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"That engine being my property," he announced, "I'll take the short end of any bet you care to make, young man, that it will sit on those tracks until your temporary franchise expires. I'd give a good deal to see anybody not in my employ attempt to get up steam in that boiler until I give the word. Cut in your jump-crossing now, if you can, you whelp, and be damned to you. I've got you blocked!"
"I had a notion I might as well admit it that you would have serious objection to having your tracks cut by a jump-crossing at B and Water streets." And for no reason in life except to justify himself and inculcate in Pennington an impression that the latter was dealing with a crafty and far-seeing mayor, Poundstone smiled boldly and knowingly.
Cardigan and Ogilvy are at Water and B streets this very instant with a gang of fifty men cutting in a jump-crossing of my line, curse them! They'll have it in by six o'clock to-morrow morning if something isn't done and once they get it in, the fat's in the fire. "Telephone the chief of police and order him to take his entire force down there, if necessary, and stop that work.
"Furthermore, in order to enter Sequoia, the N. C. O. will have to cross the tracks of the Laguna Grande Lumber Company's line on Water Street make a jump-crossing and I'll enjoin them and hold them up in the courts till the cows come home." "Uncle Seth, you're a wizard." "Well, at least I'm no slouch at looking after my own interests and yours, Shirley.
"Why, we'll simply have to enter the city down Front Street, paralleling Pennington's tracks on Water Street, turning down B Street, make a jump-crossing of Pennington's line on Water Street, and connecting with the spur into our yard." "Can't have an elbow turn at Front and B streets?" "Don't have to. We own a square block on that corner, and we'll build across it, making a gradual turn."
Eliminate the girl, my boy. She's trying to play fair to you and her relative. Let us concentrate on Pennington." "The entire situation hinges on that jump-crossing of his tracks on Water Street." "He doesn't know you plan to cross them, does he?" "No." "Then, lad, your job is to get your crossing in before he finds out, isn't it?" "Yes, but it is an impossible task, partner.
Of course, since his main line runs on city property, under a franchise granted by the city, the city has a perfect right to grant me the privilege of making a jump-crossing of his line " "Will they do it? That's the problem. If they will not, you're licked, my son, and I'm out of a job." "We can sue and condemn a right of way."
"And now if you will phone up to your logging-camp and instruct the woods-boss to lay off about fifty men to rest for the day, pending a hard night's work, and arrange to send them down on the last log-train to-day, I'll drop around after dinner and we'll fly to that jump-crossing. Here's a list of the tools we'll need."
However you will recall that from the very instant we decided to cut in that jump-crossing, we commenced to plan against interference by Pennington; in consequence we kept, or tried to keep, our decision a secret.
"There's the devil to pay," he answered. "That fellow Cardigan is back of the N.C.O., after all, and he and Ogilvy have a gang of fifty men down at the intersection of Water and B streets, cutting in a jump-crossing of our line." He dashed into the living room, and she heard him calling frantically into the telephone.
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