Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-02-08
.Chapter EF

ABOUT a dozen of the crew ap-
~ peared In the evening to 60
n with Orde. They set out up the
long reach Of Water street, their
steel calks biting deep into the pitted
board walks.
For nearly a mile the street was
flanked solely by lumber yards, small
mills and factories. Then came q 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 Hell's 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 its tributaries and the
men still lingering at the woods camps,
at least 500 woods weary men would
be turned loose. Then Hell's 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
he 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 joviaIly by name.
Tonight however. the street was
comparatively quiet. The saloons were
Of modified illumination. The bar
keepers were listlessIy 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 down
a dark and dangerous looking alley.
Another turn to the right brought him
into a very narrow street where stood
a three story wooden structure into
which led a high arched entrance.
This was McNeill's
A figure detached itself from the
shadow. Orde uttered an excIama-
ton.
"You here. Newmark?" he cried.
EYES," replied that young man. Il
want to see this through"
with those clothesY' marveled
Orde. Its a wonder some Of these
thugs haven't held you up long ago.
It's dangerous. You're likely to get
slugged."
II can stand it If you can." returned
Newmark.
McNeill's lower story was given over
entirely to drinking. The second floor
was a theater and the third a dance
hall. Beneath the building were still
viler depths From this basement the
riyerman and the shanty boy generally
graduated penniless and perhaps un-
conscious to the street. Now. your
lumberjack did not customarily arrive
ut this stage without lively doings en-
route; therefore McNeill's 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
ball as though sauntering In without
definite aim. The river boss wandered
about with the rest, wide. good ma
tured smile on his face.
Presently he found himself at the
table of the three card monte men
The rest of bis party gravitated In his
direction.
DO you think you could pick oul
the jack when throw these out like
this?" asked the dealer
Sure. She's that one."
"Well." exclaimed the gambler.
DANCED II you didn't! I bet you s.
you can't do II 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
BY the idlers, had drawn close.
Whether It was that the gamblers
sensed the fact that Orde might be led
to plunge or whether they were using
&2l8n