Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-08

staggered over against the wall of men, tramp
ling somebody's feet. Somebody yelled and
cursed vehementlv. stepping on somebody else.
A sma-sized panic and melee ensued forthwith.
More of the animals took alarm. and Algy was
frightened half to death. His pony, wall
eyed. half-witted brute. sta1npeded in the
crowd. Then Algy was presently in trouble.
largely on account of race prejudice en-
gendered and fostered by the workingmen, who
still maintained the old California hatred
against the industrious Celestials In the mob.
unfortunately near the center of confusion, was
a half-drunken miner. rancorous as poison. He
was somewhat roughly jostled by the press es-
Gaping Algy's pony
I've blank blank Chink, III fix We fer
that" he bawled at the top of his voice. and,
heaving his fellow white men right and left, he
laid vicious hands on the helpless cook and,
dragging him down, went at him in savage bru-
tally
Delay there, you son of shefsh.' yelled
Napoleon, dismounting and madly attempting
to push real men away, to get to the front.
"I'll smash in your pilothouse. I'll Leave
me git in there to A1gy"
Gettysburg too was on the ground. He and
Bostwick and hundred madiy
crowded in together. where two or three men
were pushing back the throng and yelling to
Algy to fight.
Algy was fighting. He also spouting
most awful Chinese oaths. sufficient to warp
ordinary spine and wither common persons
limbs He kicked and scratched like badger.
But the miner was an engine of destruction.
He was aggravated to a mood of CORY slaugh
ter He broke the Chinaman's arm almost at
once with some viciously diabolical maneuver
and leaped on him in fury.
In upon this scene of yelling, cursing. and
fighting, Van rode unannounced He saw the
crowd increasing rapidly. as saloons. stores.
hayward bank, and places of lodging poured
out curious army. mostly men, with few
scattered women among them. all surging
eagerly forward.
Algy, meantime. in a spasm of pain and
activity struggled to his feet from the dust and
attempted to make his escape. Van no more
than beheld him than he leaped from his horse
and broke his way into the ring.
When he laid his hand on the miners collar
it appeared as if that individual would be sud-
denly jerked apart Algy went down in col
lapse:
color9" Van demanded. and he flung the miner
headlong to the ground.
hundred lusty citizens shouted their APP
plause. Little Napoleon broke his way to the
center. Gettysburg was just behind him. Van
was about to kneel on the ground and lift his
PROSTATE cook, when some one bawled out
warning.
He wheeled instantly The angered miner
up. with gun in hand. was lurching in closer
to shoot. He got no chance even to level the
weapon. Van was upon him like panther.
then was hurled down under foot.
TWO things happened then together. The
Sheriff arrived to arrest the drunken miner.
and woman pushed her way through the
press.
"Van!" she cried "Ean-oh Van"
He was busy assisting his partners to escort
poor Algy away. He noted the woman as she
parted the crowd, bowling the men from her
path. He was barely in time to fend her off
from finging herself into his arms.
"Oh. Ean!' she repeated wildly. . thought
YOU was gon to git it sure"
Don't bother me- Oueeny.' he answered
annoyed and adding to Gettysburg. Take
him to Charlie's. he turned at once to his
bronco, mounted actively. and began to round
up the scattered animals brought into camp by
his partners.
He had barely ridden clear of the crowd when
his glance was caught by figure of to the LETT
1t was Beth. She standing on packing
case where the surging disorder had sent her
She had seen it all.-the fight. his arrival. and
the woman who would have clasped him in her
arms
Her face was flushed. She avoided his gaze
and turned to descend to the walk Then Bost-
wick. in his convict suit. stepped actively for
ward to meet her.
Van saw the look of surprise in her face at
beholding the man in this attire. She recolled.
despite herself, then held forth her hand for his