Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-05
Copyright, 1908, by
Harper g Brothers.
All Rights Reserved
Were you goin'? asked Poelon.

off with conference.-the time too soon.
Poleon heard him 1oundering about, his
indignant voice raised irascibly, albeit
with note of triumph.
"Wha'd I tell you? You put 1t back
while I was ashleep." Then whistling
blithely. If somewhat out of tune, he
steered for the new saloon to get some-
thing for his stomach trouble" -.--
At Starks he found a large crowd OF
the new men who welcomed him heartily.
plying him with countless questions. and
barking to his maudlin tales of this new
country which TO him was old. He had
followed the muddy river from Crater
Lake to the Delta, searching the bars
and creek-beds in a tireless quest, till he
knew each stream and tributary, for he
had been one of the hardy band that
used to venture forth from Juneau on the
spring SHOWS, disappearing into the UNI
charted valley of the Yukon, to re-
turn when the river clogged and grew
sluggish, and, like Gale, he had lived these
many years ahead of the law where each
man was his own court Of appeals and
where crime was unknown He had help
ed to build camps like Forty Mile and
Circle; he knew by heart the bylaws
and rules that governed every town and
mining district in the country; he knew
every man and child by name, but, while
many of his friends had prospered, un-
ceasing Ill luck had logged him. Yet he
had held to honesty and hard work,
measuring a man by his ability to swing
an axe or a shovel, and, despite his i'm
pecuniosity, regarding theft as the crime
deserving capital punishment t.f
"Oh, there's lots of countries worse'n
this" he declared. I'VE may not be
very han some to the naked eye, and we
may not wear our handk chiefs in our
shirt cuffs, but there amt no widders
and orphans dom our washin', and
man can walk away from his house, stay
a month, and find it there when he comes
back"
"Those days are past" said Stark,
who had Joined in the discussion.
There's too many new people coming
in for all of them to be honest"
They'd better, be- said Lee, agrees
sively. 1--WE amt got no room for steal
ers. Why I had hand in maxim the
bylaws of this camp myself, long with
John Gale, and they stip'lates that any
person caught robbin' a cache is to be
publicly whipped in front of the tradin'-
post, then. If it's winter time, he's to
be turned loose on the ice barefooted,
or, If it's summer, he's to be set adrift
on log with his shirt off,"
Either one would mean certain
DEATH" said a stranger. Frost in win
ter, mosquitoes in summerP'
That's all right" another bystander
declared. "A mans life depends on his
grub up here, and I'd be in favor of
enforcing that punishment to the letter
If we caught any one thieving."
"All the same. I take no chances"
said Stark. There's too many strang-
ers here. Just to show you how 1 stand,
I've put Runnion on guard over my pile
of stuff, and I'll be glad when it's under
cover. 1t isn't the. severity of punish
ment that keeps a man from going
wrong. it's the certainty of it,"
''WSl, he'd sure get it, and get 1t
proper in this camp" declared Lee; and
at that moment, as if his words had
been challenge, the flaps or the great
tent were thrust aside, and Runnion
half led half threw a man into the open
space before the bar
Lets have look at you," he pant
ed. well, If it ANT 3 nigger?'
Whats up?" cried the men, crowdiny
about the prisoner who crouched, ter
ror-stricken, in the. ,trampled mud and
moss. while those playing roulette and
bank" left the tables. followed by the
dealers.
Hes a thief" said Runnion, hopping
the sweat from his brow. II caught
him after your grub Pile, Stark"
I'm my cacheP'
Eyes. He dropped a Graz, of hams
run, but I dropped him" He held his
Colt in his right and, and a triclSle of
blood from the negro's head showed how
he had been felled.
why didn't you shoot?" growled
Stark. angrily, at which the negro half
arose and broke into excited denials of
his guilt. Runnion kicAed him savagely,
and cursed him, while the crowd muir
INJURED approval
see him - said
his way through me others. Fixing his
one eye upon the wretcA, he spoke I'M
pressively.
You're the first downright thief ever
seen. Was you hungry?'
"No, he's got plenty" answered one
Of the tenderfeet, who had evidently ar
rived on the boat with the darby. He's
got a bigger outfit than 1 have"
The prisoner drew himself up against
the bar. facing his enemies sullenly.
Then 1 reckon it's a divine manifes-
tation," said mo Creek Lee, tearfully.
"This black party is goin to furnish an
example as will elevate the moral tone
of our community for a year."
Let me take him outside" cried Stark,
reaching under the bar for a weapon.
His eyes were cruel and he had the
angry pallor of a dangerous man. "I'H
save you lot OF trouble"
why not 90 IL legally Z expOSLulateO
Lee. TITS just as certain"
"Yes, Lee is right" echoed the crowd,
bent on u Roman holiday.
What y'all aim to DOR whined the
thief.
Were goin' to try you," announced
the one-eyed miner, ''and II you're found
guilty, as you certainly are goin' to be,
you'll be logged. After which predic-
ament you'll have a nice ride downstream
on a sawlog without your laundry"
But the mosquitoes"
"Too bad you didn't think Of them be-
fore. Let's get at this, boys, and have
it over with"
In far countries, where mems lives de-
pend upon the safety Of their food sup
ply, a side Of bacon may mean more
than bag of gold therefore, protection
is a strenuous necessity. And though
any one of those present would have
gladly fed the negro had he been needy,
each of them likewise knew that unless
an example were made of him no tent or
cabin would be safe. The North being
gameless, forbidden country, has ever
been cruel to thieves, and now it was
needless of the black mans growing ter
ror as 1t set about to try him. MINERS
meeting was called on the spot, and
FREE to the RUPTURED