Year: 1867

''How was that Captain?" said /, detect
ing indications of yarn, let's have it fits
worth htelling.' 80


The captain lit cedar splint at the fire
and proceeded to light his pipe, the flame
Of the dry stick bringing out his strong, qui-
ct features and grayish hair and beard in re
lief against the black woods behind him.


The captain had the coolest way Of talk
ing about his personal frights, a way which
We all understood perfectly, for the most OF
us had too often seen him in action to be-
licve his astounding accounts Of his own
cowardice Iactuplly believe that to this
day, many casual hcarcr CT lis yarns
thinks that captain Tom was the coward he
painted himself, for often would Il stranger
ask, after hearing him na1ate some of his
exploits, how such shameless sneak could
remain in service with honor.


"Welll, fellows" began he, 81 feel sort Of
confident to.night--a strange feeling for me,
BY the way, and think some general piece
Of luck must be awaiting meinconscqucncc
However, | think | will tell you thcsstory,
although never told it TO living soul be-
FORE and the very thought of telling it now
sends chill up the small Of my back, so
yos musn't be astonishcdi if turn childish
before | get through. You must know
that in the summer and FIJI Of 1850 | was,
in my profession Of engineer REBUILDING a
long bridge on the Sunset aud Great West
ern Railroad. My station was ten or fifteen
miles fro3, any town, and | had Il gang Of
thirty or forty of the widest Irishmen you
ever saw caught, besides the sober mechan-
les who did the work on the bridge. a
pretty lonely life led, for there was scarce
ly any one with whom it was 4 pleasure to
associate for any length of time, though
perhaps that was to some extent, my fault.
| was always rather distant and reserved
with the men, more from fear Of seeming
10 .ntrude, or from the opposite horror Of
seeming to court popularity, than from any
other reason. My station was at the end Of
a long and perfectly straight stretch Of road.
suppose there must have been fifteen miles
of road without Il curve Of any Sort save
that which belongs to the surface Of the
earth. As the line ncarcd the river, an easy
grade raised it few feet, so as to carry the
roadway of the bridge cleay ct floods
Rather more than half way up this grade
was cutoff or side track, crossing the riv-
er on temporary trestlc work and intended
to remain only while the main bridge was
undergoingrepairs. This cutoff was set at "a
very acute angle so that the speed OF pass
Ing trains was scarcely checked while cross
ing the river. One could stand on this lit
tie grade and see the approaching trains at
least dozen miles of, when the air was
clear, as they came tearing across the prai-
ric and up the grade, and over the bridge,
whirling past US momcntary Of the world
and its life. Perhaps the conductor, if he
was cl ever fellow, would tumble us oft a
package of papers That was al VIC knew
of outside life, fer none but ''graycl trains"
condesccnded to stop at our little station.-
Our quarters consisted of cluster Of board
shanties with one of more luxurious built
for me, all located, for convenience Of get
ting water quarter Of a mile above the
bridge where the banks of the river were
accessible.


"Thcse Of you who have lrishmen in
your companies know that whiskey natur-
ally tends to their vicinity, and almost al
ways of Saturday night a supply was on
hand in our little community, on which the
week wages we pretty certainly cxpcngca.
Saturday night was succeeded by a tearing
spree, which invariably terminated in free
fight, but as the combatan,s were usually
TOO drunk to DO very much harm to one an-
other when the fighting time came around,
no material damage was ever done. There
was one among these fellows with whom,
fiom the First, | had forseon trouble. A
thick set, surely dog he was, Pete niece
by name, and "l'ar-downcr" by BIRTH
lie had always some fault to find about his
pay, was always grunbling, was continually
ahirk;ng his work, and was withal a great
drnkcr and when drunk, mighty man to
lead the crowd. Our antipathy to one an
other seemed to be brought to a climax by
fortune, and had good reason to believe
that twice already had Pete instigated an at
ack on Inc in my house. said attacks having
been easily rcpcled by sundry discharges Of
my revolver at \ high elevation.


Zone day | was watching the labors Of a
gang who we're shovcling dirt out Of drain
which had been filled by recent storm. l
noticed that pete was Sinking frightIully by
taking y mighty small quantity Of earth on
hisspado, and throwing it rs short dis
tancc as possible. He saw that l noticed
him and muttercd remark to his compan-
ions to let them know tina. lie did. In a
few minutes saw the whole gang had II
word of the sinking of Pete and Of my OBJ
servancc Of the fact. I made UP my mind
to have It out with him for the sake Of dis
cipline Ihad with me three and q half
foot stick which Ialways carried with me for
measuring purposes, good, stout, hard cane