The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-11-21
CONTINUED from last Sunday

A miners meeting WIS cdiltu Ou TIC
spot and a messenger sent hurrying
to the post for the book in which was
recorded the laws of the men who had
made the camp. The crowd was de-
termined that this should be done le-
gally and as prescribed by ancient Gus
tom up and down the river. There
was no defense for the culprit, and he
offered none, being too scared to do
more than plead. The proceedings
were quiet and grim and were well
nigh over when Lieutenant Burrell
walked into the saloon. He had been
In his quarters all day, fighting a fight
with himself, and in the late evening,
rebelling against his war with his con-
science, he had sailed out and, drawn
by the crowd in Stark's place, had en-
tered.
A man replied to his whispered ques-
ton, giving him the story, for the
meeting was under Lees domination,
and the miners maintained an orderly
and businesslike procedure. The mat
ter of fact, relentless expedition of the
affair shocked Burrell inexpressibly,
and, seeing Poleon and Gale near by, he
edged toward them, thinking that they
surely could not be In sympathy with
this barbarous procedure.
you don't understand, lieutenant"
said Gale In a low voice. 'This niger
is a thief"
Gentlemen" announced Burrell,
standing near the ashen gray wretch
and facing the tentful of men, this
man is a thief, but you can't kill him!'
Stark leaned across the bar, his
eyes blazing. and touched the lieuten-
ant on the shoulder.
do you mean to take a hand in all
of my affairs?"
"This isn't your affair. It's mine,"
said the officer. This is what I was
sent here for. and it's my particular
business. You seem to have overlook
ed that important fact"
HE stole my stuff, and he'll take his
medicine"
81 say he WON'T"
For the second time in their brief
acquaintance these two men looked
fair into each others eyes. Few men
had dared to look at Stark thus and
live, for when a man has once shed
the blood of his fellow a mania OBJ
sesses him, a disease obtains that is
incurable.
The two men battled with their eyes
for an opening. Lee and the others
mastered their surprise at the inter-
ruption and then began to babble I'M
til Burrell turned from the gambler
and threw up his arm for silence.
"There's no use arguing" he told
the mob. "You can't do 1t. I'll hold
him till the next boat comes; her I'll
send him down river to st. Michael's."
He laid his hand upon the negro and
made for the door, with face set and
eyes watchful and alert, knowing that
a hairs weight might shift the bal
ance and cause these men to rive him
like wolves.
Lees Indignation at this miscarriage
of justice had him SO by the throat as
to strangle e~xpostulation for a mo-
ment till he saw the soldier actually
bearing Off his quarry.
"Stop that" he beloved. ITO hi
with your law! We're goin' accordin'
to our own" An ominous echo arose.
and in the midst Of it the miner in his
blind fury, forgetting this exalted posi-
ton, took a step too near the edge of
the bar and fell off into the body of
the meeting. With him fell the dig
nifty of the assemblage. Some one
laughed, another took it up, the nerv-
GUS tension broke, and a man cried:
'The soldier is right! You can't
blame a dinge for stealing" And an
other: "Sure! Hogs and chickens are
legitimate prey"
Lee was helped back to his stand
and called for order. but the crowd
poked fun at him and began moving
about restlessly till some one shouted
a motion to adjourn and there arose a
chorus of seconders.
AS Poleon and Gale walked home the
Frenchman said, dat vas nervy ting
to do"
The trader made no answer, and the
other continued, "Stark is goin' for
kill i'm sure"
"It's a cinch," agreed Gale, unless
somebody gets Stark first"
When they were come to his door the
trader paused and, looking back owe
the glowing tents and up at the star
sprinkled heavens, remarked, as II o n
Guiding some train of thought, IF that
boy has got the nerve to take a niger
thief out of a miners meeting and hold
him against this whole town he
wouldn't hesitate much at taking a
white man, would hep
WAL" hesitated the other, "mebbe
dat would depen' on de crime"
Suppose 1t was-murder?"
"Ha! We ain got no men lax dat
IN Flambeau."
They said good night, and the old
man entered his house to find Alluna
waiting for him.
Burrell took his prisoner to the bar
racks, where he placed him under
guard, giving instructions to hold him
at any cost, not knowing what wild