The Red Cloud chief., 1907-10-18

N craft, quilt Tor 800 passengers, was
carrying triple her capacity. Men ana
women were slowed away like cattle.
Order and II half tolerable condition
were maintained only by the efforts of
the passengers themselves, who held to
the thought that imprisonment and in.
convenience would last but II few days
longer. They had bccn aboard three
weeks, and every hea.t was atlame
with the desire to reach Nome to
reach it ahead of the pressing horde
behind.
What would be the temper of this
gold frcnzied army if thrown into
quarantine within sight of their goalI
The impatient hundreds would have to
lie packed in their floating prison, sub
hitting to the foul disease. Long they
must lie thus. till n month should have
passed after the disappearance of the
last symptom. If the disease REQUIRED
sporadically, that might mean endless
weeks of m%addening idlencss. 1t might
even be impossible to impose the neces-
Sary restraint. There would be vio-
lence, perhaps mutiny.
The fear of the sickness was moth
ing to DeXtry and Glenister. but of
their mine they thought with terror.
What would happen in their absence.
where conditions were us unsettled as
in this new land, where titles were held
only by physical possession of the
premises: During the long winter of
their absence ice had held their treas
ure inviolate, but with the warming
summer the jewel they had fought for
so YEARLY would lie naked and ex-
posed to the first conner. The Midas
lay in the valley of the richest creek,
where men had schemed and fought
and slain for the right to inches. 1t
was the fruit of checrless, barren years
of toll, and if they could not guard 1t
they knew the result.
The girl interrupted their distressing
reflections.
, Don't blame these men. SIR she
begged the captain. Il am the only
one at fault. oh, l had to get away,
l have papers here that must be deliv-
cred quickly" She laid II hand upon
her bosom. 'They couldn't be trusted
10 the unsettled mail service. It's al.
most life and death. And | assure
you there is no need Of putting me In
quarantine. l haven't the smallpox.
/ wasn't even exposed to it,"
There's nothing else to do" said
Stephens. "Ill isolate you in the deck
smoking cabin. God knows what these
madmen on board will do when they
hear about it, though. They're apt to
tear You to shreds. They're crazy
Glenister had been thinking rapidly.
IF you do that. you'll have mutiny
I'm an hour. This isn't the crowd to
stand that sort of thing"
Bah. Let EN- try It. I'll put 'cm
down" The officers square jaws
clicked.
Maybe so; but what then? We
reach Nome and the health inspector
hears Of smallpox suspects, then we're
ar %quarantined for thirty days; 500
Of us. Wen lie at Egg island all sum.
mer while your company pays FIVE
thousand a day for this ship. That's
not all. The firm is liable in damages
for your carelessness in letting disease
aboard"
MY carelessness!' The old man
ground his teeth.
"Yes; that's what 1t amounts to.
You'll ruin your owners, all right.
You'll tie up your ship and lose your
job, that's a cinch!"
Captain Stephens wiped the moisture
from his brow angrily.
my carelessness! Curse you-you
say 1t well! Don't yOn realize that l
am criminally liable If l don't take
every precaution?' He paused for a
moment. considering. "Ill hand her
over to the ships doctor"
"See here, now" Glenister urged.
"Well be in Nome in a week-before
the young lady would have time to
show symptoms of the disease. even
IL she were going to have it-and a
thousand to one she hasn't been X
posed and will never show a trace of
1t. Nobody knows she's aboard but we
three. Nobody will see her get of.
She'll stay In this cabin, which will be
just as effectual rs though you isolated
her In any other part of the boat. 1t
will avoid a panic-yOu'll saw your
ship and your company-nobody will
be the wlser-then IL the girl comes
down with smallpox after she gets
ashore she can go to the pesthOuse and
not jeopardize the health Of all the
people aboard this ship. You go up
forrad to your bridge, sir, and forget
that you stepped In to see old Bill
Dextry this morning. Wen take care
OF this matter all right. 1t means as
much to is as 1t does to you. We've
got to be on Anvil creek before the
ground thaws or we'll lose the Midas.