The Taming of Red Butte Western

began, after the half-hour had elapsed and the trainmaster had returned to the private office. "Sit down and we'll thresh it ou

trainmaster, glancing at the to

that can be included in a requisition. There is a good deal of that, I know; the right-of-way is l

ee and screwing his face into th

any's coal-yard for its cook-stoves. That's one leak, and the others are pretty much like it. If a company employee wants to steal

ut not in quantity,

dfather used to say," McCloskey went on. "If ev

g his chair to

gher," he said gravely. "Have you found any trace of those two car-loads o

anscontinental flats, initials and numbers plainly given in t

queried the s

th, were wrongly reported. It means that

r-load of lime and cement lost at

es

"righted itself to the pe

ouse-building going on in the camp just now: tell me, what man or men in the co

pretty heavily on the boom, and lost out-so they all say. So did your man out th

Then: "How about Sullivan, the west-end supervisor

about it; carries off a set of bridge-timbers, now and then, for

smissed Sulli

artments-and have a good many members, too," he said conclusively. "That brings us to the di

rdl

e gang that has been stealing lumber and

el

-engine business. They have overdone it this time. You can't put a loco

es

he Copah key-

official. I got the day-despatcher, Crandall, and told him

what did Cr

h the Copah yards; that it couldn't get anywher

out of the office window be

d there be in the theft of a locomotive that can nei

tewed over that till I'm threatened wit

is somewhere this side of the Crosswater Hills. It is too big to be hidden under

e were going at once to begin the s

through yet. Sit down

he demurred. "I cut it out, along with the toddies, the day I put on my coa

. But about this other matter. Some years ago there was a building and loan association started here

dead and buried

t all events, some of the officials took stock in it. When it died there was a considerable deficit, toge

t much," said t

osers still in the employ of this company, and they have sent a committee to me to ask for an investigation, basi

e old Red Butte Western bosses, and if a man didn't take stock he got himself disliked. If he did take it, th

isn't responsible for the side-issue schemes of the old Red Butte Western officials. But I want to do strict justice. These men charge the officials of the

aid the t

the fact that the building and loan treasurer, who was never able satisfactorily to expl

the derby to the back of h

He is able to fight his own battles. It come

of communication with the outer office, and open

ething," he said. "Did

od shook

ekeeper's office to check up the t

the door and retu

proofs, Mr. Lidgerwood, and I have none. Besides

s altogether subversive of his own idea of fitness to be discussing his chief clerk with his trainmaster, but McCloskey had proved himsel

st, for him or for anybody. I was hoping that you might know some of the inside details, and so make it easier for

had his hat tilted to

reiterated. "There's been gos

building and

out the

's discredi

it was-never wanted to know. But there are men here in Angels who h

rwood, under his breath. "

t-conductor named Jackson that he had a shindy with in Mr. Ferguson's time, and it came to blows. Hallock got the worst of the fist-fight, but Ferguson made a joke o

w s

to get more money to squander was only a step for the young fool, and he took it. Having baited the trap and set it, Hallock sprung it. One fine day Jackson was caught

. Fairness was the superintendent's fetish, and the revenge which would sleep on its wrongs and go about deliberately and painstakingly to strike a deadly blo

ess for playing even in a personal quarrel," he co

now

erwood insisted. "Hallock shall have a chance to clear

denly that Lidgerwood began to wonder if his

red knife-fighter at such a time as this!" he begged. "The Lord knows you've got troubl

as the complaint of the grievance committee proves. If I dodge, my refusal to investigate will be

indicated an inward struggle of the last-resort nat

was the president of that building and loan outfit. He and Hallock are at daggers drawn, for some reason that I've never understood. If yo

" he said. "No longer ago than yesterday,

t again and fumbling beh

to figuring with Gridley and Flemister and

er the wreck a conference with the Red Butte mine-owners postponed all office business for an additional twenty-four hours. It was late in the evening of the t

upon the accumulation of mail when Benson came in. It was

can't do business on this railroad until you hav

ife aside and whirled his cha

atter now, Jac

only about a thousand dollars' worth of di

lled to protest against the poor service given by the railroad, and knowing his present inability to give better se

pull out the old and put in the new, and the shift was to be made to-d

he coruscating minute or two which followed resolved itself into

apex to the pyramid of objurgation. "By heavens! this thing has got to stop, Benson. And it's going t

ify me and I'll come back to work." And with that he tram

dly as an invading army might. At this, the most inauspicious moment possible, his eye fell upon the calendar memorandum, "See Hallock about B/L.," and his finger was on

ion had evoked it, a shadow crossed behind the superintendent's chair and came to rest at the end of the roll-top desk. Lidgerwood looke

y. "I saw your train come in and your light go on. W

the familiar sign, "B/L," the common abbreviation of "bill of lading." At another time he would have turned

"That isn't 'bill of lading

desk-electric, and sat on the edge of it, with his hands on his knees. "Well?"

o the smallest details. "Some years ago you were the treasurer of the Mesa Building and Loan Association. When

, which his attitude suggested. He was silent for a time, so long a t

said the chief clerk, speaking slowly and quite without heat. "You are ne

an equal in rank, added

wood exploded. "You were in the railroad service when the money was paid over to y

dgerwood," said the carved figure wi

that you are an embezzler, a thief. If you are not, you've got to clear yoursel

and lost three matches before he succeeded in lighting it. Hallock sat perfectly still, but the sallow

r reasons of my own I am not ready to quit on such short notice. When I

harge your trust; make good in dollars and cents, or

switched the stare of the gloomy eyes from the mem

loan business," he objected. "I wasn't; on the contrary, I was only a necessary

icers in the company, should be able to show it. If the others left you to hold the bag, it is due to yourself, to the men who were held up, and to me, that you set yoursel

sk end. His saturnine face was a mask o

erce tone: "Don't send me to Flemister for my clearance-don't do it, Mr. Lidgerwood. It's playing with fire. I didn't steal the money; I'll sw

rwood, frowning, "i

still farther o

a good deal more. Again I am going to ask yo

gh to resent this advance into

lain is beside the mark. Get me that statement from Flemister, and do it soon. I am not go

tened up and bu

any explaining." His hand was on the door-knob when he finished saying it, and Li

id the sup

in the desert-I ought to be giving you twenty-four hours to get out of gunshot, Mr. Lidgerwood. Instead of t

es

friends to take notice that he intends to kill you. You can take it straight. He means it

ly thoughtful. Twice within the interval he pulled out a small drawer under the roll-top and made as if he would take up

e closed drawer. Then he made his decision and carried it out. Taking the nickel-plated thing from its hiding-place, and breaking it to eject the cartridges,