Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1920 — GOING SOME AT KRUGER’S [ARTICLE]

GOING SOME AT KRUGER’S

By FRANK A. WARD

(Copyright.) Hank looked at the monkey, jwrched on the window sill, and the monkey looked back. There matters rested. "Maybe you’re real,” he gasped, “but then — He shook his head as if. In the dim light of the single oil lamp, he could not be certain. Whistling to keep up Ills courag®, he let his weight fall in the rickety chair and picked up the pen. He paused, slanting an eye at the visitor sitting there like a graven Bud--dha. Never in his nine months at Kruger’s Crossing had he seen such a phenomenon. It frightened him. Meanwhile the creature shifted a bit on the roost. Instantly Hank robbed his eyes, and sat up with a jerk; for now two monkeys grew where one had grown before, and a swaying branch outside showed their means of entrance. For days he had been In the depths of melancholia, and the climax had come that evening when he settled down to write his letter of resignation. As to reasons for his leaving, there were several. First, ambition—not to be gratified by fifty-five dollars a month and a post in a signal-tower, placed where monotony was king and a passing tramp was an event. Second, third, fourth and all the rest, there was Mollie Carey, she of the frightened eyes and rounded face, daughter of the nearest farmer. But it was upon monkeys that the operator’s mind was busy just now and creeping each moment a. shade nearer the edge of masculine hysteria. , ‘"They’re not real, or— Ah-h-h!” A howl, slicing the silence of the night like a knife, floated in at the windows, and with it the man’s sigh was of poignant relief. "Idiot!” he exclaimed. “I might have remembered!” Three miles away and to windward the cry of the coyote arose once more, even as he had heard it on many dreary nights, recalling the wild-ani-mal farm on the hill. He knew that all kinds of queer beasts were there, living a wire-pen-ned existence till shipped to “zoo” or private estate. So often had be heard their nocturnal cries that they had become part of his lonely life. There were now three, sitting there with beady eyes which followed his movements as he walked across the little room and threw one of the signal levers. A red eye down the line winked white, and a few seconds later the monkeys huddled closer together in fear as a fast freight roared past with a shriek of the locomotive whistle. Again the animals watched the operator as he threw the lever back to danger. They were evidently keenly Interested,- for as he sat down they began an eager chattering that grew louder with each minute. Twice as he paused for reflection he put the business end of the penholder in his outraged mouth and jumped up sputtering. In the silence between the visitors grew bold. There* was a moment of excited whispering among them, then the biggest dropped to the ground. The rest followed.

“Here!” Hank yelled. “None of that, now.” But they were too quick for him. In a rush they were upon the nearest signal lever, trying their best to Imitate the man who had thrown it before. One of them, hard pressed by Hank, darted under the table, and tn a flash was tangled with the wires which ran from the telegraph instruments to the 'batteries on the floor. Fighting, clawing, swearing, the ape went free; and the -batteries, upset, sent a bluestained stream of water across the floor. As if at a signal a batch of monkeys —Hank swears there were twenty—leaped from the branch to the window ledge and thence among their brethren. ’The place was broken out with them, like the measles. They shot through the air and landed on the levers; two of them found Hank’s lunch and fled, shrieking, from his wrath. At length, with perspiration streaming into eyes already half blinded by dust, Hank stood still. A great calm descended. ■ “This,” he panted grimly, “is no place for a minister’s son.” With one despairing glance at the whirling dervishes, he darted for the stairs and went down, three steps at a Jump. At the foot he Just missed collision with a woman’s figure. “Mollie—” “Is it —it, robbers?” "Worse,” he grunted. As her speech had fled, he sketched the battle of Krueger’s Crossing, but before he was half way through the girl was laughing until her sides were aching. “¥es,” he cut in, “but how about the hades .they’re raising up Come on out !” He led her forth upon the tiny platform at the side of the tower. “Ixx>k at that!** • His finger was pointing to a semaphore to the north of the cabin. It was wabbling up and down in a helpless way which suggested an old woman sdamalina a street car.

The girl’s fine face became serious under the sunbonnet. The semaphore stopped Its waggling, and after a slight pause they heard the clflnk of one of the cross-over switches. The clamor broke out anew from the garrison in the towpr. One of the monkeys danced a war-dance on the window sill. “It’s a fine wind-up,” Hank esti-. mated, with a grin. The girl was puzzled. “What do you mean?” Tm quitting —that’s all. I wrote the bloomin’ president of their road that I’m through.” “But why?” she had to know. “Why? Because of you. We could never live on the pay I’m getting in this hole. It’s you, Mollie, dear — Oh, stop that racket, you ring-tailed baboons!” ; 1 ----- — But at that Instant came anothei sound. It was a long-drawn shriek, echoing about among the hills. “Good Lord!” Hank cried. “The G. M’s. special—and the cross-overs areHeaven knows how 1” Only one thing remained, but he was too late. Even as he turned to dash upstairs for nls lantern a third blast cut the air, apd he heard the barking roar of the engine die away. In its place was the grind of the brakes as their flanges bit the wheels. He gazed; stupefied. Suddenly he remembered those lever-throwing apes. “Saved!” he burst /ut almost hysterically. “They’ve set the signal at ‘danger’!” From one of the brightly lighted cars a knot of men jumped down and ran swiftly across the tracks. “What In the name of the Gadarene swine,” shouted the first on .the platform, “d’you mean by holding up my special? Who gave you orders?” Any awe Hank might have had for the general manager was swept from him. “Monkeys,” he answered curtly. “What!” The rest of the oflacial statement was mercifully Indistinct. He turned now to the girl for the first time. “Is the man crazy, or just plain drunk ?”..— - “Neither,” she retorted, “and if you knew what he’d gone through.for your old railroad you wouldn’t be Insulting him now!” r ' “Perhaps you would be kind enough to explain this talk about monkeys giving him his orders,” came the G. M’s. withering fire. Hank took up the burden. “You can see for yourself,” said he, “if you look at the tower.” They all looked. The whole ship’s crew of simians, attracted by the arrival of the train, had gathered In the windows, their bodies silhouetted against the light 111 the room. j “Now.” Hank, went on, “perhaps you’ll believe me. They came—three of ’em—about an, hour or so ago. I didn’t pay much attention, because I thought they’would get tired and run away. “Hold on,” broke in a gray-haired man with hard eyes. “Monkeys, young man, don’t grow in this part of the world.”

“Yes, tlrby do,” the operator patiently explained. “There’s a farm about three, miles north of here, where they keep all sorts of wild beasts. As I was saying, I didn’t mind the three until they began running about the tower and trying to throw the levers like me do. Then more of ’em dropped in. I chased ’em. One put the wires out of business, and- —” “I see,” said -the gray-haired man, whose eyes were now twinkling' a bit; “they made a monkey out of you. Well, gentlemen, we’d better drive out the foe and get the railroad In operation again. Here—all of you!—grab sticks or anything that’s handy and mount to the siege. Come on!” But at the tremendous racket of the attacking party as It climbed the stairs, the garrison, with cries of terror, broke ranks. Head over heels they piled out of windows and raced away, a medley-of waving tails and scampering feet. “My word,” sighed the president as he sank Into the only chair and held his sides. “I haven’t had so much fun since the cat came home! Hallo 1 ! What’s this?” In his hand was the operator’s letter, blotted by the tracks of monkeys which had raced across the table. Hank, trembling, and with Mollie’s hand in his own, nodded bravely as the official’s eyes bored into his. . “Resign?” snorted, the great man. His eyes, now suddenly softened, rested for a moment on the girl, who grew scarlet. “Hum! Seems to me you need a job now more than ever.” “I had another Chance, sir, with a firm in Kansas City,” Hank began, “and the pay here ig so small—” “Pay? Is that all the trouble? Here, George,” the official queried, “anything against this man’s record?” The general manager shook his head. “He’s been always well reported to me,” was his answer. “Good! What’s your name? Well, Redwood, Til seegihat you’re put on the day shift at Curzon, where the pay’s a hundred a month.” “He’ll accept, all right,” said Mollie. ■ Before Hank’s trembling lips could be shaped to offer thanks the president’s party at a word from their leader, had disappeared down the stairs. As the special gathered speed and coughed its way into the darkness, a troop of monkeys, drunk with freedom, was scaring the assorted wits out of the inmates of a farm-house three mites away. But Hank didn’t care. ; Why? He was tee busy thanking Mollie. \ .