The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-02-14

IN the WHITE we'd never dare leave "a
claims for fear Of 'snipers.' The ii
run IN arG rob us
How larch VIII the Anvil cree
mine. produce this summer" asked
the judge.
'Ifs hard 10 sen. sir. but we eSpe
TO average 5000 a day from the III
das alone. and there are other claims
Just as good"
Your title is all clear. dare say
eh?"
absolutely except for one jumper
and we cont take him seriously. \
fellow named Galloway relocated US
one night last month, but he didn't al
lege any grounds for doing so, and we
could never find trace Of him. If we
had. our title would be as clean as
tnoy again" He said the last with a
peculiar infection.
You wouldn't use violence. trust:
Sure. Why not? 1t has worked all
tight heretofore"
But. my dear sir. those days are
zone. The law is here, and it is the
duty of every one to abide by 1t.
'Well, perhaps 1t is. but in this coun-
try we consider a mans mine as sa-
cred as his family. We didn't know
what lock and key were in the early
times. and we didn't have any troubles
except famine and hardship It's diff
ferent now. though. Why, there have
been more claims jumped around here
this spring than in the whole length
and history of the Yukon"
They had reached the hotel and
Glenister paused. turning to the girl us
The iudce entered. When she started
TO follow, he detained her.
81 came down from the hills on pur-
pose to see you. j. has been a long
week
"Don't talk that way" she interrupt
ed coldly. Il don't care to hear it"
"See here. what makes you shut me
out and wrap yourself up in your
haughtiness? I'm sorry for what did
that night. I've told you SO repeated
ly I've wrung nay soul for that act
till there's nothing left but repent
ance.''
ut is not that" she said slowly. 81
have been thinking it over during the
past month. and now that have gain
ed an insight into this life l see that
it wasn't an unnatural thing for YOU
to do It's terrible to think of, but it's
true. l don't mean that 1t was pardon
able" she continued quickly, "for It
wasn't, and | hate you when l think
about 1t, but l suppose / put myself
into a position to invite such actions
No: I'm sufficiently broadminded not
TO blame YOU unreasonably, and / think
l could like you In spite of it, just for
what YOU have done for me. But thar
isn't all. There is something deeper.
You saved my life, and I'm grateful!
but YOU frighten me always. 1t is
the cruelty in your strength. 1t IS
something away back in you-lustflli
and ferocious and wild and crouching-
He smiled wryly.
ut is my local color maybe absorbed
from this country. I'll try to change
though, If you want me to. I'll let
them rope and throw and brand me.
I'll take on the graces of civilization
and put away revenge and ambition
and all the rest Of it If it will make
YOU like me any better. Why, I'll ever
promise not to violate the person Of
our claim jumper if l catch him, and
heaven knows that means that Sam
son has parted with his locks"
II think could like you If you did,
she said, but you can't do it. You are
a savage"
There are no clubs nor marts where
men foregather for business In the
north-nothing but the saloon, and this
is all and more than a club. Here men
congregate to drink, to gamble and 70
traffic.
II was late in the evening when
3lenister entered the Northern an
passed idly down the row of games,
pausing at the crap table, where he
rolled the dice when his turn came.
Moving to the roulette Wheel he lost a
stack of whites, but at the faro 'lay-
OUT his luck was better, and he won a
gold coin on the high card. whereupon
he promptly ordered a round of drink
for the men grouped about him, for
Enality always precedent to overtures
Of general friendship.
AS he paused, glass in hand, his eyes
were drawn to a man who stood close
by. talking earnestly The asnect Of
the stranger challenged notice, for Nc
stood high above his companions, with
a peculiar grace of attitude in place of
the awkwardness common In men of
great stature Among those who were
listening intently to the mans care
fully modulated tones Glenister recog-
nized Mexico Mullins, the ex-gamblet
who had given Dextry the warning at
Unalaska AS he further studied the
listening group drunken man stag
gered uncertainty through the wide
doors of the saloon and, gaining sigh
Of the tail stranger, blinked, then az
preached him, speaking with loud
voice: