Gunnison news-champion., 1922-01-06


rrh. but Il could have known the
tru,h part u what 'wus suin. Ia pop
uur "f 'Ai, Pandora box that had
f"nU-aly dug up ia lhe dining cur. the
uruu-~m-ut fratur, would speedily
ha1, h",n -orso:leu IA pretty
srr.'..u. "T,ri {" s'ru .Shrrn things
out while ;HIr wa, set time.
n,-,.n."d rom the train nt my
t..A..r lam,rI Destination ~ Angels.
uua s"arI rI..nl mining camp ~
single street and tawdry. dusty
di.rrIur-r -ur,Iy ,z."c.iai by that
"f ID" deaI.a.Ar Atrup.a. The ar,t
thing .aw "n DO" station platform
wu- mr train ."utu"t0r talElus earn.
e-tIy to d .ar-~ G.sp"raIpish-IDnkius
man uHu-r -0rar,-sf u.--d was Tor
clean sIuIr 49, me manner 81 the tao
| suw rilu' their talk was aiming Itself
AZ uEr th, raIfroud man Was only too
plainly nau.u- the Angelic person
that Angel, th" H'e,t had % probably
harmless. bul possibly dangerous.
maniac In It's midst
san | saw only the humorous side
Of 10 and refused "a be- disturbed Fired
by III" amhriun &" md sutu" way ~
returning ai once in AfruVla. hvf.re
the magic h"rs" and dog should Ii>1p-
p,rstr. Jramp.I m la search 81 place
where could leave my twu grips Tie
place that ufI-r-,!. and the only ore.
was 'hr ~C,',-Iul llor,I." and ! WON
d".vj what ,.y wus had suggested the
name which was double pun upon
n" nam" II the town and ID" fact that
'h" tavern. half restaurant and hall
lodging house. was kept 10y q China
man.
But secured accommodation, and
a. was turning 10 lcuye the r,.stau-
runt-,uyrru trouble Iu"mcd ~ in the
shay, ut the heavy -shuGldrrcd des-
pcrUdpish.lUUkiu. person whom ! had
seen ~ the station tuikiuE with the
Train conductor.
I'm onto Euu with both feet, % hc r.
marked. boring ne With an eye that
could easily fancy might strike terror
Into the. heart u tn" most reckless
criminal. TN siyin' you wnrnlu right
aow that no funny business don't gn In
this mans town: sccT'
III lHlAF iAtliAlFF~s I uN-AIFt nun.
'Ghc me u little Information. and m
forthwith remove myself from the con-
fncs OF your charming city. How far
Is II by wagon.road to PlHcrryiiIe-
Atropla. and how cna get thcrcf'
My gosh! :" he said gloomily: two
,f you In the same dog soDsd week! -
Even SO When did the other one
arriyeT'
Day before yistiddny. He dldn',
fook 50 much bughouse as YOU 10. hut
reckon he must a been OF his ka-
whoop. too. r he wouldn't n gune to
Tropia."
Let him rest In peace Do gel my
nformrtionf'
'Shorc; we speeds the partin' quest.
you've come apast your place Twenty
one mile back and the way-freich, II
iii gou there to-norrlIh mornIn'." !
I'm going to Atropia-this after
noon," Dragged.
He let me pass. and I tramped W
the street until found the one livery
stable. Here. again. my fool reputa
ton had quite evidently outrun me
The man had idle horses. plenty Of
them. as l couldn't help seeing. but
couldn't hire one for love or money
When II came right down to the pinch
he wouldn't even sell me one.
BY this time | was In a hot sweat
of impatience to be on my way; TO
bridge that twenty-one miles before
the elusive clue-if IL were the clue
could once more dodge me and vanish
into thin air. In that frame Of mind ]
told the cautious liyeryman. In gentle
phrase. What l thought of him and his
kind. and hurried down to the rail-.
road. hoping to be able to catch an
east-bound train Of some kind. any
kind. whose crew could be bribed OF
cajoled into carrying me to Atropia.
II was just as was about to inquire
| Of the telegraph operator what the
| chances were that the great tempta-
tion rose up and slapped me In the
| face. Up the grade from the westward
tiny. three wheeled car, carrying two
men. came spinning along. l recog.
| nized II at once as track-inspection
car. driven by small gasoline engine;
| an evolution of the old velocipede car.
| foot and hand-driven and used by road
masters and other railroad men for
| making quick trips over short dis
| tances.
In half minute the little car rat.
tied up to, the station and made q
| quick stop. the two men setting the
brakes and hopping OF to dodge into
the telegraph office. They left the lit
| tie pop-popninc engine running AT
| idiing speed. and I'm a fash ! saw my
chance, OF course. IL I should steal
the car. I'd he caught and arrested ana
hauled OF snpewhere to be tried and
fined; but before any of these unto