The Tomahawk., 1925-01-29

"Why,. you internal little shrimp"
beloved the enraged foreman, mo
man ever called me q liar and got
away with it. I'll ring your neck"
He made spring for the young en-
gineer and would certainly have car
ried out his threat If he had not been
stopped by an automatic revolver in
the hands Of the engineer.
Keep back; you've gone far
enough" The foreman concluded he
meant business and stopped, not, how
ever, interrupting a torrent of invec.
tives hurled at the younger man.
you think you're some guy, don't
you-you tow-headed, notebook,
would-be engineer. You think because
you've got me at the end of that shoot
ing iron I'm afraid of you. l tell you
right now, I'll get you for this"
"Tom," replied the engineer, still
keeping his voice quiet though there
certainly was tensity about it that
was not usual, you're good mine
foreman-the best in these hills. The
big boss, as you call him, doesn't want
you fired and it'll be no credit to me
II have to fire you. I want to get
along with you and the rest of the
boys; but I'm going to be boss. That's
why I'm here; that's what l draw my
pay for and more than that, that's
going to be my life work; it means
more to me than just job or sal
airy. If make good 1t spells success
with a capital S-if / don't, it means
the other thing and I couldn't stand
that.
II know, too, what this sort Of thing
means to YOU" he went on, but I've
made up my mind about this. Either
you or l must back down here and
now. This Is ten-shOt automatic and
happen to know that it is loaded with
one loaded shell and nine empties. l
don't know which is the loaded one.
am going to put this gun down on the
table between us. You pick it up and
use it on ME for one shot; that shot
Will either be the loaded one or one of
the empties. l don't know which; you
don't know which. If I'm lucky I'll
take the next shot at you-maybe
loaded, maybe empty. Well keep that
up turn and turn about until one of us
reaches the loaded shell. You can take
your choice of first shot or second"
With that Wellington quietly laid
the gun on the table between them
nf hot tr
pairs of eyes watched the act but no
one interfered.
Come nOw," resumed Wellington,
stepping back a pace from the table,
that's fair enough; it'll be one-two
three; just like that; maybe more,
maybe less"
The tension in the room was ter.
rife. The swapping of the logs in the
fireplace sounded like dynamite explo-
sions. Tom stood there, his hat far
back on his head. Ten seconds
twenty seconds-thirty seconds; he
finally wet his lips and spoke, trying
to keep his natural tone.
do you mean all that, Kid?'
II mean just that"
Ten seconds-twenty seconds
thirty seconds. Drops Of sweat ap-
peared on Black Toms forehead; yet
the room was not warm; in fact, one
or two of the men might have been
seen to SILVER.
kid" whispered Tom, IT reckon
you're the sure enough big boss.
You've got me; when I'm licked ]
| know it,
That's all right; that's all right.
| My life work was at stake; yours
wasn't. Better take your men and 60
on shift. The other boys are coming
up"
Wellington turned and walked out
| Of the room, leaving the automatic
| still lying on the table in the center
| Of the room.
81 reckon said Shorty Long, some
time later, "mebbe there's some other
sources of supply for nerve besides
a whole lot Of experience"
And the other men agreed.