The Washington times., 1904-09-04


been an OminOus quiet
/ among the men since you refused to
8 consider their demands. He thinks it's
B the calm before the storm. I shouldn' {
be surprised if there was an outbreak
at any moment"
You know. Dalrymple'' the other an
swered slowly, i've never favored the
employment OF convict labor in the
mines, and I hope yet to be able to per-
suade father to do away with II. They re
a desperate lot, this gang we've got on
. now, and I don't half like the look OF
that big brute Denny, who seems to
lead the push. He's an ugly customer.
If there's anything in physiognomy."
He's as ugly as he looks, Sent up
for twenty years for manslaughter-
Cold-bloOded murder it really was, I'm
told but family influence helped him to
cheat the gallows."
Stanley. the son Of an Eastern cap
itaIist and mine owner, had graduated
with honor at Harvard, and after a
two-year course at an institute of
technology had urged his father to put
him I'm charge Of his mining interests in
the Far West. He was. of course, to-
tally without experience. but he felt
sure that with the coaching of Dalrym-
pie, who had been for years in the en-
ploy of the elder Stanley, he could get
along after a fashion.
The men, however. had seemed to re-
sent the placing of so young man in
authority over them, and they were
not disposed to make things easy for
the new superintendent. They did not
know that he was older than he looked.
both in years and wisdom; that the
boyish cOuntenance masked n resolute
nature, and that the slender white
hands they decried had held an oar in
famous intercollegiate boat race TO such
good purpose that coach and crew con-
ceded the victory to the strength and
staying power Of Stanley the stroke.
Stanley had been in charge at the
mines less than two weeks, and already
the convicts had. through their spokes-
man, Denny, demanded certain conces-
sions. which be had for the most part
promptly refused 70 consider. Dalrym-
pie, who had known him since he was
in kits, rather patronized him, and
Donigan, the warden, treated him with
a good natured tolerance which the
young fellow found it hard to endure
It's a serious problem, Dali" he said
thoughtfully, rising and striding about
the narrow office I want TO do the
right thing by the men. but it's i'm
possible TO give them what they want
They asked too much. Besides, il
yielded 70 this Il would open the way
for further demands. 1 suppose they
think I'm an easy mark because Of my
youth. and it's up 20 me TO show them
I'm not an infant in arms. I've got to
let them see that I'm running this mine.
and that they can't bully me. / think
we'd better put on an extra force Of
guards at once, and when the shifts
change I'll give the men some straight
talk and try to make them understand
I'm not to be bluned. Call UP Donigan,
viii you. and tell him-hello, here's DON
igan nowt'
Donigan. a huge. raw-boned individ-
ual, with a distinctly Hibernian coun-
tenance decorated with dado Of coarse
red stubble. entered without ceremony
'Helrs bruk looseT' he announced
briefly when the cage that should
have been bringin' up the night shift
kim up jist now, it held but one man
that divn Hugh Denny. The convicts
have overpowered the guards down in
the mine. and are holdin' them as hos
tages. Denny's under guard outside
waitin' to spake to We. They've tam
pered with the telephone down below
the sphalpeensr"
Stanley's face had gone a little white.
but his voice and hands were steady.
Bring him in. will you?" he said
quietly.
The tall figure in convict Earb that
followed Donigan into the office was
that Of man Of perhaps thirty-fve.
The handsome. wicked face was marred
and scanned with evil lines, and the bold
dark eyes under their heavy brOws were
hard defiant and utterly reckless. Both
Stanley and Donigan were tall men, but
Denny lowered above them, his massive
bulk dwarfing them into comparative
insignificance
Wen, gentlemen" he began easily
we've got your little tin soldiers in
what might be termed a hell Of a hole
We're about fifteen to one down there.
and it's UP 70 you 20 say whether vour
men come up dead or alive. As 1 told
you the other day''-addressin himself
20 Stanley-"the men want shorter
hours and better rations. They de-
mand that they be asked 70 mine only
two, instead Of three, cars. and that
they have better food and more OF II
I'm here TO see what you've got TO saw
about it."
He folded his arms with the utmost
composure, and stood with his ewes
fixed defiantly on Stanley's face.
I've just this to say, Denny" the
young superintendent answered quietly
Il investigated the matter Of the food
as I told you the other day 1 should
and I ind you were right. I've ordered
an Improvement, both in the matter of
quantity and OF quality-to go into eff
feet at once. In regard to the shorter
shifts, / have already knocked off half