Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 157: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

5 weather comes, an’, w’en col’ weather does come, he don’ want to be here!” “T understand Steamboat wants the rest of you boys to go back with him?” said Andy abruptly. Memphis shifted uneasily. i “T’ye heerd some talk,’ he admitted. “Steamboat’s been tellin’ stuff.” “He’s talking through his hat,” said Andy. And then, as Memphis kept silent, he added, ‘They tell me Steamboat is a bad actor when he gets going good?” Memphis cast a wary glance at the - sullen, glum Steamboat. “Deed, Mistuh Agent, that’s right! W’en Steamboat starts to spread _hisself, other folks jest sort 0’ ease back! They do if they’s' wise.” No. 73’s whistle sounded far up the track. Andy Peck rose from his keg. é ‘Well, it looks like hard luck for Steam- boat; I guess he’ll have to stay here or else go without his roll.” Memphis Joe also got up. He dropped his voice carefully. “Tt does,” he agreed. “But I b’lieve he’s goin’—roll or no roll. I’se only hopin’, though, that, if he does go, he goes ’thout raisin’ no ruckus like he done Jas’ pay-day. Tf he does start a*ruckus, it’s dead sure all the rest offus colored boys goin’ to leave — whether we was aimin’ to or not.” No. 73’s deep whistle drowned out any reply Andy might have attempted. He hurried toward his baggage truck. IV ca ee ON FRIDAY afternoon Steamboat Ginm Jackson, sprawled in the sunshine just around a protected corner of the depot building, heard a rapid put-put up the tracks. A quick glance in that direc- tion revealed to him that the sound was made by Supervisor Quinn’s motor speeder as it swiftly drew nearer the station. Steamboat quickly decided it might be best not to let the supervisor see him lying around the depot instead of being out laying rails with the rest of the steel gang. Not that Steamboat cared much—but it would save useless talk. At once the colored man rose and slunk around to the back of the depot building, it being too late for him to regain the shelter of the string of camp-cars that the steel. gang used. He paused near the a Z ot B * wad rear window of the agent’s little office. The supervisor’s speeder drew up to the station and stopped. Stepping off,- Quinn lifted the wheels from the rails and rolled the speeder back from the tracks. Then he entered the station, going into the office where Andy Peck sat at his desk, com- pleting his daily accounts. As the after- noon was rather warm, the agent had slightly raised the rear office window for ventilation. The voices of Peck and Quinn carried out clearly to the squatting Steam- boat. “Hello, Andy!” said Quinn. “How’re things today?”’ : ‘Poor,’ responded the agent. “Rotten!” This was so different from the usually blithe Andy’s speech that the supervisor stared in surprize. “Why?” he exclaimed. “What’s the trouble?” “Been canned,” jerked out Andy. ‘Yes- terday—by the right honorable Mr. Car- rick. Am waiting now for the relief man; expect he’ll get here about Monday.” “Tell me about it,” pressed Quinn. Peck did. When he was through, the supervisor whistled softly. “ “The dickens!” he said. “He was silent amoment. ‘Of course, I can’t say much— but you know how I feel.” “Thanks,” replied Andy. ‘But let’s talk about something else. What’s on your own mind today?” “Trouble, too,” said Quinn. “Nothing but trouble. I’m trying to fix a way to get these steel gangers to stick with us. Foreman Walsh tells me there’s open talk among the men that most of them are going to leave right after they get their pay to- morrow. It’s that Steamboat fellow who’s prodding them to it.” : “I, know they’re nervous,” said Andy. “As F told the old man yesterday, I was down in that camp-car doing a little pro- paganda stuff. But he couldn’t see it.” “I understand,” said Quinn warmly. “T appreciate what you’ve done, even if he doesn’t.” He paused. “If we could only eliminate that Steamboat without scaring the others off, I believe we could hold ’em. Just now it looks as if his influence ‘over them was great enough to get them to do what he wants. But, if we could get rid of him in the right way or could overcome his influence in some manner, I believe. ~ they’d stay here.”