Gloucester County Democrat., 1907-10-10


ton and the tactics Of the Mafag'
Eve knew you would make that kind
of talk" said the speaker, while the
rest murmured grudgingly. One OF
them spoke up.
we've talked this over in cold blood.
/ Glenister, and it's a question of their
lives or our liberty The law don't
enter into it,
That's right" echoed another at his
/ elbow I'VE can't seize the claims,
because McNamara's got soldiers to
back him up. They'd shoot US down.
You ought to be the last one to object"
j He saw that dispute was futile. De-
termination was stamped on their
faces too plain for mistake, and his
argument had no more effect on them
than had the pale rays of the lantern
| beside him, yet he continued:
~ don't deny that Mcnamara de
serves lynching, but Stiilman doesn't
He's weak old man"--some one
laughed derisiyely- and there's a
woman in the house. He's all she has
| in the world to depend upon, and you
would have to kill her to get at him
! If you must follow this course, take
the others. but leave him alone"
They only shook their heads. while
several pushed by him even as be
spoke. We're going to distribute our
favors equal" said a man as be left
| They were actuated by what they
| called justice and he could not sway
them The life and welfare Of the
north were in their hands, as they
thought, and there was not one to hesi-
tate. Glenister imploued the chairman
but the man answered him:
"It's too late for further discussion.
and let me remind you of your prom
ise You're bound by every obligation
that exists for an honorable man
''Oh, don't think that I'll give the
snap away" said the other; "but I
warn you again not to enter Stillman's
house"
He followed ont into the night to
find that Dextry had disappeared, evil
dentIy wishing to avoid argument
Roy had seen signs Of unrest beneath
the prospector's restraint during the
past few days. and indications Of a
| fierce hunger to vent bis spleen on the
men who had robbed him of bis most
sacred rights He was of an lntolerant.
vlndictive nature that wouId go to any
! length for vengeance. Eetribution was
part of his creed.
On his way home the young man
looked at his watch to find that he had
| tx.+ ~, bo,,, his oo.,rco
| instinct prompted him to join bis
| friends and to even the score with the
/ men who bad injured him SO bitterly,
for, measured by standards of the
frontier they We're pirates with their
| lives forfeit Yet he could not coun-
tenance this step. If only the vigi-
lantes would be content with making
an example-but be knew they would
not. The blood hunger of a mob is
easy to whet and hard to hold
| Mcnamara would resist, as would
Voorhees, and the district attorney
then there would be bloodshed. riot,
chaos The soldiers would be called
out and martial law declared. the
streets would become skirmish grounds
out question. for every citizen Of the
| north would rally to their aid and such
men could not be stopped. The judge
1 would go down with the rest of the
ring, and what would happen to-her;
/ He took down his Winchester, oiled
and cleaned it, then buckled on belt
of cartridges. Still he wrestled with
i himself He felt that be was being
ground between his loyalty to the vigi-
Iantes and bis own conscience. The
girl was one of the gang, he reasoned
she had schemed with them to betray
him through his love and she was
pledged to the one man in the wori0
whom he hated with fanatical fury
Why should he think of her in this
hour? Six months back he would have
looked with jealous eyes upon the right
to lead the vigilantes, but this change
that had mastered him-what was it?
Not cowardice, nor caution. No. Yet,
being intangible. it was none the less
marked, as his friends had shown him
an hour since
Il He slipped out into the night. The
mob might do as it pleased elsewhere,
but no man should enter her house. He
found a light shining from her parlo
window, and, noting the shade up a
few inches, stole close. Peering
through, he discovered Struve and
Helen talking He sluuk back into
the shadows and remained hidden for
a considerable time after the lawyer
left, for the dancers were returning
| from the hotel and passed close by.
When the last group had chattered
away down the street. he turned to the
front Of the house, and mounting the
steps, knocked sharply. AS Helen ap-
peared at the door. he stepped inside
and closed it after him.
The girls hair lay upon her neck and
shoulders in tumbled brown masses,
while her breast heaved tumultuously
Il at the sudden grim sight of him