The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-04-17

You mustn't 70 out there. she cried.
aghast. There win be blOOdshed
That's Just why | must 20" said
Mcnamara. I'm come back in the
morning. though. and I'd Ike 70 see
you alone. Good night There was
a strange. new light IN his eyes as he
left her For one unversed in woman 5
ways he played the game surprisingly
well. and as be hurried toward his Of
fee he smiled grimly into the darkness.
"She'H answer me tomorrow. Thank
YOU. Mr.. Glenister," he said TO him
self
Helen questioned Strive at length.
but gained nothing more than that Sc
cret service men had been at work for
weeks and had today unearthed the
fact that vigilantes had been formed.
They had heard enough to make them
think the mines would be jumped again
tonight and so had given the alarm.
"Have you hired spies?' she asked
increduously.
Sure We had to. The other people
Swallowed US, and it's come TO point
where it's life or death to one side or
the other told Mcnamara we'd have
bloodshed before we were through,
when he first outlined the scheme-I
mean when the trouble began"
She wrung her hands. That's what
uncle feared before we left Seattle.
That's why l took the risks did In
bringing you those papers. | thought
you got them in time to avoid all this"
Strive laughed bit, eying her Gu
riously.
Does Uncle Arthur know about
thisi' she continued.
mo; we don't let him know anything
more than necessary. He's not strong
man"
Yes, yes. He's not WELL" Again
the lawyer smiled. who Is behind
this vigilante movement
1--WE think 1t is Glenister and his
New Mexican bandit partner. At least
they got the crowd together. She
was silent for a time.
II suppose they really think they
own those mines"
Undoubtedly"
But they don't, do they?" Somehow
this question had required to her In
sistently of late, for things were con-
Stantly happening which showed there
was more back of this great, fierce
struggle than she knew. 1t was impos-
sible that injustice had been done the
mine owners, and yet scattered tax
reached her which was puzzling.
10 III
acquaintances adroitly changed the
subject She was baffied on every
side. The three local newspapers up
held the court. she read them care
fully and was more at sea than ever.
There was a disturbing undercurrent
of alarm and unrest that caused her to
feel insecure, as though standing on
hollow ground.
Eyes. this whole disturbance is caus-
I'd by those two. Only for them we'd
be all right"
"Who is Miss Malotte?"
He answered promptly. 1.-THE hand
vomest woman in the north and The
most dangerous"
CHAPTER XIV.
~ N the morning after the episode
in the Northern, Glenister
awoke under a weight Of dis
~ enlargement and desolation.
/ The past twenty-four hours with their
manifold experiences seemed distant
and unreal. At breakfast he was
ashamed to tell Dextry Of the gam
bling debauch, for he had dealt treach-
erously with the old man In riskin2
half of the mine, even though they
had checked the senseless, unreasoning
lust for play that possessed him later.
| This lapse was the last stand OF his
old untamed instincts. The embers or
| revolt in him were dead. He felt that
he would never again lose mastery or
himself. that his passions would never
best him hereafter.
Dextry spoke. 1--WE had meeting
Of the Strangers last night" He al
ways spoke of the vigilantes In that
way, because Of his early western
training.
| what was doneT
"They decided to act quick and do
any odd jobs of lynchin', claim jump
in or such as needs dom. There's a
lot of law sharps and storekeepers in
the bunch who figure Mcnamara S
gang will wipe them off the map next
ut was bound to come to this"
"They talked of ejectin' the receiv-
er's men and putin all us fellers back
ON our mines.
Good! How many can we count on
to help usY"
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"
II wish we might engineer some KIND
of an encounter with the court crowd
and create such an uproar that II
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"
UI don't coi1nt IN him Mcnamara