Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-10-02
CHAPTER XIV

half of the mine. even though they
had checked the senseless, unreasoring
lust for play that possessed him later.
This lapse was the last stand Of his
old. untamed instincts. The embers OF
revolt in him were dead. BE felt that
he would never again lose mastery OF
himself, that his passions would never
best him hereafter.
Dextry spoke I'VE had meeting
of the Strangers last night" He al
ways spoke of the vigilantes in that
way, because Of his early western
training.
'sWhat was done?'
'sThey decided to act quick and do
any odd jobs Of lynchin', claim jump
in or such as needs doin'. There's
lot of law sharps and storekeepers In
the bunch who figure Mcnamara
gang will wipe them off the map next
''It was bound to come to this
"They talked Of ejectin' the receiv-
ers men and putin all us fellers back
on our mines"
"Good! How many can we count on
" uCAD oS
"About sixty. We've kept the num-
Der down and only taken men with so
much property that they'll have to
keep their mouths shut"
81 wish we might engineer some kind
Of an encounter with the court crowd
and create such an uproar that 1T
would reach Washington. Everything
else has failed, and our last chance
seems to be for the government to step
in-that is, unless Bill Wheaton can do
something with the California courts.
81 don't count on him. Mcnamara
don't care for California courts no
more'n he would for a boy with pea
shooter-he's got too much pull at
headquarters. If the Strangers don't
do no good we'd better go in an clean
out the bunch like we was KILN
snakes. If that fails I'm goin' out to
the States an be doctor"
"a doctor! What for?"
81 read somewhere that in the United
States every year there is 100000
gallons of whisky used for medical
purposes"
Glenister laughed Speaking of
whisky, Dex. notice that you've been
drinking pretty hard of late-that is,
hard for YOU
The old man shook his head. You're
mistaken 1t amt hard for me-
"Well, hard or easy, you'd better cut
1t OUT
1t was some time later that one Of
the detectives employed by the Swedes
met Glenister on Front street and by
an almost imperceptibe sign signitled
his desire to speak with him. When
they were alone he said:
you've been shadowed."
i've known that for a long time
''The district attorney has put on
some new men. I've fixed the woman
who rooms next to him. and through
her I've got a line on some of them,
but haven't spotted them all. They're
bad ones, up river men mostly, rem
nants of Soapy Smiths Skagway gang.
They won't stop at anything"
.'Thank you. I'll keep my eyes
open
A few nights after Glenister had rea-
son to recall the words of the sleuth
and to realize that the game was grow
ing close and desperate. To reach his
cabin, which sat on the outskirts of the
town. he ordinarily followed one Of
the plank walks which wound through
the confusion of tents, warehouses and
cottages lying back of the two princi-
pal streets along the water front. This
part of the city was not laid out in
rectangular blocks, for in the early
rush the first corners had seized what
ever pieces of ground they found va
cant and erected thereon some kind Of
buildings to make good their titles.
There resulted a formless tumble Of
huts, cabins and sheds, penetrated by
no cross streets and quite unlighted.
At night one leaving the Illuminated
portion Of the town found this dark
ness intensified.
Glenister knew his course SO well
that he could have walked ii blindfold-
ed. Nearing a corner of the warehouse
this evening he remembered that the
planking at this point was torn up so
| to avoid the mud he leaped lightly
across. Simultaneously with his jump
he detected movement in the shad-
ows that banked the wall at his elbow
and saw the flaming squirt Of revolver
shot The man had crouched behind
the building and was SO close that 1t
seemed impossible to miss. Glenister
fell heavily upon his side, and the
thought flashed over him, "McNama-
ras thugs have shot me-"
His assailant leaped out from his
hiding place and ran down the walk,
! the sound of his quick. soft FOOTBALLS
thudding family out into the silence.
The young man felt no pain, however,
so scrambled to his feet, felt himself
over with care and then swore round
w. He was untouched. The other
sad missed him Clearly. The report,
coming while he was in the act OF
leapng, had startled him SO that he
had lost his balance, slipped upon the
wet boards and fallen. His assailant
was lost in the darkness before he
could rise Pursuit was out OF the
question 50 he continued homeward,
considerably shaken, and related the
incident to Dextry.
81 ~f