gorcher's tool.hoX. and he
was the one who led tie way srruight
across the little creek and up the htll
TO the c0mmissarE.
When we reached the building we
found the windows all boarded ny and
III" door fastened with a strong hGsp
and bright new brass paddock The
only new thing IN sight. kirgau ~wuug
his hammer lust once and tic lrok
Went spinning OFF down tho >!ar" and
he pushed the door open with his foot,
and showed in; and for just one half
second I was afraid to follow afraid
OF what we might find in that gloomy
looking log warehouse. with its blinded
windows aud locked door
While was nerving myself and
stumbling over the threshold behind
klrg0n with the lantern, heard the
boss voice. and It wasn't the voice of
any dead man. not by a long shot
From what he said. and the way he
was trimming it up with hot ones,
II was evident that he took us for
some other crowd that he'd been
cnSSing out before.
The light of the lantern showed rs
a long room. bare of furnishings and
dark and muSty from having been
shut up 50 tight, In the far end there
were couple Of hunks built against
;he log wall ON what had once been
the counter Of the Commissarv there
was lot of canned stuff ana box
of crackers that had been broken opcn,
and On n bench by the door there was
a bucket of water and a tin cup.
The boss was sitting up in one of
the hunks. and he was still tearing off
language IN strips at us when we
closed on him He recognized Kirgan
first, and then Gorcher. guess he
couldn't see me very we'll because
! was holding the lantern, When
he found out who we were he