Evening star., 1897-06-12

Look" said Jack.
might have seemed figure of the Madon-
ma and child niched in the wall. Then a
voice from above called to her, Courage"
ard she felt the flap of twisted sheet
lowered from an upper window against her
face. She grasped 1t eagerly; it held firm
ly. Then she heard cry from below, saw
them carrying a ladder. and at last was
lifted with her burden from the ledge by
her eyes to the upper window, whence had
ccme her help. Smoke and flame were
pouring from 1t. The unknown hero who
had sacrificed his only chance of escape to
her remained forever unknown.
Only four miles away that night a group
of men were waiting for the dawn in the
shadow of pine near Heavy Tree bar. AS
tween them and Hymettus Hamlin saii :.
Another one of those forest fires It's
this side of Black Spur, and big one, +
reckon"
ly, Il was thinking Of the time the old
cabin burned up on Heavy Tree. 1t looks
to be about in The same place"
"Hush!' said Stacy. sharply.
Chapter TX. ...
An abandoned tunnel-an irregular orifice
in the mountain flank which looked like
dried-up sewer that had disgorged through
its opening the refuse of the mountain in
red slime. gravel. and a peculiar clay
known as cement in a foul streak down
its side-a narrow ledge on either side, bro
ken up by heaps of quartz, tailngs and
rcck, and, half hidden in scrub oak and
myrtle-a decaying cabin of logs, bark and
cobblestones-these made up the exterior of
the Marshall claim. To this DETACHMENT of
the mountain, the rude clearing of thieket
and underbrush by fire or blasting, the lop-
ping OF tree boughs. and the decapita ton
OF saplings, might be added the debris and
ruins of half-civilized occupancy. The
ground before the cabin was covered with
broken hoops of casks and the CASTOR rags
OF blankets and clothing. The whole claim
IN Its unsavory, unpictureSque details and
its vulgar story of sordid, reckless and sell
fish occupancy and abandonment, was q
foul blot on the landscape. which the first
rosy dawn only made the more offending
Surely the last spot in the world that men
should quarrel and fight for.
So thought George Barker, as with his
& mpanions they moved in single file slow
ly toward it. The little party consisted
only o1 himself Demorest and Stacy; Mar
snail and Hamlfn, according to q prear-
ranged plan. were still in ambush, to ioin
them at the first appearance of Steptoe and
his gang. The claim was yet unoccupi.1:
tney had secured their first success. Step
toes followers, unaware that his design
mad been discovered. and confident that
they could easily reach the claim before
marshall and the surveyor. had fingered.
some OF them had held a drunken ca-ouse
at their rendezvous at Heavy Tree Others
were still engaged in procuring shovels and
picks and pans for their mock equipment
as miners, and this. again, gave Marshalrs
acherents the advantage. They knew that
their opponents would probably first an
proach the empty claim incumbered cnly
with their peaceful implements while tbey
themselves had brought their rifles with
them.
Stacy. who by tacit consent led the partv
on reaching the claim at once posted
Demorest and Barker each behind a sepa-
rate heap Of quartz tailings on the ledge.
whicn Afforded them capital breastwork,
and stationed himself at the mouth of the
tunnel which was nearest the trail 1t had
already been arranged what each man was
10 DO. They were in possession. For the
rest they must walt. What they thought
at that moment no one knew. Their char
acferistic appearance had slightly changed
The melancholy and philosophic Demorest
was alert and bitter. Barkers changeful
cy alone wore his fighting look" which
the others had remembered.
They had not long to wait. The sounds
OF rude laughter. coarse skylarking, and
half-spent liquor came from the rocky trail
And then Steptoe appeared with part of
his struggling followers, who were celebrat-
Ing their easy invasion by Gathering their
their tins and prospecting pans. The three
partners quickly recognized the stamp of
the strangers In spite Of their peaceful i'm
plements. They were the waits and strays
of San Francisco wharves, Of Sacramento
dens, of dfssolute mountain towns: and
there was not, probably, single actual
miner among them. A raging scorn and
contempt took possession of Barker and
Demorest, but Stacy knew their exact val
ue. As Steptoe passed before the opening
OF the tunne! he heard the cry of "Haltr'
he locked up. He saw Stacy not thirty
yards before him with his rife at half-cock
He saw Barker and Demorest, fully armed
rise from behind their breastworks Of rock
along the ledge and thus fully occupy the
claim. But he saw more. He saw that his
he was. he saw that he had lost his moral
power In this actual possession, and that
from that moment he must be the areres
sor He saw he was fighting no irresponsi-
BILE hirellngs like his own. but men OF posi-
tion and Importance, whose loss woal6l
make stir. Against their rifles the few
revoivers that his men CHANGED to have
siung to them were of little avail But he
was not cowed. although his few followers
stumbled together at this momentary check.
half angrily, half timorously, like wolves
without leader. Bring up the other men
ana their guns" he whispered fierceiy 10
the nearest Then he faced Stacy.
VINO are you to stop peaceful miners,
gcing to work on their own claim?s' he said
coarsely. .TM tell you who, boys" hs,
added. suddenly turning to his men with a
noarse laugh 1T amt even the bank. It's
only jim Stacy that the bank kicked ont
yessefo1y to have itself--Jtm Stacy ana his
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