Willmar tribune., 1902-11-26
A X nave Of
Conscience
By FRANCIS LYNDE.
CHAPTER XXV-CoNr1NuED.
(Copyrighs lSW, by Francis Lynde.)

"A murmuf OF savage u1SapprOval
ran through the group of determined
ones and there were muttered im2re-
cations including Griswold.
"'Tain't no use, Mr.. Griswold,"' the
spokesman went on. 1--WE ketched
him in the very act, and he's goin' to
swing if ever last one of us has to
dance on nothin' to pay for it. It's
him or u.s.
Caught him in the act of what?''
demanded Griswold.
The spokesman shuffled with his
feet and hung his head He was the
ringleader of the malcontents; bur-
ly molder but lately come to Wa
haska, and there had been whispers
pointing to'a past of his which would
not bear the light. Griswold remem-
bered these rumors now, and saw
this: that the mans following was a
detail from the more desperate Sec
tion of the strikers.
The pause was brief, but being sur
charged with possibilities, seemed
long. At length the man threw up
his head.
Come here and I'll show you," he
said.
Griswold followed him a step aside,
to the Office front and to a breach
in the palings of the high fence close
at hand. Within the breach, and
heaped against the wall of the frame
Office building, was pile of chips and
shavings, and there was a pungent
odor of kerosene in the air. The
man pointed in silence.
"You mean to say that he was 60
ing to burn us out?" asked Griswold.
''Them fixin's speak for themselves,
don't they?'
"But why?'' Griswold demanded.
The big man snorted scornfully.
"'Tain't no use for you to play in.
nercent that-a-way, Mr.. Griswold
You know who he is, and what he is,
and what he's here for"
Whereat Griswold lost his patience
| and swore angrily. Have done with
your mysterious bush-beating and
say what's in you," he raped out.
II don't know the man."
"You don't, eh? Well, he's q cussed
Pinkerton, that's what he is; and he's
here to make a case against us
S'pose the works takes fire and burns
up, and he goes ON the stand to swear
we done it? Only he amt never
goin' to get the chance. He's goin'
to quit right here and now. You GO
| away, Mr.. Griswold. There amt no
call for you to be Witness
Who shall say what fierce and re.
lentless temptation assailed this man
who saw his single pursuer thus in
the tolls? He had but to turn his
back and shrug, and say it was nc
concern of his, and this man Griffin
the only man of all men in the world
who might send him to wear out his
life in Louisiana chain-gang, would
go to his account, and all danger
would be over-past for, one Kenneth
Griswold.
No one save the victim of such an
onfall of devils battling for his soul
may know what Griswold endured in
that brief moment of hesitation. II
Griffin himself suspected, he made nc
sign; indeed, he had looked ON all
through the colloquy as if the sub
jest matter of it concerned him not
at all. But now he spoke; three
words to his accuser, and a dozen tc
the man whom the devils were as.
saulting.
you're a liar," he said, coolly, tc
the one; and to the other: "Could
you oblige me with a cigar, Mr.. Girls.
wold?'
Now, however fercely the devils OF
temptation had assaulted, Griswold
had beaten them off; that and more;
he had plan of an attempt at q
rescue half-formed, and this request
of the man about to be hanged
chimed in with it. He promptly ten
dered the cigar, and the striker who
was pinioning Griffin's right arm me
chanically loosed his hold that the
prisoner might take it.
1t was the moment for the at
tempt, if any there were to be, an6
there could be no more collusion be-
tween rescuer and captive than might
be compressed into single swift eye
glance. But that sufficed. Grifi1
reached for the cigar, but did not
take it. Instead, he converted thu
movement into a stinging side blow
which felled the man at his left, anc
at the same instant sprang back on,
of the circle with Griswold to holt
the infuriated ones at bay while h,
did it.
Any diversion Griswold cou1d max,
was necessarily of the briefest. Fo,
some swift-passing second or so h,
delayed the rush by sheer mora
bravado. The storm broke in a vel
of rage and no two men might with
stand it. Griswold did not try.
Through that hole in the fence!-
in with you!" he said, over his shoul
der to the detective; and the thing
was done so deftly that the yelling
mob was for the momenta2pnplussed
:Griswold made good uA1 the mo
mentary respite. i.
"Follow mel" he col Chded; an,
2 minute later they had opened tn,
darkened Office by the back door.
f. When the door was shut and locket
sagain, Griffin looked about him in tn,
semi-gloom. - r.
"It's out Of the frying pan into tn,
Lire, isn't it ?" he said. 's'They'll storm
this place in about minute-an.
take it, H.. ,.@.e..~>
+ 4
The augmenting yells in the stree
told that the mob was increasing it!
numbers rapidly, and that the mele,