Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-01-25

son, had, as ! soon discovered. elab-
Grated wonderful programme for
me. 1t included a watch on me day
and night, lest, through rage or de-
spondency, should try to do VIC
lence to myself. A fine character,
that Joe! But, to return, Mulholland
answered my request for shore-leave
with soothing smile. Cant do il,
Mr.. Blackjack" he said. "Our orders
are positive. But when we put in at
New London and send ashore for fur
Their instructions, and for the papers,
you can send in your messages"
"As you please" said l. And gave
him cipher telegram to Joe-an or.
der to invest my store of cash, which
meant practically my whole fortune,
in the gilt-edged securities that were
to be had for cash at a small fraction
Of their value.
This on the Monday after Wild
Week, please note. I would have
helped the people to deliver them.
selves from the bondage of the BAN
dts. They would not have 1t. I
would even have sacrificed my all In
trying to, save them in spite Of them
selves. But what is one sane man
against stampeded multitude Of mani
acs? For confirmation of my disin.
terestedness, I point to all those weeks
and months during which waged
costly warfare on "The Seven" who
would gladly have given me more
than | now have, could | have been
bribed to desist But, when I was
compelled to admit that l had over
estimated my fellow men, that the
people wear the yoke because they
have not yet become intelligent and
competent enough to be free, then
and not until then did | abandon the
hopeless struggle.
And / did not go over to the BAN
dts; simply resumed my own neg
lected personal affairs and made Wild
Week at least personal triumph.
There is nothing of the spectacular
In my makeup. | have no belief in
the value of martyrs and martyrdom.
Causes are not won-and In my hum.
Bile opinion never have been won-in
the graveyards. Alive and afoot and
armed, and true to my cause, I am
the dreaded menace to systematic and
respectable robbery. What possible
good could have come of mobs killing
me and the bandits dividing my
estate?
But why should seek to Justify
myself? care not a rap for the
opinion Of my fellow men. They
sought my life when they should have
been hailing me as a deliverer; now
I they look up to me because they false.
ly believe me guilty of an infamy.
! My guards expected to be recalled
on Tuesday. But Melville heard
what Crawford had done about me
and straightway used his influence to
nave me detained until the new grip
OF the old gang was secure. Saturday
afternoon we put in at Newport for
the daily COMMUNICATION with the shore
When the launch returned, Mulholland
Drought the papers to me, lounging
aft In a mass Of cushions under the
awning. I'VE are going ashore" said
ne. The order has come"
had a sudden sense Of loneliness
I'll take you down to New York"
said |. 81 prefer to land my guests
where I shipped them"
AS We steamed slowly westward I
read the papers. The country was
rapidly readjusting itself, was return
Ing to the conditions before the up-
heaval. The "fnanciers"-the same
old gang, except for a few Of the
weaker brethren ruined and q few
strong outsiders, who had slipped in
during the confusion-were employing
all the old, familiar devices for deceiv-
Ing and robbing the people. The up
set milkingstool was righted, and the
mixer was seated again nd busy, the
good old COW standing without so
much as shake of horn or switch of
tall. "Mulholland," said l, what do
you think Of this business of living"
I'll tell you, Mr.. Blackjack" said
he. u used to fuss and fret a good
deal about II. But I don't any more.
I've got house up In the Bronx. and
q bit OF land round IT.. And there's
Mrs. Mulholland and four little Mulhol.
lands and me-that's my country and
my party and my religion. The rest
Is on my beat, and | don't give. Q
damn for it. ! don't care which fakir
gets to be president, or which swim.
der gets to be rich. Everything
works out somehow, and the best
any man en- do is to mind his own
business"
"Mulholland-Mrs. Mulholland-four
little &ulhollands," said l, rehectively.
That's about as much as one man
could attend to properly. And-you
ere on the level aren't you% 80
|. Some say honesty's the best pol.
iey'"s replied he. Some say 1t isn't.
/ don't know. and don't care. wheth.
or 1t ID or II isn't It's my policy.
And we six seem to have got along
On 1t 50 far"
sent my guests ashore the next
morning. .
No. I'll stay aboard" said to
{, Hnlholland, as he stood aside for ma