The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-11-18
covered with blood, and who are they
going to killpn

covered with blood, and who are they
going to killa"
mo, sir; Hugh didn't fall In the
road. but that horrid man did, and then
Hugh and Mr.. Clifford came part way
home with us and then went back.
again." The girls eyes were dilated
with excitement and terror, and her
language almost incoherent. IS
Pretty business for Sunday" said
the minister, turning to the older girls.
How is this, Annap'' he asked Of his
eldest daughter.
She was scarcely less excited than
her sister. ut is very much as Ellie
says. We were walking beside the
road. Hugh aud Eua.-referring to
Miss Clifford, who was much more col
lected than the minister 8 daughter
- being just in advance of Mr.. Clifford.
Ellie and |. when q crowd of rough men
came down the road, and one Of them
either stumbled or was pushed against
Hugh. making insulting expressions et
the same time. l was frightened to
death. but Hugh was perfectly cool.
and told the man to stand aside, or he
would call the police. Then they all
laughed. and this rough man put his
horrid face down close to Ella, and |
turned to run just as the big wretch
went SPRAYING down. and then they
made q great uproar, and Hugh said he
would 60 back and settle it with them
if they would let him see us home. And
then"-aud here she. too, broke down
and Miss Clifford finished the recital:
Your son is hero. DIR. Carroll. and
got us away safely. while Tom was all
excitement; though l don't think he
was afraid for h,mself." she added in
defense of her brother. Il begged
Mr.. Carroll not t. 90 back. but he had
given his word, and the men had prom
ised him fair play. Fair play!' she re-
peated. scornfully. "a herd of wild
beasts!'
DR.. Carroll was dumfounded. His
son, the pride of his heart, involved in
q brutal brawi; and on Sunday, too. He
ascertained the direction in which he
would be likely to lind them and start
ed away, while the girls went into the
house to tell the story to Mrs. Carroll.
The minister encountered a member of
his church as he hurried along, and
learned from him that the men were
probably river drivers, large body of
whom, over a hundred. were encamped
at the upper en- of the mill pond. hav-
ing finished RUM ng drive of logs into
the pond the day before, and this day,
Sunday. were taking their first rest for
days, the boss of the gang being absent
for the day.
AS they hurried across lots to reach
the spot, it being some half mile from
the village. the minister mini was
in q tumult. If there was one thing
above another that he abhorred it was
personal violence in any form, from
capital pu 1ishment down to chastising
children, Wrongs could be righted
without recourse to brute force, and one
moral victory was worth unnumbered
physical ones. And yet. spite of all
his peace-loving proclivities, his son
had displayed just the opposite traits
from earlv childhood. A frank, gen.
erous child, quick and impulsive, he
was always ready to do battle for the
right. and being strong and robust as
he grew toward manhood, many an
elder bow mourned the hour. with
bruised face and aching body, that he
had tackled that Carroll boy,
though Hugh oft-times bore marks OF
severe pummeling when called into his
fathers presence. But the boy alwa, 8
had a straightforward story, which
proved upon investigation to be the
truth in every case. and so the minister
had in every instance sought out the
prime cause and endeavored, with
good success usually, to prevent its
repetition.
But now his son was involved in
trouble of a serious character. Here in
this semi wild region, where policemen
were things unheard of, his boy was
completely at the mercy of a gang of
lawless ruffians, and he hurried his
steps as they came over a hill where
they could look down upon the mill
pond.
There their camp" said his COM
panion, ''if we turn to the left and 90
across tn paster, Wen come to the
right place exactly"
DR. Carroll could see the canvas tents
some fifty rolls away, close by the edge
of the log-covered pond. They were
long, shed-roofed. dingy affairs, and a
crowd of men were gathered about and
near them, but he could not distinguish
his son at that distance. The pond was
nearly round, and as thev stood near
its bank upon an elevated piece OF
grOuni they had an unObstructed view
of the stream-driv-rs' encampment,
but imme lately in the rear of the tents
back from The pond was bluff or bank
of rocks and clay some thirty feet high,
nearly perpendicular. aud fringed at
its top in places with scrubby growth
of frs.
Along through the pasture they
fastened, coming out upon the top OF
this bank just above the camp and the
crowd of men below. At the top of the
bluff where they stood ran a rough,
''ptch-pole'' fence, so called in that
region, of stakes and slanting slabs.
Loud and angry voices came up from
below as they approached the edge and
looked down upon the molly crew. A
great crowd of rough men. in red and
blue flannel shirts, or checked and gray
homespun.-some new and clean,
OtuCtS E'1VCACus UneuVACU duu
slonched selt hats. and their hair long
unkempt. while most of them wore a
grimy look acquired by long siege Of
camping out and not over-careful
washing. added to which nearly every
man was putting black pipe or chew
ing tobacco, presenting a picture any
thing but pleasing to fastidious mind.
What a field for moral victories,
thought DR. Carroll, as his eye ranged
over this semi-barbarous crew.
But this thought was banished from
his mind, for there at his very feet
stood his son in alter cation with the
most notwithstanding rufian of them all,
while Tom G ford stood near him,
"Itell you what" said the long
limbed river-driver: I'm Just agoin'
to mop the ground with We, whether We
fight or not. You talk about its bein'
Sunday. Twas Sunday when We
knocked me down onawares, an eff il