The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-12-23


door Outside the men waited eagerly,
their brows still lowering. their faces
dark and sullen, yet expectant.
Men," cried the oil king, a slight
tremor in his voice despite the effort
made at control, 1--WE Just tried the
phone and it's out Of Or"
A hoarse laugh that had nothing Of
mirth in It halted him. Then he
leaped back into the office, hurriedly
tossing the bolts into place, as the
laugh grew into a roar, a roar of such
menace as even he had never heard
before. A roar and then a wild, in
sane rush forward.
Came the crack of a revolver. He
shuddered at the sound. Never be-
fore had he heard the sound of a gun
in fields within his dominion. He
looked around to see Pat Grady,
chuckling silently to himself, as he
squinted through the aperture beside
the cupboard which concealed the win
dow, his right hand firmly gripping
the revolver he had found in Payne's
room-Payne, whose delinquence was
the cause of all this.
~.
Brown Joe laughed aloud as he
stuck the pliers in the waistband Of
his trousers and clambered laborious-
ly down the telegraph pole. Above
him dangled the wires to the city, the
wires along which the message of
Monroe was futilely seeking way.
He had seen his opportunity for re-
venge when, peering furtively through
the mess hall window he saw there
was no chance for the promised sup
per.
Quick thinking had it been that led
him to the phone wires, thinking in
spired within his cunning brain by the
master of evil himself. And now he
would go back and complete the work.
AS he rushed toward the group
about the office door he caught the
laugh that greeted Monroe's an,
nouncement of his inability to get Los
Angeles on the wire. He knew that
laugh might be turned in either di'
rection. He took it up instantly, q
wild yell of hatred and defiance burst
ing from his throat. He grinned to
himself as the workmen caught that
yell up and lunged toward the man
who seemed mocking them.
Then he whirled back, staggering
slightly, but quickly righting himself
from the blow that had tossed him
round lightly. He pressed his hands
to the place where the blow had fallen
staring at them in astonishment as
they came away, a red sticky smeal
upon them.
ANd then the rage that he had Sc
cunningiy controlled leaped up ant
overwhelmed him. He had been shot
had been shot by the same man WHIT
had knocked him down and then dis
charged him from the place withou
even giving him opportunity to get hi
pay check. And for what? Because
he refused longer to tolerate the wilt
food that was served him.
With little whimpers Of anger shril
ling from his brawny throat, more lik'
an animal of the African jungle thai
human being was he as he gatheret
the men together behind the mes
hall, planning with them how to car
ture the office and take revenge upol
the pair within.
1.-TWO men-and a gun, boys" h
% declaimed shrilly. Let 'em use u
that bunch of cartridges and the,
won't amount to two whoops. DraV
their fire while -"
He did not finish, turning and duel
ing the leaden messenger which wa
sent from the office toward him. /
. a few moments he reappeared with
, rifle, waving it triumphantly above hi
, head, exultantly shrilling defianc
| toward the two in command.
In command no longer. For tw
} men and a gun had been Offset by thi
. crowd and a rife.
Quickly Brown Joe made out frol
where the fire came, carefully pluj
! ging away at the aperture, disturbin
=. and at the same time drawing the fiji
of Grady. And always did his lir
move in careful count, slow smil
; distorting his face evilly as he rea
l ized the supply of bullets must be ge
r ting low.
D There's a big timber round tn
e other side of the shack" he suggeste
| l., H1ynnly ~
that timber and make rush at til
:. door. I'll keep his aim wild with IL
( rife"
n Without hint of disobedience the
t fell into the suggestion. Moblike the
had been led into this affair and no
+ all the wild, unthinking, ungovernab
l. impulse of mob spirit was upon ther
j. Swiftly Grady discharged his revc
yer in their midst. One man fell ar
O they stared at him wonderingl
|. brutishly panied that such a thir
r should happen. Brown Joe saw Il
IL hesitancy and let out a wild whoop
v, exultatiorl.
2, II got him-winged him"
You're a dirty, brown liar" thu
d dered back Grady from the cabin.
Y But his retort was drowned by Il
r cheer from the mob, as they pick'
is up the log again and lunged towal
1- the Office door.
It Short jabs, boys" yelled the leadt
l. punctuating his howl by rife shot.
et Manfully they stood to their wor
d ramming, ramming against the doC
1t was sagging at the upper corn
a. now, sagging heavily.
sr And then, even as they exulted,
slapped back into place, re-enforc
st from inside.
le Easily as a mob is encouraged,
is becomes discouraged quite as readi
at They dropped the log and stared
e. one another, then fell back to Bro
re Joe for advice. He started to spe'
fhen starfod toward tha rear Windj