ir Ji I ft m ItS I I) II , &xfvu&n iu.?u.. wj ,Mm us . ai.v;- ,h.2" r THE CHAPTER XV Continued. 12 Smith wns Jabbing tits paper kntfo absently Into the desk blotter. "And yet wc ro on culllngthts a civilized country I" he said meditatively. Then with n sudden change of front: "I'm In this fight to Btay until I win out or die out, Hilly ; you know that. As I havo said, Miss Verda can kill me off If she chooses to; but she won't choose to. Now let's get to work. It's pretty late to rout a Justice of the peace out of bed to Issue a warrant for us, but we'll do It. Then we'll go after Lanterby and make him turn stato's evidence. Come on ; let's get busy." But Starbuck, reaching softly for n chulr-rightlug handhold upon Smith's desk, made no reply. Instead he snapped his lithe body out of the chair and launched It In a sudden tiger spring at the door. To Smith's nston tshment, the door, which should have been latched, came In at Starbuck's wrenching Jerk of the knob, bringing with It, hatlcss, and with the breath startled out of him, the new stenogra pher, Shaw. "There's your stato's evidence," said Starbuck grimly, pushing the half dazed door listener Into a chair. "Just put the auger a couplo of Inches Into this fellow and sco what you can find." Richard Shaw had an exceedingly bad quarter of an hour when Smith and Starbuck applied the thumbscrews to force a confession out of him. Nev ertheless, knowing the dangerous ground upon which ho stood, he evaded and shuffled and prevaricated under the charges and questionings until it became apparent that nothing short of bribery or physical torture would get the truth out of him. Smith was not willing to offer the bribe, and slnco tho literal thumbscrews wcro out of the question, Shaw was locked Into one of the vncant rooms across tho corridor until his captors could deter mine what was to be done with him. "That Is one time when J fired and missed the whole side of the barn," Starbuck ndmlttcd, when Shaw had been remanded to the makeshift cell across tho hall. "I know that fellow Is on Stanton's pay roll ; and It's reasonably certain that he got his Job with you so that ho could keep cases on you. But we can't prove anything that we say, o long as he refuses to talk." "No," Smith agreed. "I can dis charge him, and that's about all that can be done with him." "He Is a pretty smooth article," said Starbuck reflectively. "He used to be clerk In Maxwell's railroad office, and he was mixed up In somo kind of crookedness, I m't remember Just what" Smith caught quickly at the sugges tion. "Wait a minute, Billy," he broke In ; and then: "There's no doubt In your mind that he's a spy?" "Suro ho Is," was tho prompt re joinder. "I wns Just, thinking ho has henrd what was said here tonight which Is enough to give Stanton n pretty good chance to outflguro our outfit again." "Right you are." "In which case It would bo little thort of Idiotic In us to turn him loose. "Are They 8ut-Enouah Chasing You John?" We'vo got to bold him, proof or no proof. Whero would we be apt to catch Maxwell at this tlnio of night?" "At home and in bed, I reckon." "011 him upon the phone and state tfce case briefly. Tell him if he has any nip on Shaw that would warrant as In turning him over to the sheriff, we'd like to know it" "You're getting the range now," laughed the ex-cowman, and InBtead of using the desk set, he went to shut himself Into tho sound-proof telephone closet When ho emerged a few minutes later ho was grinning exultantly. "That was suro a smooth ono of yours, John. Dick gave me tho facts. Shaw's a tklef ; but he has a sick Bister on his bands or said bo had and the rail road didn't prosecute. Dick says for us to Jug him tonight and tomorrow morning he'll swear out tho necessary paper-" OZeilti mrovo. TweBaaili 3291 REAL MAN By FRANCIS LYNDE - (Copyright by Cha. Scnbaer't Soat) "Good. We'll do that first; and then wo'll go after this fellow Lanterby. I wunt to get Stanton whero I can pinch him, Billy ; no, there's nothing personal about It ; but when n great corporation like tho Esenlnnto Lund company gets down to plain anarchy and dynamiting, It's time to make somebody sweat for It. Let's go and get Snow." Together they went ncross tho corri dor, uud Smith unlocked tho door of tho disused room. The light switch was on (he door-Jamb and Starbuck found and pressed tho button. The single Incandescent bulb hanging from the celling sprang nllve and showed the two men at the door an empty room and an open window. The bird had flown. Starbuck was grinning again when he went to look out of tho window. The roof of the adjoining building was only a few feet below the sill level, und there was a convenient fire cscnpe ladder lending to the ground. "It's us for that roadhousc out on the Topaz trail before the news gets around to Stanton and Lanterby," he said definitely; and they lost no time In securing an auto for tho dash. But that, too, proved to bo n fiasco. When they reached Barton's all-night place on the hill road, tho bar was still open und a card gamo was run ning In an upstairs room. Starbuck did tho necessary cross-questioning of the dog-faced bartender. "You know me, Pug, and what I can do to you If I havo to. Wo want Hank Lanterby. Pitch out and show us where." The barkeeper threw up one hand as If he wcro warding off a blow. "You c'd havo him In a holy minute, for all o' me, Billy; you suro could," ho protested. "But he's gone." "On the level?" snapped Starbuck. "That's straight; I wouldn't Ho to you, Billy. Telephone call came from town a little spell ago, and I got Hank outa bed t' answer It He borra'd Barton's mare an' faded Inside of a pair o' minutes." "Which way?" demanded the ques tioner. "T the hills; leastways he ain't hcadln' fr town when he breaks from here." Starbuck turned to Smith with a wry smile. "Shaw beat us to It and ho scores on us," he said. "We may as well hike back, 'phone Williams to keep his eye on things up at the dam, and go to bed. There'll be nothing more do ing tonight." CHAPTER XVI. At Any Cost With all things moving favorably for Tlmanyonl High Line up to the night of fiascos, tho battle for tho great water-right seemed to tako a sudden slant against the local promoters, after the failure to cripple Stanton by tho attempt to suppress two of his subordi nates. Early tho next day thero were puulcky rumors In the ulr, nono of them traceable to any definite starting point. One of the stories was td the effect that the Tlmunyonl dam had faulty foundations and that the hasto In t building had udded to Its Insecurity. On the heels of this came clamorous court petitions from ranch owners be low tho dam site, setting forth tho Hood dangers to which they were ex posed and praying for an Injunction to stop the work. That this was a new move on Stan ton's part, neither Smith nor StUIIngs questioned for a moment; but they no sooner got the nervous ranchmen paci fied by giving an Indemnity bond for any damage that might bo done, than other rumors sprang up. For ono day and yet another Smith fought mechan ically, developing the machinellko dog gedness of the soldier who sees tho battlo going Irresistibly against him and still smites on in sheer despera tion. Ho saw tho carefully built or ganization structure, reared by his own efforts upon tho foundation laid by Colonel Baldwin and his ranchman as sociates, falling to pieces. In splto of all ho could do, there was a panic of stock-selling ; the city council, nlarmed by tho persistent story of tho unsafety of tho dam, was threatening to cancel tho lighting contract with Tlmanyonl High Line ; nnd Klnzle, though ho was doing nothing openly, had caused the word to bo passed far and wide among the Tlmanyonl stockholders, disaster could be averted now, only by prompt action and the swift eff acement of their rule-or-ruln secretary and treasurer. They're after you, John," was the way tho colonel put It at the close of the second day of back-sllpplngs. "They say you're flddlln' while Rome's a- burnln'. Maybe you know what they mean by that; I don't" Smith did know. During the two days of stress Miss Verda had been very exacting. There had been another night at the theater and much tlme kllllng after meals In the parlors of the Hophra house. Worse still, there bad been a daylight auto trip about town and up to tho dam. The victim was writhing miserably under the price paying, but there seemed to be no help for it. Slnco tho night of Verda Rich- lander's arrival in Brewster, he had not seen Corona; he was telling himself " .fcjWwJAfiwy'JtofrAM..,..,, that ho had forfeited tho right to see her. Out of the chaotic wreck of things but one driving motive hnd sur vived, nnd it hnd grown to the stuturo of an obsession: the determination to wring victory out of defeat for Tlman yonl High Line; to fall, If ho must fall, fighting to the last gasp and with his faco to the enemy. "I know," he said, replying, after the reflective pause, to the charge pussed on by Colonel Dexter. "There Is a friend of mine here from the East, and I have been obliged to show her some attention, so they say I mn neglecting my Job. They are ulso talking It around thnt I am your Jonuh, nnd Buy ing that your only hope Is to pitch me overboard." "That's Dnvo Klnzle," growled the Mlssourlan. "Ho seems to have it in for you, some way." "Nevertheless, ho was right," Smith returned gloomily. Then : "I am about nt tho end of my rope, colonel the rope I warned you about when you brought mo hero and put mo Into the saddle; and I'm trying desperately to hung on until my Job's done. When it Is done, when Tlmanyonl High Line can stand fairly on Its own feet and fight Its own battles, I'm gone." "Oh, no, you're not," denied the ranchman-president In generous pro test. "You come on out home with mo tonight and get away from this muddle for a few minutes. It'll do you a heap of good ; you know it always does." Smith shook his head reluctantly but firmly. "Never again, colonel. It can only be a matter of a few days now, and I'm not going, to pull you and your wlfo and daughter into the limelight If I can help it" Colonel Dexter got out of his chair und walked to the office window. When hocamo back it was to say: "Are they sure-enough chasing you, John? for something that you havo done? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" "That is It and they are nearly here. Now, you know at least ono of tho rea sons why I can't go with you tonight." "I'll bo shot if I dol" stormed tho generous one. "I promised the missus I'd bring you." "You must make my excuses to her; and to Corona you may say that I am onco moro carrying a gun. She will un derstand." "Which means, I take It that you've been telling Corry more than you've told the rest of us. That brings on more talk, John. I haven't said a word before, have I?" "No." "Well, I'm going to say it now: I've got only Just ono daughter in the wide, wide world, John." Smith stood up and put his hands behind him, facing the older man squarely. "Colonel, I'd give ten years of my life, this minute, If I might go with you to Hlllci'est this evening and tell Co rona what I havo been wanting to tell her ever slnco I have come to know what her love might make of me. The fact that I can't do it is the bitterest thing I have ever had to face, or can ever bo made to face." Colonel Baldwin fell back into his swing-chair and thrust his hands Into his pockets. "It beats tho Dutch how things tnnglo themselves up for us poor mor tals every little so-whlle," he com mented, after a frowning puuse. And then: "You haven't said anything like that to Corry, have you?" "No." "That was white, anyway. And now I suppose the other woman this Miss Rlch-somethlng-or-otner over at the ho tel hus come and dug you up and got you on tho end of her trailing rope. That's the way it goes when a man mixes and mingles too much. You never can tell " "Hold on," Smith interposed. "What ever else I may be; I'm not that kind of a scoundrel. I don't owe Miss Rtchlnndcr anything that I can't pay without doing Injustice to the woman I love. But In another way I am a scoundrel, colonel. For tho past two days I have been contemptible enough to play upon a woman's vanity merely for the sake of keeping her from talk-' lng too much." Tho grizzled old ranchman shook his head sorrowfully. "I didn't think that of you, John; I suro didn't Why, that's what you might call a low-down, tin-horn sort of a game." "It is Just that, and I know it as well as you do. But It's tho price I have to pay for my few days of grace. Miss Rlchlander knows tho Stantons; they've made it their tartness to get acquainted with her. One word from her to Crawford Stanton, and a wire from him to my home town in the mid dle West would settle me." The older man straightened himself in his chair, and hln steel-gray eyes blaxed suddenly. "Break away from 'em, John I" he urged. "Break it off short and lot 'cm all do their worst! Away along at the first Williams and I both said you wasn't a crooked crook, and I'm be lieving It yet When it comes to the Bhow-down, wo'll all fight for you, and jimMI' they'll have to brief flmtefc at on If they, want to match you out of th Tlmanyonl. You go over yonder to th Hophra House and tell that young worn an that the bridle's off, and sho can talk all she wnnts to 1" "No," said Smith shortly. "I know what I am doing, nnd I shall go on as I havo begun. It's the only wny. "Mat ters are desperate enough with us now, nnd If I should drop out " The telephone bell wns ringing, and Baldwin twisted his chnlr to bring him self within reach of the desk set. Tho message was a brief one, and at its finish the ranchman-president was frowning. heavily. "By Jupiter I it does seem as if the bud luck ull comes lu a bunch I" he protested. "Williams was rushing things Just a little too fast, and they've lost a whole section of the dam by stripping the forms before the con crete wns set. Thut puts us back an other twenty-four hours, at least Don't that beat the mischief?" Smith reached for his hnt "It's six o'clock," he suld ; "und Williams' form strippers liuve furnished one more rea son why I shouldn't keep Miss Rich lander wultlng for her dinner." And with thut he cut the talk short and went his way. With a blank evening before her, Miss Rlchlander, tnuklng the tete-a-tete dinner count for what it would, tightened her hold upon the one man uvullublc, demanding excitement. Noth ing else offering, she suggested an eve ning auto drive, and Smith dutifully telephoned Maxwell, the railroad su perintendent, and borrowed a runabout. Smith drove the borrowed runabout In sober silence, nnd the glorious beauty In the seut beside him did not try to muke him tulk. Perhaps she, too, was busy with thoughts of her own, "There Is a Limit, Verda." At all events, when Smith had helped her out of the car at the hotel entrance and had seen her as far as the eleva tor, she thanked him half absently and took his excuse, that he must return the runabout to Maxwell's garage, with out laying any further commands upon him. Just as he was turning away, a bell boy came across from, the clerk's desk with a telegram for Miss Rlchlander. Smith had no excuse for Hpgerlng, but with the air thick with threats he made the tipping of the boy answer for a momentary stop-gap. Miss Verda tort the envelope open and read the lnclo sure with a fine-lined little frown com lng and going between her eyes. "It's from Tucker Jlbbey," she said, glancing up at Smith. "Someone has told him whero we are, and he is fol lowing us. He says he'll be here on the evening train. Will you meet him and tell him I've gone to bed?" At tho mention of Jlbbey, the money spoiled son of tho man who stood next to Joslah Rlchlander in the credit rat ings, and Lawrencevllle'a best imita tion of a flaneur, Smith's first emotion was one of relief nt the thought that Jlbbey would at least divide time with him In the entertainment of the bored beauty; then he remembered that Jlb bey had once considered him a rival, and thnt the sham "rounder's" pres ence in Brewster would constitute a menace more threatening than all the others put together. "I can't meet Tucker," ho said blunt ly. "You know very well I can't" "That's so," was the quiet reply. "Of course you can't. What will you do when he comes? run away?" "No; I can't do that, either. I shall keep out of his way, If I can. If he finds me and makes any bad breaks, he'll get what's coming to hlra. If he's worth anything to you. you'll put him on tho stage In tho morning and send him up Into the mountains to Join your father." "The Idea I" she laughed. "He's not coming out here to see futher. Poor Tucker I If he could only know what he is In fori" Then: "It Is beginning to look us If you might have to go stll' deeper in debt to me, Montague. There is one more thing I'd like to do before I leave Brewster. If I'll promise to keep Tucker away from you, will you drive mo out to the Baldwins' tomor row afternoon? I want to see the colonel's fine horses, and he has lnylted me, you know." Smith's eyes darkened. "There is a limit, Verda, and you've reached it," he said quickly. "If the colonel Invited you to Hlllcrest, it was because you didn't leave him any chance not to. I resign in favor of Jlb bey," and with that he handed her Into the waiting elevator and said, "Good, night" (TO BB CONTINUED.) , Anticipating a Slump. The Victim "And why should yon be so much concerned even If X am losing my hair?" The Barber "Why, sir, anyone is annoyed to find Ida bust- I nets falling of" fill llil -".MU. P- GKLJjD II Construction Is Usually Divided Into Two Entire Distinct Classes. SUBGRADE FOR THE SURFACE Some of Most Important Details Re quiring Careful Attention Are Fre quently Overlooked Some Precautions to Observe. (Prepared by tho United State Depart ment of Agriculture.) Figure 1 shows a typlcnl cross sec tion for u gravel-road surface and In dicates thu customary steps Involved In the construction of such n surface. The limiting thicknesses shown on this cross section are by no means followed universally, but are believed to repre sent the best current pructlce. The minimum thickness shown Is supposed to be employed where the traffic Is light nnd the subgrude Is uniformly stable, while the maximum thickness Is adapted for opposite conditions. Perhaps the most usual compneted thickness of surface Is eight inches nt the center and six inches at the edges. Tho difference in thickness between the edges nnd center is effected by making the crown of the subgrude flat ter than thut of the surface. The construction of a gravel road usually Is divided Into two entirely dis tinct clusses of work. The work of grading nnd preparing the subgrude fulls Into one cluss, nnd thnt of haul lng, spreading nnd compacting the gravel Into the other. The first cluss of work hus been discussed nt consid erable length In connection with' earth and snnd-clny roads, but since It is desired to emphasize certain features of subgrude preparation that are of Increased Importance in connection with gravel-road construction, both classes of work will be considered In the following discussion: Preparation of the 8ubgrade. In grading the roadbed and prepar ing the subgrude for n gravel surface, It should be borne In mind also thut the more expensive a rond surface, the greater should be the cure exercised to prevent It from being damaged c ' s 1 W LrxrSff"V$i K'uifim..ij.Kt.'iiiiJiAimjfjj'JiiJV .Cross section ready to recti Creti fcJien ihowini the first Brofctn lift enow m I -S f w aw -ratr!MNMmU iJ. jgji Cross aectlon-of computed road. 0P TYPtCM. CROSS SKTIOWS SHOWWG METHOd OF COCTRUCTUfi k GRAVEL BOW) Wshould be at least 10 feet for single track roadway and Venerallv not less than 5 feet, for double track, MTshould be not lesslhin H feat and "S-not less than 3 feet. , H. crown, varies from irch per foot for level grade, to I Inch pec foot for a ftrade of 5. Fio.1 L through settlement or upheaval of the subgrude, nnd the grenter should be the nccurucy with which the subgrnde Is constructed, so thnt no unnecessary, surfacing mntcrlnl may be required to correct Irregulurltles in grudo nnd cross section, v No matter what the soil conditions may be, the subgrude for a gravel road surface, when completed, should conform closely in grade and cross section with the requirements of the plans and should present an even, uniform appeurnnce. Also, it should be as firm and unyielding as the conditions will permit. Some of the most Important details requiring careful attention In prepar ing tho subgrude, and which are per haps most frequently overlooked, nre (1) backfilling culvert trenches so as to prevent subsequent settlement (2) exclusion of vegetuble mutter from fills, (3) provision for draining wet weuther springs which occur In the subgrude, and (4) the mutter of thor oughly loosening nnd distributing the materials contained In old road crusts. After the roadbed hus been graded nnd drained properly, und the details mentioned above Have received proper attention, the work of preparing the subgrude consists simply In forming a trench, ns shown In figure 1, to receive the gravel surface. Tho trench may be formed largely with n grading ma chine, but the final shaping should be effected by menns of picks and shovels and rolling." It Is .customary to provide grado stakes at intervals of about 00 feet, to serve as a guide for the pick and shovel work, and whero extreme accuracy is desired cords may be stretched between tho stakes to Insure that the subgrade conforms to tho required grade throughout. The roll ing is done ordinarily with a power roller weighing about ten tons. In order that the subgrado may be well drained during the process of spreading and compacting the gravel it Is frequently necessary to provide shoulder drains at comparatively short intervals. Such drains are constructed by opening small ditches through tho shoulders and partially filling them with gravel. The Gravel Surface. Tho principal precautions to observe iu constructing a gravel road surface, after the subgrade Is prepared, may bo commented upon briefly ns follows: 1. The gravel should be delivered on tho work In wagons or cars espe cially adapted for spreading ench loud uniformly over thut part of the sub grude for which It Is Intended. Where j-53icssH4Aj loads ore dumped all In one spot nnd Bpread later with shovels, as Is done frequently, it Is very difficult to secure uniform density of the surface crust by subsequent harrowing nnd rolling. Tho spots where the londs nre dumped neurly always will be more densely compneted ' than the nrcus between, and, ns a result, uneven settlement will develop soon. 2. Tho gravel should be sprend In two or more courses, nnd the thickness of the different courses should be ap proximately tho same, except that the first course may be made some what thicker than the succeeding courses, because, In general, n thicker layer of gravel may be compacted on the Bubgrade than when spread over a layer of gravel already compacted. It usunlly Is Impracticable to have tho compacted thickness of nny course greater than ubout 5 Inches, and qulto frequently 3 or 4 Inches Is us much as enn bo compneted satisfactorily ut ono time. 3. After each course of gravel la sprend It should be harrowed with a tooth hurrow until the various sizes of particles and the binder or cement ing mntcrlnl are distributed thoroughly through the mass. Then It should be compneted by rolling with a power roller weighing ubout 10 tons, or by means of trnfllc. Whero a roller Is em ployed the rolling should be continued, until the pnrtlcles of gravel nre all well bonded together nnd the surface presents a smooth, uniform nppcar ance. When completed, the surface of each course should be bo firm and unyielding that It will not be disturbed In any wuy by subsequent traffic. 4. Whero It Is necessary to add snnd or cluy to the gravel In order to fill the voids, It should he done after ench course Is sprend und before It Is hnrrowed, except thnt with some kinds nf gravel It muy be permissible to add n limited amount of fine material to the surface of the top course after the burrowing is completednnd the roiling" Is In progress. G. Whero the binder consists of some material other than clay, It mny be desirable to sprinkle each course with water while It Is being rolled, and even where clay Is used ns a binder u small amount of sprinkling mny be necessury In dry weather In order to secure n sutlsfuctory bond. The sprinkling always should bo done uni formly and In such quantities as not to wash the fine mntcrlnl out from the grnvel or to soften the subgrndc. 0. When the roud surface Is com- UjlHVnchu ttw turfklng materiaL v:WX IT iZal ewrn of travel spread and rolled nnisnta ri I road sett ion. plctc It should be uniform In grade und cross section. If depressions oc cur under the roller they should be corrected by adding gravel nnd con tinuing the rolling, nnd this should bo kept up until no depressions or ap preciable waves nre produced by tho roller In moving back and forth over thu surface. 7. After tho road Is opened to traf fic it should be wutched very careful ly for several months and all defects which develop should be corrected Im mediately. The work of maintaining the road until the surfucc no longer "picks up" or ravels under traffic should bo considered nn essentlnl fea ture of the construction. When traffic Is depended upon to compact the grav el, much dragging usually Is neces sary In order to secure a smooth, well bonded surface. In fact, the cost of dragging, under such conditions, fre quently may exceed the cost of secur ing a well-bonded surface by means of rolling. The construction method described nbove Is modified qulto frequently by omitting the subgrade trench and the rolling. The practice followed In many localities Is simply .to grade up tho rondbed and heap gravel along tho central portion. Trnfllc Is then de pended upon to spread and compact tho gravel and produce a uniform sur face. While some of tho roads con structed In this way nro great Improve ments over tho original earth roads they are nearly always crowned too much for comfortable driving, and sel dom wear as well as when tho more careful method of construction Is fol lowed. It is believed, therefore, that in the long run it usually pays to em ploy a trenched subgrado nnd to com pact the surface by rolling, though a possible exception to the economy of a trenched subgrade may exist where good gravel may be obtained very cheap. In this caso It may be cheaper to surface the entire roadway than to Incur tho additional expense of trench, lng and constructing earth shoulders. TO DESTROY SHEEP SORREL Weed Cannot Be Entirely Exterminat ed by Mowing, But It Can Be Weakened to Great Extent Sheep sorrel cannot bo entirely ex terminated by mowing, but It can be greatly weakened. Tho weed should bo mown as soon us tho flowering stnlks havo attained full size, but be fore they have commenced to turn red. muuuwuiu """ww" 'Qtmr -' - -" iiC-j?liI i. -j- wm