The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-01-20

mills and factories. Then came strip
Of unimproved land, followed imme-
diateIy by the wooden, ramshackle
structures of HelPs 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 it's tributaries and the
pen 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.
fe of feet. the noise of fighting, the
shrieks of wild laughter, curses deep
and frank and runashamed, 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 down
a dark and dangerous looking alley.
Another turn to the right brought him
into very narrow street where stood
a three story wooden structure into
which led high arched entrance.
This was McNeill's.
A figure detached itself from the
shadow. Orde uttered an exclama-
ton.
"You here Newmark?" he cried.
"Yes." replied that young man. II
want to see this through
with those clOthes?' marveled
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
hall. 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 McNeilrs 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, 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 throw these out like
this?" asked the dealer.
'Sure. She's that one"
"Well." exclaimed the gambler,
"danged if you didn't! l bet you S.
you can't do it again."
Again Orde was permitted to pick
up the jack.
you've got the best eye that's been
in this place since l 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