The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-02-27
well, let's send him out quick. Ev


Yes. but where's the money to do
1t with? Mcnamara has ours. Ny
God! What Il mess we're in, What
fools we've been. DeX! There's con-
spiracy here. I'm beginning to see it
now that it's too late. This man is
looting our country under color Of law
aud figures on cutting all the mines
before we can throw him of. That's
his game. He'll work them as hard
and rs long as he can. and heaven
only knows what will become Of the
money. He must have biz men behind
him IN order to fix United States
judge this way. Maybe lie has the
Frisco courts corrupted. too"
IF he has. I'm goiH' to kill him."
said Dextry. i've worked like a
dog ali my life. anu now that I've
struck pay don't aim to lose 1t. IF
Bill Wheaton can't win out accordin'
to law. I'm goin' to proceed accordin'
to justice"
During the past two days the part
ners had ed the courtroom who
their la N.her~=ith tho 81
for the --.eu.u ana
pleade ing every possible profes-
sional d unprofessional artitice In
search relief from the arbitrary rul-
ings of he court. while hourly they
had become more strongly suspicious
Of some sinister plot, some hidden,
powerful understanding back of the
Judge and the entire mechanism Of JUS
tice. They had fought with the fury
Of men who battle for life an6 had
grown to hate the lines Of Still mans
vacillating face. the bluster Of the dis
trict attorney and the smirkinS conf
dence Of the clerks, for 1t seemed that
they all worked mechanically. like
toys, ut the dictates Of Alec McNa-
mara. At last when they had ceased.
beaten and exhausted, they were too
confused with technical phrases to
grasp anything except the fact that
relief was denied them. that their
claims were to be worked by the, re-
ceiver and. as a crowning defeat they
learned that the judge would move his
court to st. Michael's and hear no
cases until he returned, a month later.
Meanwhile. Mcnamara hired every
idle man he could lay hand upon and
ripped the placers open with double
shifts. Every day stream OF yellow
dust poured into the bank and was
locked in his vaults, while those mine
owners who attempted to witness the
cleanups wp"e elected from their
claims. The politician had worked
with incredible swiftness and system,
and q fortnight after landing he had
made good his boast to Struve and
was in charge Of every good claim IN
the district, the owners were ousted,
their appeals argued and denied and
the court gone for thirty days. leav-
Ing him a clear field for his operations.
He felt contempt for most Of his VIC
tins, who were slow witted Swedes,
grasping neither the purport nor the
magnitude Of his operation, and to
those ltigants who were discerning
enough to see its enormlty he trusted
to his organization to thwart them.
The two partners had come to feel
that they were beating against a wall
and had also come squarely to face the
proposition that they were without
funds wherewith to continue their bat
tie. 1t was maddeiing for them to
think Of the daily robbery that they
suffered, for the Midas turned out
many ounces Of gold at every shift,
and more maddening to realize the re-
ceiver's shrewdness in crippling them
by his theft Of the gold In their safe
That had been his crowning stroke.
Eve must get money quick" said
Glenister. "Do you think we can bor-
rowT
Borrow" shifted Dextry. Folks
don't lend money in Alaska"
They relapsed into moody silence.
81 met q feller this mornin' that's
workin' on the Midas" the old man
resumed. "He came In town fer a
pair of gum boots, an he says they've
run into awful rich ground-so rich
that they have to clean up every morn
in when the night shift goes of cause
the rifles clog with gold"
Think Of itw Glenister growled. "If
we had even part Of one Of those
cleanups we could send Wheaton out
side"
In the midst Of his bitterness
thought struck him. He made as
though to speak, then closed his mouth.
But his partners eyes were on him.
filed with a suppressed but growing
fire. Dextry lowered his voice eau
tiously:
"There'll be $4,000 in them sluices
tonight at midnight"
Glenister stared back, while his pulse
pounded at something that lay in the
others words.
ut belongs to u.s." the young man
said. There wouldn't be anything
wrong about 1t, would thereT
Dextry sneered. Wrong! Right!
Them Is fine an soundin' titles in q
mess like this. What do they mean?