Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-03-28

The sheriff and his party, with tho
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 little discouraged
when he saw the great wall that pro-
teeted the strikers. BE 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, an 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 peaoeably forth
from the mine, and deliver the same to
the superintendent, Christopher Lybec.
The miners answered with a derisive
shout of laughter. Then bullet wills
tied over the sheriff's head.
."Give it to 'em, boys!" shouted the
sheriff. ''Give it to 'eml"
There was a sharp fight. The sheriff
received a 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-car sheltered One man be-
hind it, and hogshead half full of
water protected another. From house
corners came quick rife reports.
An imprudcnt exposure brought au-
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 qua dropped, Ellen sprahg
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
not man Upon either side that would
lnjurc Ellen Lybec, as she stood there
where an instant before the bullets had
been flying.
Ellen took no notice Of the wounded
man at her side, but waving her hand
toward the attacking part, she called out
to them to stop firing. Then she turned
toward the gulch and the barrier across
its mouth
"John Randall! John Randall" she
called.
The voice rang out, clear aud sweet,
with no tremor Of fear in it, But there
was no answer.
At that moment John Randall was gaS-
ing in awe-struck wonder upon the faee
of Yellow Jim, who returned his blank
stare in equal amazement. Randall
could not have answered if he had
wished.
But still came the same clear voice,
and when no response was given, the call
changed.
''Mike Bender! Mikel Mike Ben
der!"
"Hello, yezl Hello, what do yo
wantf"
Mikes faculties were more at his CON-
fhand.
"Mike Bender, show yourself and talk
with me. Come out. Nobody shall hurt
YOU"
A moment later Mike head was eau
tiously thrust out from the end of the
wall, Then he advanced slowly, climb
ihg over the loose powders, stopping to
lean his life against the stones at one end
of the barricade.
"Mike," said Ellen, ''you know !
would never lie to you. But what / tell
you now, want you to tell all the
Others. Not one Of them shall be hurt,
if they come out, and not a man shall 60
into the mine, either, until the men |
choose shall decide to let him go in and
work"
''Now, you tell the men in there that
there's no use in fighting. There are
about twenty-five of you. Out here
there's whole world. You are very
foolish to fight. The only way for you
to do is to make it right with my father.
Talk with him; I'll talk with him, too
and then we will see who shall, work the
mine
"Come out--you and all the men, or
let me come in and talk there.
"No, yen not come in here, Miss Ell
len, answered Mike. It'll be no good
at all, and nobody knows what may hap
pen. The girl tibet risked her life nuss-
ing my Nora amt going to run no more
risks if l can help it. Just keep them
fellows from shooting, and we'll come
out.n
He disappesred a few minutes, and
Ellen used the interval to obtain from
the sheriff S party the premise that Nc
shot should be fired and no movement
made to arrest the men, until she herself
should give the signal
Mike reappeared, and Ellen again
went forward to the spot where the
wounded sheriff had fallen. She had
sent some of the men toremove him, and
be was now in her fathers cottage.
as it all rightln asked Mike, doubt
fully.
eyes responded Ellen. ''Let them
come out. want to see John Kendall,
and Yellow jim. and little Tom, and
Nugget Dick-yes, and Beardy may a;
well come out, too
They came, and ranged themselves III
line, beginning with pale faced young
Tom, and ending with the giant Beardy.
Then Ellen began to talk to them. She
appealed to each one of them by name
she showed them the folly of their un.
dertaking. She told them she did not
want them to go away to work else
where; they would not be so well off in
any other camp. The Little Nugget had
been their home for nearly two years.
What would become of the children2
There was not motive that she did
not appeal to. Insensibly, as she spoke,
she drew nearer and nearer to them.
The observers at her back lost her
words as she passed away lrom them.