Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-04-10

70 nave IL at once.
Lybec was a stubborn man. He de-
clared that not a man should have an ad-
ditional cent until he received definite
orders from New York to pay it.
Next morning the men refused 70 work.
Lybec mounted his horse, struck into
the trail that led toward the town, and
rode rapidly away.
At night he returned, and called Jim
to the Office.
"You may tell all the men that they
may pack up tomorrow morning and be
gone" he said. az shall have no work
for them. They can go where they can
get more wages, if they can find the
place. Take them over to the CLARA;
perhaps they can get work there"
Lybec laughed as he said this. Vel
low Jim knew that the Clara Mine had
shut down two days before.
The taunt put an idea into Jim's head.
Lybec had probably engaged the miners
thrown out of work at the Clara. The
game was up.
Jim reported to the men, who agreed
with him in his conjecture. No other
explanation could be given for Lybec's
prompt dismissal of his whole force,
when Little Nugget was showing
splendid output, and every days idleness
of men and machinery meant serious loss
to the company.
"What do you say, men9 Shall we
fight it?"
1t was nearly unanimous vote to
fight it.
When Lybec awoke the next morning,
the narrow gulch in which the mine
opened was walled across by formidable
breastwork six feet high, closing in the
NINE Not man was to be seen In the
camp. Not a gun was to be found In
any of the cottages.
Lvbec was pale with rage, but he
mounted his horse and rode away with
out a word.
Meanwhile the men proceeded with
their undertaking. After Lybec disap-
peared they came out, collected all the
food they could find, took one or two of
the women of the families to do their
cooking, sent the rest into town in
charge of two of the younger miners, who
were hardly more than boys, and then
worked on completing their barricade.
At neon Lybec returned. Ellen met
him at the door, and told him what had
occurred.
"What's the use of their fighting
me?" he said. "They are cooped up
in that hole; have the whole universe.
The sheriff will be here in an hour, and
the new men, too. They have dozen
Winchesters behind the wall; we have
fifty, and all the arsenals outside!"
The sheriff and his party, with the
new miners lately discharged from the
Clara, arrived sooner than Lybec had ex-
pected. He and Ellen were still talking,
and their hasty dinner was hardly fin
ished before the party appeared.
A hurried consultation followed, and
the sheriff looked a little discouraged
when he saw the great wall that pro-
tected the strikers. He thought it might
be better to starve them out.
But Ellen told them of the abundant
stores taken in that morning. Indeed,
nothing was left in the camp, AMI it
would be necessary to send into town at
once for provisions to feed the people IN
the camp itself.
The sheriff stepped out in front Of his
command, and called to the insurgents,
in formal terms, to come peaceably forth
from the mine, and deliver the same to
the superintendent, Christopher Lybec.
The miners answered with a derisive
shout of laughter. Then bullet whis-
tied over the sheriff's head.
ssGive it to 'em, boys!" shouted the
sheriff. "Give it to 'emw
There was sharp fight. The sheriff
received painful wound in the thigh,
and fell to the ground. His followers
got behind such shelter as they could
find, leaving the sheriff where he fell.
Cabin windows famed suddenly forth.
An old hand sheltered one man be-
hind it, and hogshead half full of
water protected another. From house
corners came quick rifle reports.
An imprudent exposure brought an
other wounded man to the ground. At
almost the same moment Christopher
Lybec's left hand was pierced with a
ball, and his gun fell useless from his
grasp. He had been firing from the win
dow of a cabin near his house.
AS his gun dropped, Ellen sprang
across the space between the houses, and
was by his side. But she did not re-
main long. Her face was flushed, and
her breast heaved with excitement.
Before her father could stop her, she
ran out again, straight into the middle
space between the combatants, and stood
above the body of the PROSTATE sheriff.
Instantly the firing ceased. There was