Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-03-01

sticks in two and had charred then
In the blacksmith shop, as cal
blocks are treated.
AT two o'clock Jack TAFT hitched
the white horses to a light sleigh
tossed the freshly made blocks In,
and drove off. chewing rapidly.
John went out with the loads, and
when he dropped off at the cross
ing Way-Bill looked at him inquir-
ingly.
Jim and his wife, here, are go
ing to paint Shoestring tonighr r.
John laughed. II just wanted to
see that You got up the hump. Jack
Tait's bringing In a team and I'll
ride back with him. S1ongl i.
Have a good time, Jim, and buy
the missus popcorni Where do you
hide the key. In case | want to get
warm?"
ION top the door casing to the
left"
Right Good luck"
He stood there as the train broke
over to the down grade. rocking In
the late afternoon stiffness towards
Shoestring.
II was very quiet; q light snow
was falling, flakes large and feath-
cry. blotting out the tracks men had
made not long before. He strolled
down the main line, down over the
break. On for twenty rods. There
he paused, looked right and left
and nodded grlmly.
AT dusk he heard Jack TAFT com.
ing and walked out to meet him.
Wen carry the blocks over" he
said. This snow might stop; run
e tracks wouldn't be so good.
Horse tracks are harder to trace"
While Jack fed his team John
went into Jln's house and tele-
phoned. A private line this, with
no chance of a central operator
o~verhearing. He called for the mill
foreman's office. said crisply:
"It's Steele, Roberts. How do
things stand?"
mot so goodi We've only got
thirty thousand In the yards tonight
and it's showing here"
Now listen; and don't ask ques-
lions. Get your supper as soon as
you can. come back to your office
and stand by the telephone"
20. K" answered the man.
Steele and Jack ate a cold meal
hastily and went outside. From the
sleigh they carried arm loads of
charred blocks and strung them
along the track down beyond the
break In the grade. This done.
Jack took the evener from his
sleigh, hooked a decking chain to
II and drove his team across the
tracks to the long line of Belknap
& Gorbel loads waiting on the
| switch.
The wings of the pillow had showed
the snow back to give ample room.
Jack hooked bis chain to the arch
bar of the first cars front trucks
while John knocked the blocks from
the wheels and mounted the car,
grasping the brake wheel.
"All right" be said, and Jack
spoke to his horses. They leaned
into the collars. strained, hung. and
then the car slowly started to move.
With the wheels once turning II
was easy. Out onto the main line
they trundled, and John set the
brake gradually, driving the shoes
tighter against the wheels as the
grade became pronounced.
STEADY now. She wants to
rolli" He was straining on the
wheel with all his weight.
Jack pulled In his team until
slack Of the chain dangled In the
snow. unlocked. seized a block and
held 1t on the rail before the wheel
while the tire munched into Its
charred surface. In its own length
then. the a anne to a grudging
halt. Quickly they thrust more
blocks in place and turned the team
backward.
Down they came with another
car. repeating the process. careful
to let II ease most gently against
the first they had moved, blocking
II securely. making the coupling
fast. Back again. ...
They spoke but little and then In
undertones. though they were miles
from other ears. Snow fell faster.
Ankle deep, shin deep, light. fluffy
flakes fell steadily.
The last a went into place: the
final coupling was made.
Get your team back TO the sleigh
now" John whispered. "T1l call
Roberts"
In the house again he rang the
mill office and the foreman an
swered AT once.
us the last yard switch openT'
John asked.
fought to be. Always Ia. That's