Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-11-06
A x nave of
Con science
By FRANCIS LYNDE.
Copyright 1900, by Francis Lynde.) }
CHAPTER XXV.-CoNTINUED.

ones and there were muttered impre-
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 us"
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; a 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.
'1 on mean to say that he was go-
ing to burn us out?" asked Griswold.
Them tiXin'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. "Havc done with
your mysterious bush-beating and
say what's in you" he raped out
Il don't know the man."
"l ou don't. Ell? Well. he's a cussed
Pinkerton, that's what he is; and he's
here to make a case against u.s.
Spose 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 a 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 no
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
60 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. If
Griffin himself suspected, he made no
sign; indeed, he had looked on all
through the colloquy as if the SUBJ
Ject matter of it concerned him not
- '''' '''h ilpN Ilt HpDNts lllIte
words to his accuser, and a dozen to
the man whom the devils were as
sauIting.
You're a liar" he said coolly, to
the one; and to the other: Gould
you oblige me with a cigar, Mr.. Girls
wold?"
Now, however fiercely the devils of
temptation had assaulted, Griswold
had beaten them of; that and more:
he had plan of an attempt at
rescue half-formed, and this request
of the man about to he hanged
chimed in with it. lie promptly ten
dered the cigar, and the striker who
was pinioning Grilin's right arm me-
chanically lOosed his hold that the
prisoner might take it.
1t was the moment for the at
tempt, ii any there were to be, and
there could be no more collusion be-
tween rescuer and captive than might
be compressed into a single swift eve
glance. But that sutliced. Griffin
reached for the cigar, but did not
take il. Instead, he converted the
movement into a stinging side blow
which felled the man at his left, and
at the same instant sprang back out
of the circle with Griswold to hold
the mfuriated ones at bay while he
did il.
Any diversion Griswold could make
was necessarily of the briefest. For
some switt-paasiug second or SO he
delayed the rush by sheer moral
bratadu. The storm broke in "a veil
Of rage and mo- two men might with
stand b.. Griswold did not try.
Through that hole I'm the fence,
IN with you." hc said, over his shout
der 10 the detective; and the thing
was done SO dcftly that the yelling
mob was for the moment uouplu4.ed
bF.a"9Id made good use OF the mo-
mf"'nrY respite.