mad himself now and swore right out--at least the only
oath he ever swears, which is "By doggie!" He says, by doggie, it ain't
his fault that Ed was so brittle! And, by doggie, he wasn't going to let
family affection interfere none with his career, because it wouldn't be
right by the children he hopes some day to be the father of! Then he got
his temper back and tried patiently to explain once more to Ed that what
a railroad company wants in such cases is facts and figures, and not
poetry--chiefly about the rolling stock. He says Ed can't expect a great
corporation, with heavy freight and passenger traffic, to take any deep
personal interest in the bone troubles of a mere brakeman.

It was about here, I guess, that Ed's feelings must of overcome him.
He saw it was no use bandying words any more; so he started to do foul
murder. He committed several acts of frightfulness on Ben with his
crutch, seeming quite active for a cripple. Ben finally got out of range
and went and had some stitches took in his own scalp. He swore, by
doggie, he was through with that maniac forever! But he wasn't through.
Not by no means!

Ed was now well enough to stand shipping; so he come down to Red Gap and
started to work. He couldn't get round with his machines yet; so he got a
new Home Queen and parked himself in the doorway of a vacant store and
made embroidered hat marks for the multitude at one dollar a throw. Yes,
sir; he congested traffic there on Fourth Street for about two weeks,
taking a strip of satin ribbon and embroidering people's initials on it,
so they could sew it in their hats and know whose hat it was. Hardly a
hat in town that didn't have one, with thrilled crowds looking on while
he done it.

I begged him to take it easy and stay at my house till he was strong
again; but he wouldn't. He said he had to do something just to keep from
thinking. Of course the poor lollop had never been able to think under
any circumstances; but it sounded good. And, of course, he told me his
trouble. I don't believe he held back the least little thing from the
beginning of the accident down to the time he lammed Ben with his crutch.
He now blamed everything on Ben. He said neither the company nor any one
else could take his accident seriously after that lying report Ben put
in. No wonder there hadn't been any real excitement about it. He was
right bitter.

"'Some distance' Ben says I was thrown. I should think it was some
distance! I'll b