Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-10-19
The Spoilers.
BY REX E. BEACH.
IT. eopyrisht. 1905. by Beach. q.
By REX E. BEACH.

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.
II you must follow this course, take
the others, but leave him alone"
They only shook their heads, while
several pushed by him even as he
spoke. Were going to distribute our
favor" equal" said man as he 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. ms they
thought, and there was not one to hest
tate. Glenister implored the chairman,
but the man answered him:
ITS too late for further discussion,
and let me remind you Of your prom
Use. You're bound by every obligation
that exists for an honorable man
ooh, don't think that I'll give the
snap away said the other: "but l
warn YOU again not 10 enter Stllman's
house."
He followed out into the night to
find that Dcxtry had disappeared, EVIL
IDENTIFY wishing TO avoid argument.
Roy had seen signs OF unrest beneath
the prospector's restraint during the
pnst few days, and indications of q
fierce hunger to vent his spleen on the
men who had robbed him of his most
sacred rights. He was OF an lntolcrant,
vindictivc nature that would go to any
length for vengeance. Retribution was
part of his creed.
On his way home the young man
looked at his watch to- find that he had
but an hour to determine his course.
Instinct prompted him to Join his
friends and TO even the score with the
men who had injured him so bitterly.
for, measured by standards Of the
frontier, they were pirates with their
lives forfeit. Yet he could not coun.
tenance this step. II only the vlgi.
lantes would be content with making
an example-but he knew they would
not. The blood hunger OF n mob is
easy to whet and hard to hold
Mcnamara would resist. us 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
The vigilantes would rout them with.
out question. for every citizen of the
north would rally to their aid. and such
men could not be stopped. The judge
would go down with the rest Of the
ring. and what would happen to-hcr?
He took down his Winchester, oiled
and cleaned II, then buckled on belt
of cartridges. Still he wrestled with
himself. He felt that lie was being
ground between his loyalty to the vigil
lantes and his 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 world
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 yigllantes, but this change
that had mastered him--what was IL?
Not cowardice, nor caution. No. Yet,
being intangible, 1t was none the less
marked. as his friends had shown him
an hour since
He slipped out into the night. The
mob might do MS 1t pleased elsewhere,
but no man should enter her house. He
found light shining from her parlor
window, and, noting the shade up a
few inches, stole close. Peering
through, he discovered Strive aud
Helen talking. He skunk back into
thc shadows and remained hidden for
considerable time after the lawyer
left, for the dancers were returning
from the hotel and passed close By.
When the last group had chartered
away down the street. he turned to the
front Of the house, and mounting the
steps, knocked sharply. AS Helen APP
peared at the door, he stepped inside
and closed 1t after him.
The girls hair lay upon her neck and
shoulders In tumbled brown masses,
while her breast heaved unanimously
ut the sudden, grim sight of him.
She stepped back against the wall, her
wondrous, deep gray eyes wide and
troubled, the blush of modesty strug-
CLING with the pallor of dIsmay.
The picture palned him like knife
thrust. This girl was his bitterest
encmy-no hope OF her was for him.
He forgot for moment that she was
false and plotting, then, recalling It,
spoke ms roughly as he might and stat
ed his errand. Then the old man had
appeared on the stairs above, speech.
less with fright at what he overheard.
1t was evident that his nerves, so sore.
ly strained by the events of the past
week, were now snapped utterly. A
human soul naked and panic stricken
is no pleasant sight, so Glenister drop.
ped his eyes and addressed the girl
again:
Don't take anything with you. Just
dress and come with me-"
The creature on the stairs above
stammered and suffered inquiringly:
"What outrage is this Mr. CLAIMS