Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-11

the lines Of Stilfrnan's vacillating face,
the buster Of the district-attorney, and
the smirking confidence of the clerks,
for 1t seemed that they all worked
mechanically, like toys. at the die
tates Of Alec Mcnamara At last,
when they had ceased, beaten and ex-
hausted, they were too confused with
technical phrases to grasp anything
except the fact that relief was denied
them; that their claims were to be
worked by the receiver; and, as d
browning defeat, they learned that the
Judge would move his court to St.
Michaels and hear no cases until he
returned, month later.
Meanwhile, Mcnamara hired every
idle man he could lay hand upon and
ripped the placers open with double
shifts. Every day stream of yellow
dust poured into the bank anil was
locked in his vaults, while those mine
owners who attempted to witness the
clean-ups were elected from their
claims. The politician had worked
with incredible swiftness and system
and fortnight otter landing he had
nade good his boast to StruV anu
was in charge OF every good claim in
the district, the owne.s we're ouste':,
their appeals argueI and deniel AMI
the court gone TO- inirt. days, ,eav-
Ing him clear fle'i for his operations
He felt contempt ftr most o. his
victims, who wee SLOW. wftted SEedes
grasping neither the pu port nor the
magnitude Of his operation, and as to
rhose litigants who were discerning
enough to see it's enGfm:ry, hi. trust
ed to his organization to thwart them.
The two partners had come to feel
that they were beating against a
wall, and rad also come sluave'y IT,
race tn. proposition tl,at they were
without funds wherewith to continue
their battle. 1t was maddeniu, f,s
them to think of the daily robbery that
hey suffered, for til. Midas turne.! out
many ounces of golt. q: every shift:
and more maddening to realize the
receivers shrevtlress in Gripping
them by his theft OF the gold IN their
safe That had been lis crowrlng
strcke.
I'VE must get money quick" said
G,chjster. Do YOU think we can Dor
row."
Borrow" sneered Dextry. "Folks
don't lend money in Alaska"
They relapsed into moody silence
II met Teller this mornin' that's
workin' on the Midas" the old man
resumed. "He came In town fer a
pair OF gum boots, an he says they've
run into awful rich ground-so rich
that they have to clean up every morn
ing when the night shift goes off
cause the rifles clog with gold''
Think OF IT," Glenister growled.
III we had even part Of one of those
clean-ups we could send Wheaton out
side.'
In the midst of his bitterness a
thought struck him. He made as
though to speak, then closed his
mouth; but bis partners eyes were
on him, filed with a suppressed but
growing fire. Dextry lowered his
voice cautiously:
'There'll be twenty thousand dollars
In them sluices tonight at midnight"
Glenister stared back while his pulse
pounded at something that lay in the
others words.
1T belongs to U.S." the young man
said. There wouldn't be anything
wrong about it, would there?"
Dextry sneered. Wrong. Right!
Them is fine an soundin' titles in a
mess like this. What do they mean?
l tell you, at midnight tonight Alec
MCNAMARA will have twenty thousand
dollars Of our money"
God! What would happen If they
caught us?" whispered the younger
following out his thought. They'd
never let us get off the claim alive.
He couldn't find a better excuse to
shoot us down and get rid Of us. If
we came u, before this Judge for
trial, we'd gv to sitka for twenty
years."
Sure But it's our only chance.
I'd ruthsr die on the Midas in fair
fight than set here bitin' my hang
nails. I'm CROWN old and won't
never make another strike AS to
bein' caught-them's our chances. l
won't be took alive-I promise you
that-and before go I'll get my salts
fy. Castin' things up, that's about
all man gets in this vale of tears
jest satisfaction of one kind or an
other. It'll be fight in the open. I'M
OOi LILO SIclo, Will LILO Cl0dLl, W0C MOSS
to lie down on, and not a scrappin'-
match of freak phrases and law-books
inside Of stinkin' courtroom. The
cards is shuff1ed and in the box, part
ner and the game is started. If we're
due to win, we'll win. If we'll due to
lose, we'll lose. These things is all
f1ggered out a thousand years back.
Come on. boy Are you gamer"
"Am game?" Glenister's nostrils
dilated and his voice rose tone. "Am
I game? I'm with you till the big
cash-in, and Lord have mercy on any
man that blocks our game tonight"
We'll need another hand to help
u.s." said Dextry. "Who can we geto"
At that moment, as though in an
swer the door opened with the scaut
ceremony that friends of the frontier
are wont to observe, admitting the at.
tenuated, Tapping, dome-crowned
figure Of Slapjack Simms, and Dextry
fell upon him with the hunger of a
wolf.
1t was midnight and over the dark
walls of the valley peered multitude
Of stars, while away on the southern
horizon fhare o1nued q c,hd,,od aee,,1