The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-03-21


OF this the girl was aware, for she com.
nanded the sources of information
closed to those who dwell behind the
lattice of respectabiiity, and she made
1T her business to know everything
that concerned Maxwell. The relations
between the two were strictly honest,
albeit none gave them credit for that,
not even Maxwell's wife, whose worse
fault was deep-rooted jealousy of her
husband. A positive denial might have
carried conviction to the camp, for the
girl had never been known to lie; but
she was proud and reticent, and of the
lawless court over which she reigned
none dared to question her, except,
later on, Jim Brady, and he, learning
the truth from her own lips, believed;
but that was not unit. events had al
ready precipitated the crisis.
Bad management and a system of
shameless peculation had brought af-
fairs at the San Sacrada mine within
measurable distance of ruin. The new
manager found himself confronted
with the task of cleansing an Augean
stable, a process never wholly devoid
of risk, but distinctly dangerous in an
isolated community, where the grip of
the law is uncertain and every man
carries his six-shooter handy. But
there, as is ever elsewhere, was party
on the side of order and fair play. Max
well relied on the loyal minority to
back him up, and his own authority |
and nerve to do the rest. Within a |
month of his arrival he had demon
strated pretty clearly that he was open
neither to bribery nor intimidation.
His answer to the first incautious at
tempt to buy him over was the prompt
and vigorous election of the agent.
He went about unarmed, and the camp
knew it and respected his pluck. New
ertheless, the situation was fraught
with peril, for the malcontents banded
themselves together and held meet
ings, with elaborate precautions as to
secrecy, which made occasion for much
tall talk, attended by no inconsidera-
BILE consumption of whisky. AS the
liquor circulated the sentiments
waxed increasingly incendiary, and
dark hints were dropped to the effect
that people who would not listen to
reason might find themselves, some
fine night, fitted to wooden Jacket"
Tree OF charge. The raw material of
mutlny was ready to hand, needing
only time and the man to work it up
into the finished Eroduct-murder.
All unwittingly,s the girl supplied
both, for Brady, mad with jealousy.
and hungering for the word which he
was too proud to ask and she to give.
went out to the Cave of Adullam and
swore with many strange oaths to
obey the commands of the brotherhood.
even to the breaking of the older com
mand, which is embodied in the sixth
clause of the Decalogue. The lot was
east and fell, as might have been ex-
oected, on the new member, with Silas
Field as understudy, in case of acct
tents, which .precaution seemed I'M a
necessary, seeing that Brady could SNUFF a
! candle at so yards and knock the
hin out of an ace at half that distance. o
Had the man been a common rufian to
ire on an unarmed victim, Maxwelrs a
ife had paid forfeit for his honesty.
'ut the digger had in his veins good Z
IRISH blood, albeit puddled through e
wo or three generations of mongrel S
took, and he sent his challenge, like 81
gentleman, though, for obvious rea- Il
ons, it was anonymous. Maxwell
aid the. document before the girl, for Il
was through her that he felt the pulse o
4 the camp. Heslaughed as he did
0, tracing with his forefnger the rude b
utline of coffin, which did duty as :,
crest at the top of the paper; but there y