The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-01-16

ter man. Even Mike Hud0k the BIZ
7 P0lander. saw Il de was viewing rhs
( fray from al upturned beer keg iI
front 81 Yankee Pete's saloon.
@Jim iick 'lm. heap quick Be eiac-
nlaied. and BIS words Wesr prophetic.
ID Jess than ten minutes BLACK Jake
was thoroughly and scientifically
licked and De knew III He would
have fallen 0n his face again as be
staggered uD after the lasI knock
down blow K some one had not given
I him al arm 20 lean on Through the
blood that blinded him be saw the
crowd "a q red haze But BIS reeiing
sight looked for but one object, and
his whole brain and soul were filed
with q fierce and deviish hatred for
the man who stood near with bruised
face and barred arms-his c0nqueror.
SIocum's Patch had 20 sympathy
Tor Black Jake Murphy. As a rule.
the Patch displayed no excessive fas-
tidiousncss as 70 tie component parts
of ifs select society. II had even got
beyond 0biectlng 10 tie P0lander and
Hungarian. But with Jake Murphy
and his father 1t refused 10 associate
on any terms more friendly than those
involved in imblbing Yankee Pete's
whisky al their expense It could not
be asserted that either father Of son
were at all discompOsed by this par
tlal ostracism It rather seemed 10
suit their sullen and m0r0re disposi-
tons They did not seek the allure
ments Of Slocum Patch society. ex-
cept on the rather rare occasions when
together they sat down for a drinking
bout al Yankee Pete's Then all who
chose could drink at their expense.
and then FOR the few hours their
money lasted none were more popular.
Yankee Pete did q land Office business.
and could well afford the broken
chairs and windows which usually or
namented his groggery next morning.
Black Jake said no word as he
turned from the fray beaten man,
and staggered OF toward bis home.
It was a rough cabin Of battened hem
lock boards The two men had built
It themselves on a strip Of company
land up on the hillside above the
Patch. They lived there alone. and
from one years end to another no one
else crossed It's threshold. Around It.
In summer, the soft breeze murmured
among the scraggy hemlocks and oaks.
The wild violet and honeysuckle gave
out their fragrance. From its door the
great Wyoming Valley stretched away
as In a panorama. Pitville's many
spires rose not four miles away, and on
sull Sunday morning the distant /
chime Of its bells was borne to the I
ear. Half a mile distant rose the mas
s'ye tlmbers that marked the opening /
OF the new Woodford shaft, the big /
gest and deepest IN all that region; /
where 1900 feet below the sinkers had /
iSst struck the red ish vein and were
finishing their contract
The old man smoking his pipe on /
his doorstep made no comment as his /
son washed the blood from his face at /
the little spring near the door. At.eSt
be said.
"Who've yer been lickin' nowT
'No one.r growled bis son; curse
him. he licked me-"
The old man gave a grunt.
"WhO was itri be asked
"Jlm Carroll"
"sarYe yer right I told yer to cult
foolln' round bis gal Easy nun ter
see she thought more O. his little finger
than O. yer whole carcass.
@God strike me dead II ! don't have
bis Ife."
II was q bitter threat that Black
Jake made. and the deadly hate that
dned biz heart made it no idle one.
II was midnight but down 10 the
Shaft midnight and midday were the
same. Looking up. a faint speek Of
white could be seen in the day time
But no trace of light penetrated that
awful depth Three men stood fhere
waiting FOR their turn 70 60 up. The
smoky lamps stuck In their oilskin
.aps threw a dun and fickerlng light
over their faces and figures. wrapped
10 fhe chm in wateIproofs. They stood
ID water almost 10 the knee. and the
.easeiess splash and patter 0f The fell. (
ng drops told where IT. came from.
Thirty feet above them. on a plat
'orm protected by heavy timbefs. a
powerful pump made the confined air
hrob with ihe heavy piunk PUNK u
is sfr0kc The pump runner sat there
smoking. II was Old Mur
,ly. Black Jakes father Jake Lim
plf stood below. and one of the two
riih him was Jim Carroll
There was 8 fierce and er1 iook i1
Black Jake's eyes as they stood silent
> waiting for The brcket 10 descend 1
rhaf look had uerer left him since fhs
Iar Jim Carroll bad licEed~ hin for !
e'ar Zoo attentive t1 his sweetheart
1Iatt jake vrs rot fDe man f1 fcf- :
rt ~ forget enc ite bitterness ot
...s..a al. .