The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-09-05

back aId see the district done up Dy
these thugs who never earned al hon
est dollar in their lives And your
friend Barnett-what good is he on
earth: Just bloodsucker on the bare
back Of labor I'm With the boys, and
if my experience can do 'eln any good
I'm ready"
Il know how you feel. Jack, but this
is desperate business. \ fight with tie
sheriff will set the whole country
against the miners
Munro smiled contemptuously. 'He
. won't fight. 4 round of shots in the
air will send him hotfooting it back
to the Springs It's all Il farce
BE careful. The farce may turn
into tragedy at a moments notice.
These miners are idle and full of ljQ-
uor. Men like Kelly who have women
to protect
Munro caught at this. by the way,
who was the femme" Ny word, she's
a peach
Raymond's tone was coldiy indiffer-
ent. 'sA1iss Rupert is from New York
city, Barnett's cousin. She is here to
look after her brother Louis. | was
not thinking Of her so much as of Mrs.
Kelly and other women who can't get
away
Larned's voice, rising high and cut
ting above the others, interpoSed. Then
leave. You are crazy. You can't hold
this hill with million Gatling guns.
The national committee will not stand
for it. Googbyr ClappinS his hat on
his head, he, walked out Of the room,
his white face set in furious frown.
Brock roared out: Call meeting,
Carter, and we'll carry it our way. To
blazes with the national committee!'
Carter, however, was scared blue by
Larned's despairing retreat and re-
fused. We've got to go slow. We
can't win without help. 1 won't make
the call"
San Juan Smith, with flaming face,
shouted furiously: ''Then We'll do it
without your sanction. The executive
board will act"
Raymond, on the doorstep, made a
last appeal to Munro. "Jack, you can't
afford to go into this thing with Smith.
Keep out of it. It's bad business all
around. It's one thing to strike and
another thing to resist authority. See
this street,
In some way word had already passed
along the ridge that the sheriff was ac-
tually on the road and that he would
reach the end Of the railway in mid
afternoon, and a great throng was
packed round man on horseback who
was good naturedly trying to force his
way toward headquarters.
"That's one of my scouts" said Mum
70, with news Of the invaders" And
he pushed off into the crowd, while
Raymond, with serious face and slow
step, went down the path toward his
mine.
They're going to fight" he said to
Kelly.
Eight? OF course they'll fight
They'll go down and drive the sheriff's
men like sheep. But what then? The
crazy jacks!''
do you think we ought to tell the
women? Are they in danger"
Kelly was reflective. "Not now. The
sheriff. will hardly reach the hill this
time. He'll go back. The authorities
and the newspapers will chew the rag
for a couple Of weeks. and then-we'u
be up against it!''
"All the same Matt, wear my guns
from this on. and one Of us must stand
guard at night. The camp is filing
with dangerous men,"
At Kelly's invitation. Raymond and
Louis took MONDAY dinner with him.
It was most delicious meal to Ray
mond and q pleasantly exciting one to
Ann. for she confessed to having cook
ed the eggs and potatoes. All reference
to the trouble on the hill was -jocular.