Gilpin observer., 1901-02-28

them with a kicl; sent his heavy boot
through the dram, and another stag
gered, with Il drunken oath, close up to
the woman and raised his fist. Stuart,
as he saw the face thought that the
rum craZed man imagined the kneeiing
figure to be that of his own wife. who
had more than once begged him on her
knees to spare her and her children.
1t was fash of time, and Stuart
gave the man blow with his fist that
knocked him swearing against n man
behind him. Before any one could raise
his arm again or strike blow the min
ers had seized on every one of the as
salants of the army, and roar went
up from the entire mass of excited and
angered men. The influence of the ar
my still was so strong with the great
majority that it resented with the deep
est indignation any indlgnity offered its
little band of officers and men.
"Duck 'em in the fountain" yelled
some one with more than touch of
grim humor.
The fountain" was huge cast iron
basin in the center of the square which
for several years had been used for
watering trough. 1t had about four
feet Of water in 1t. supplied from the
pumping of the mines.
The suggestion was just suited to the
coarse. rough spirit Of the crowd.
Struggling in the clutch of number
of brawny hands, the offenders We're
dragged up to the basin and flung into
1t. As fast as they floundered ont, drip
ping and cursing, they were thrown in
again. A great roar of laughter and
shouts rose from the mob. In the midst
OF it all the army marched out Of the
square singing:
Come. sinners, TO the Saviour now;
He the thorn his brow;
lie shed his blood that you might be
Redeemed 10 all eternity.
There was the same dauntless look on
the leaders face. No one could say
that she was disappointed or disheart-
ened by the seeming lack of answer to
her prayer or by the wild confusion all
about her. The squad halted out in the
street. and there another group gather
ed about them listening to testimony
and prayer and song.
Stuart ana the minister hesitated
where they We're for n moment, not
knowing what to do now, when the
crowd farthest away, over by the rail-
road tracks. began to run altogether to-
ward n smaller crowd coming down the
hill from the Davis mine.
II believe the men that did the burn
ing are caught cried Stuart to Burke.
The two struggled over in the dlrec-
finp nf m htIl and hU tho
same company that had come out to
the house demanding Eric.
The newcomers marched into the
square. and one of them going up into
the stand told the news. They had
found the engineer. fireman and pump
men locked In an old dryroom be-
longing TO n recently abandoned mine
about a mile up the hills, tied secure.
ly. but uniniured. There was no trace
OF the men who had done all this for
| the evident purpose OF firing the engine
house and getting rid OF Eric ana Stu
art rs two men who would be likely
| TO insist upon law and order as long
MS they had any influence. To the
credit of the thousands OF miners In nil
the ranges about Champion the ut
tcmpt was regarded by the vast ma
jority as cownrdly and murderous
net, disgrace to the name OF work.
ingmen and n setback to the cause.
There was special Indignation express.
cd against the attempt to kill or In
Iure Eric by throwing the mass of ore
down the ladder hole, for that hnd
been done, according to the story OF
the men who were ovcrpowered nt the
shafts mouth. one or two of them
had been unwilling witnesses to the
outrage.
The telling of this story and the ap.
pcnrancc of the Davis men had the eff.
feet of SOLDERING the crowd and caus-
ing 1t to dlspcrsc. The troops were
forgotten for awhile. The new men
sent over the road by the owners OF
the upper ranges would not pass