The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-10-08
BLACK ROCK
fContinued.l

| SalQ, 4 lll!e SuDufD VI He4!. ~ " "S
something too awful. And at the enc
! of it all one young fellow was found
dead in his shack, and twenty or more
crawled back to the camps, leaving
their three months pay with Slavir
and his suckers. | Won't stand it,
say.w He turned fiercely on me. whats
to be done:"
! This rather took me aback, for I had
/ troubled myself with nothing Of this
sort in my life before, being fully oc
cupied in keeping myself out Of dill
Guilty and allowing others the same
privilege. So I ventured the ccnso!a
! ton that he had done his part and that
a spree more or less would not make
much difference to these men. But the
next moment wished bad been slow
cr in speech, for he swiftly faced me
and his words came like q torrent:
God forgive you that heartless word
| Do YOU know But, no; you don't
| know what you are saying. You don't
know that these men have been clam
berins for dear life out Of fearful pit
for three months past and doing GOOD
climbing, too, poor chaps. You don't
think that some Of them have wives,
most Of them mothers and sisters, II
the east or across the sea, for whose
sake they are Shaving here, the miners
hoping to save enough to bring their
families to this homeless place, the
rest to make enough to so back with
credit. Why, there's Nixon, miner,
splendid chap, who has been here for
two years and drawing the highest
paw. Twice he has been in sight Of his
heaven, for he can't speak Of bis wife
and babies without breaking up, and
twice that slick son Of the devll-thats
Scripture, mind you-Slavin, got him
and rolled him, as the boys say. He
| went back to the mines broken in body
and in heart. He says this is his third
and last chance. If Slavin gets him,
his wife and babies will never see him
on earth or in heaven. There are San
dy and the rest too. And" he added IN
q lower tone and with the curious little
thrill of pathos in his voice, ''this is the
day the Saviour came to the world.
He paused, and then with little, sad
smile, But don't want to abuse you"
"Do. I enjoy it. I'm beast, self
ish beast" For SON chow his intense,
blazing earnestness made me feel un-
comfortably small.
"What have we to offer" l demand
ed.
"Wait till l have got these things
cleared away and my housekeeping
done"
I pressed my services upon him,
somewhat feebly, own, for I can't
bear dishwater, but he rejected my
offer.
81 don't like trusting my china to the
hands Of tenderfoot.''
"Quite right, though your china would
prove an excellent means Of defense at
long range"
1t was delft a quarter Of an inch
thick, so I smoked while he washed up,
swept, busted and arranged the room.
After the room was ordered to bis
taste we proceeded to hold counsel. He
could offer dinner, magic lantern, mu-
sic. eve can ill in time for two hours,
but" he added gloomily, eve can't beat
the dance and the high kickers."
.'Have you nothing new or startling"
He shook his head.
''No kind Of show-dog show, snake
charmer?"
"Slavin has a monopoly Of the
snakes"
Then he added hesitatingly: "There
was an old Punch and Judy chap here
last year but he died. Whisky again"
What happened to his show"
s'The Black Rock hotel man took 1t
for board and whisky bill. He has it
still, suppose"
did not much relish the business,
but I hated to see him beaten, so l
ventured, 81 have run Punch and
Judy in an amateur way at the var
sity."
He sprang to his feet with yell.
"You have! You mean to say it?
We've got them! We've beaten them"
He had an extraordinary way Of taking
your help for granted. "The miner
chaps, mostly English and Welsh, went
mad over the poor old Snowman and
made him so wealthy that in sheer
gratitude he drank himself to death"
He walked up and down in high ex-
citement and in such evident delight
that felt pledged to my best effort.
"Well," said, first the poster. We
must beat them in that"
He brought me large sheets Of brown
paper, and after two hours hard work
l had half q dozen pictorial showbills
done in gorgeous colors and striking
designs. They were good, if do say it
myself.
The turkey, the magic lantern, the
Punch and Judy show, were all there,
the last with a crowd before it in gap
ing delight. \ few explanatory words
were thrown in, emphasizing the high
" artistic nature Of the Punch and
Judy entertainment.
Craig was delighted and proceeded to
perfect his plans. He had some half q
dozen young men, four young ladies
and eight or ten n1atrons upon whom
he could depend for help. These he or
ganized into 4 vigilance committee
charged with the duty Of preventing
miners and lumbermen from getting
away to Slavin's.
1.-The critical moments will be imme-
diately before and after dinner and
then again after the show is over" he
explained. The first two crises must
be left to the care Of Punch and Judy,
and, as for the last, l am not yet sure
what shall be done" But saw he had
something in his head, for he added, ~
shall see Mrs Mavor."
"Who is Mrs Mavor?" asked.
But he made no reply. He was a
born fighter, and he put the fighting
-st Ill u +n