Mower County transcript., 1904-07-13


gambler scattering his stake in largesse
to Death.
r 1t was the simple turning of the hand
from full breathed prosperity to life
less failure.
His view was the inverse of his mas
ter's. To Thorpe it had suddenly be-
come a very little thing in contrast to
the great, sweet, elemental truth that
the dream girl had enunciated. To
Collins the affair was miles vaster than
the widest scope of his own narrow
life.
The firm could not take up it's notes
when they came due; it could not pay
the interest on the mortgages. which
would now be foreclosed; it could not
even pay in full the men who had
worked for it-that would come under
q courts adjudication.
He had therefore watched Thorpe's
desperate sally to mend the weakened
chain in all the suspense OF man
whose entire universe is in the keeping
Of the chance moment. It must be re-
membered that at bottom, below the
outer consciousness. Thorpe's final de-
cleion had already grown to maturity.
On the, other hand, no other. thought
than that of accomplishment had even
entered the little bookkeeper's head.
The rescue and all thatIit had meant
had hit him like stroke Of apoplexy,
and his thin emotions had curdled to
hysteria. Full of the idea he appeared
before the men.
With rapid, almost incoherent speech
he poured it out to them. Professional
caution and secrecy were forgotten.
Wallace Carpenter attempted to push
through the ring for the purpose of
stepping him A gigantic river man
kindly but firmly held him back.
Tgguess it's just as well we hears
this,',' sad the latter: -
x It ell came out -the loan to Carpen-
ter,, with hint at the motive-the
machiBations Of the rival firm on the
board Of trade; the notes, the mort
ssses; the necessity Of, a big seasons
cut: tile reasons the rival &f1rm had for
Wishing to, prevent that cut from ar
rivfag at til; market; DE desperate and
varied sineans they had Employed. The
men listened, silent. = Hamilton, his
eyaa glowing HE oosis, drank in every
R9xd. Here was the master motive he
hld sought; here, was the story great
to His hand. ~ ~ IT, ~ ~ .ss>sls1
THAT'S what ,oe ought to get"' cried
Collins, almost weeping. "And now
we're gone and bust JUST because that
Internal river hog had to fall of q
boom! It's shame! Those scalawags
have done us after all!'
Out from the shadows Of the woods
stole Injun Charley. The whole bear
ing and aspect of the man had chang
ed. His eye cleaned with a distant,
farseeing fire of it's own, which teok
no account of anything but some re-
mote vision. He stole along almost
furtively, but with proud, upright
carriage of his neck, backward tilt
Of his fine head, distension Of his
nostrils, that lent to his appearance a
panther-like pride and stealthiness. No
one saw him. Suddenly he broke
through the group and mounted the
steps beside Collins.
"The enemy of my brother is gone" }"
said he simply in his native tongue,
and with sudden gesture held out be-
fore them-a scalp.
The medieval barbarity of the thing
appalled, them for moment. The days
OF scalping were long since past. had
been closed away between the pages
Of forgotten histories, and yet here
again before them was the thing in all
it's living horror. Then a growl arose.
The human animal had tasted blood.
All at once, like wine, their wrongs
mounted to their head. They remem-
bered their dead comrades. They re-
membered the heart breaking days and
nights of toll they had endured on ac-
count Of this man and his associates.
They remembered the words of Collins,
the little bookkeeper They hated.
They shook their fists across the skies.
They turned and with one accord
struck back for the railroad right of
way which led to Shingleville, the
town controlled by Morrison & DAILY,
The railroads lay for a mile straight
through thick tamarack swamp, then
over nearly treeless cranberry plain.
The tamarack was a screen between
the two towns. When half way
through the swamp Red Jacket stop
ped, removed his coat, ripped the lining
from it and began to fashion a rude
mask.
i" "Just as well they don't recognize
U.s." said he.
Somebody in town will give US
away" suggested Shorty, the chore bow.
mo, they won't; they're all here. !"
assured Kerlie.
1t was true. Except for the women
and children, who were not yet about,
the entire village had assembled. Even
old Yanderhoof, the fire catcher OF the
yard, hobbed along breathlessly: on his
rheumatic less.i5 I'm moment the
Eaasks were ntttted; III I moment more
~ little band had emerged from the
lhelter Of The swamp and Is cane into
full View Of 1tai ofiAc<iva ,,r,,,t 20 p fI'3ss