Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

860 ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. He anticipated that they would have no suspicion of his true identity. Weir was not an uncommon name. For them, his father had vanished thirty years ago. And men who could deliberately execute so in- famous a plot as these had done would be men of nerye, little likely to be disturbed by fantoms. When, however, they had be- held him, and perceived-a resemblance in face as well as in name to their victim, he imagined they would not be so easy in mind. Before doors, and everywhere along the street, workmen from the dam were idling. As Meyers brought the automobile to a stop before the court-house, news of Weir’s visit appeared to spread miraculously, and Mexicans began to saunter forward to hear what they expected, a suave invitation to return to work. The three Americans in the car sat quietly while they gathered. Weir stood up. “Who can speak for these men?” he demanded. A Jean Mexican, with a shiny black mus- tache and a thin neck protruding from a soiled linen collar, pushed forward. “T am authorized to speak for them,” he announced, disclosing his teeth in a smile. ‘Are you one of the workmen?” “1m a lawyer, and represent them. You have come to persuade them to resume work. There are conditions to be agreed to before they will return. First, no driv- ing of them by superintendent or foreman; second, full wages for these days you have forced them to remain idle.” “J, not the workmen, make the condi- tions for work on this job,” Weir stated, in reply. “ There will be no back pay; they can return: to work only,on the un- derstanding that they work as directed. And they must start for the dam within an hour, or not at all.” “ Preposterous!”” the claimed angrily. Swinging about, he rapidly translated into Spanish Weir’s statement, at which jeers and curses broke forth. “Vou see?” the lawyer addressed Weir, spreading his hand in an exaggerated ges- ture and lifting his brows. “Ask them if they definitely refuse to spokesman ex- return to work on the terms I’ve stated, and at once,” the engineer said. The lawyer put the question to the crowd. A chorus of howls from the three hundred throats came in answer. The re- fusal was disdainful, immediate, and unani- mous. “We'll now discuss the men’s terms,” the lawyer stated urbanely. “No. The matter is settled. They will not be hired again. Start the car, Meyers.” The roar of the engine swallowed the protests of the indignant Mexican lawyer; the crowd, in stupefaction at this abrupt ending of the conference, divided, and the automobile moved ahead. “* Drive to Vorse’s saloon; I want a look at the man,” was the engineer’s next direc- tion. Into the place.Weir and his companions entered. An anemic-appearing Mexican youth at the far end of the bar started for- ward to serve them, but a bald - headed, hawk-nosed man seated at a desk behind the cigar-case laid aside his newspaper, arose, and checked the other by a sidewise jerk of his head. He received their orders for beer and lifted three dripping bottles from a tub of water at his feet. His eyes passed casu- ally over Steele Weir’s face, glanced away, then came back /for a swift, unblinking scrutiny. ,The eyes his own met were as hard, stony, and inscrutable as his own. Finally Vorse turned his gaze toward the window and, extracting~a quill toothpick from a vest-pocket, began thoughtfully to pick his teeth. “You're the new manager at the dam?” he asked presently, still considering the street through the window. (<4 I am.” “ And your name is Weir?” “ You've got it right.” The questions ended there, The three men from camp slowly consumed their beer and exchanged indifferent remarks. At the end of five minutes the Mexican lawyer, clutching the arm of an elderly, gray-mus- tached man, entered the saloon. They lined up at the bar near the others. The older of the pair regarded the i Ae comicbooks.com