New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-11
THE BOOMERS

steadily, and banged his fist on the table IN
front Of him.
The Colonel. as astonishcd as if someone
had thrown a bomb into the room, bllnked
his fine old eyes rapidly, and leaned forward
in his chair wondering what coull nave nap
pcncd to disturb the serenity OF the meeting
and looked anxiously from one man 70 an
other. selecting the one that might explain
this change from plain fricndl1nes5 TO open
aDoyou happen to know, Colonel Hatch,
crisply asked Thornton, whether TINS man
Zones Of whom YOU speak was ever IN fort
Scott, Kansas
why. yes, Sir He came from there to
Seattle blandly responded the Colonel
opening his eyes a triAe wider.
81 told YOU that was where ] last neard
from him, triumphantly asserted morn
ton. shaking an index finger across the cor
ncr Of the table at Carleton, and the latter
nodded angrily
"Then what | want 20 say 10 you, Colonel
Hatch shouted Thornton, turning on the
bcwildcred and haplcss Colonel, and shaking
a vocifcrous hand, is that we'll have moth
ing 10 DO with your man Jones, or anything
that he had a hand in. He's a dirty crook,
a con man, And any man who mixes. up
with him knowingly is no better And
lie came to an abrupt pause; for the
Colonel had lifted himself from his chair and
thrown, from the elbow out, an arm and
hand and his fingers, white and tine, were
distcnded in a gesture.
stop he Numbered, his voice redolent
with command and Indignation. stop.
LIE paused for an instant, and Thornton,
IL who was nearest, drew back and half
lifted an arm as if to shield his face from an
impending blow; while Carleton thrust his
chair backward and stood on his feet pre-
pared to meet physical violence. All around
the table men were rising to their feet and
edging away from this figure OF indignation
that stood there, quivering, tense, and com.
handing. like a warrior that had stepped
out of the past ages to the defense OF the
illuminated.
The rustic Of chairs across rugs, and OF
garments swayed by movement, died away
into silence. and that flashing second OF
waiting seemed unduly prolonged into a
minute The metallic clang Of the elevator
in the corridor outside came through the
heavy doors with the full effect OF an artillery
explosion from fields over which this gallant
old man had fought in the far-gone years
He seemed TO tower above them, a dominant
figure of wrath, with a shadOwy saber IN
hand, as he led the charge in defense Of an
absent friend, regardless Of the cause. His
eyes were mere pieces Of blazing steel, hot
from the furnace, glowing so rapidly from
cold scorn to fiery anger that the light
seemed to play across them. He had stiff
ened 50 erect that he appeared taller, and
potence was there, tensed to act as decision
might declare. His jaws were shut until the
muscles Of his lean and aged checks were
harsh knots beneath the white skin. When
he spoke there was in his tone infinite dig
nifty, profound contempt and resolution, and
each word seemed shOrn of infection.
81 amt goin' to call YOU gentlemen, " he
drawled in a voice that, despite its carrying
quality, was scarcely above a whisper, and
revertng to the vernacular Of Tennessee,
because YOU all amt worth that name
You're the kind that cuss man out when
he amt around to defend himself. But
you're talkin' about my friend
He paused and his eyes swept from one 70
another as if in challenge, or seeking one
who dared take upon himself the gauntlet
50 bravely cast into the lists.
81 repeat it, he said in louder and more
deadly voice, firm and uncompromising,
"that Mr. William Burmah Jones is my