The Redwood gazette., 1909-12-22
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lEOUT a dozen Of the crew ap-
~ peared in the evening to go
~ with Orde. They set out up the
long reach Of Water street, their
steel calks biting deep into the pitted
board walks.
For nearly mile the street was
danked solely by lumber yards, small
mills and factories. Then came strip
Of unimproved land, followed imme-
diately by the wooden, ramshackle
structures of Hell's Half Mile.
As yet the season was too early for
much joy along Helrs Half Mile Orde's
little crew and the forty or fifty men
of the drive that had preceded him
constituted the rank and file at that
moment in town. A little later, when
all the drives on the river should be in
and those Of it's tributaries and the
men still lingering at the woods camps,
at least 500 woods weary men would
be turned loose. Then Helps Half
Mile would awaken in earnest from
its Information. The lights would
blaze from day to day. From its
open windows would blare the music,
the cries Of men and women, the shut
fie of feet, the noise Of fighting, the
shrieks of wild laughter, curses deep
and frank and unashamed, songs bro
ken and interrupted. Crews of men,
arms locked, would surge up and down
the narrow sidewalks, their little felt
hats cooked one side. their heads back,
their fearless eyes challenging the
devil and all his works-and getting
the challenge accepted. Girls would
fit across the lit windows like shad-
ows before flames or stand in the door
ways hailing the men jovially by name.
Tonight, however, the street was
comparatively quiet. The saloons were
of modified illumination. The bar
keepers were listlessly wiping the bars.
The pretty waiter girls gossiped
with each other and yawned behind
their hands.
In the middle of the third block
Orde wheeled sharp to the left Gown
dark and dangerous looking alley
Another turn to the right brought him
into very narrow street where stood
three story wooden structure into
viii Ii led high arched entrance.
This was McNeill's.
A figure detached itself from the
shadow Orde uttered an exclama-
tion
you here. Newmark?" he cried.
Yes" replied that young man. Il
want ta seq this tbrouph -
with those clothesY' marveIed
Orde Its wonder some of these
thugs haven't held you up long ago.
It's dangerous. You're likely to get
slugged.''
Il can stand it if you can," returned
Newmark.
McNeills lower story was given over
entirely to drinking. The second floor
was a theater and the third a dance
hail. Beneath the building were still
viler depths From this basement the
riverman and the shanty boy generally
graduated penniless and perhaps un-
conscious to the street. Now. your
lumberjack did not customarily arrive
at this stage without lively doings en-
route; therefore McNeips maintained
a force of fighters. They were burly,
sodden men, but strong in their ex-
perience and their discipline. To be
sure, they might not last quite as long
as their antagonists could. but they
always lasted plenty long enough.
Sand bags and brass knuckles helped
some and team work finished the job.
Orde and his men entered the lower
hall as though sauntering In without
definite aim. The river boss wandered
about with the rest, a wide, good ma
tured smile on his face
Presently he found himself at the
table Of the three card monte men.
The rest of his party gravitated in his
direction.
do you think you could pick out
the jack when l throw these out like
thisy' asked the dealer.
"Sure! She's that one"
"We1l," exclaimed the gambler,
DANCED If you didn't! / bet you S.
you can't do 1t again."
Again Orde was permitted to pick
up the jack.
you've got the best eye that's been
in this place since got here" ex-
claimed the dealer. Here, Dennis"
said he to his partner. "You try him.
Dennis obligingly took the cards and
lost. By this time the men, augmented
bg the idlers. had drawn close.
Continued next week