Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-02-18
to destroy. Now he faced Drake and

| With a significant look at Drake he
pulled out the forged deeds and hand
ed them to Tubbs.
Those mean that I'm legally the
owner Of tho Master Key mine.' he
| announced. , e
The engineer peered at them duly.
He haltingly ,mumbled over some Of
; the legal phrases ut the beginning, saw
the names Thomas Gallon and Harry
| Wilkerson prominently displayed. He
was Impressed. He did not understand
the pnrport Of the papers. He did, un-
delrstand that 'Wilkerson was smiling
with the insolence Of triumph achiev-
cd. He grinned slowly and passed the
papers back.
I guess tAhhatlf AZ emf ne said hua-
klly.. -" s"
ri guess it will" wal, the rejoinder.
Tubbss seemed Thoughtful. glancing,
out Of. the window now ind again
Drakesyoiced his feeling.
"The sooner you let the miners know,
ana get things settled the better"
Wilkerson licked his dry lips. The
battle was Oh. He broke, the silence
~ saying grdfn'ly. "Ca anr EN- up here
Biiiv,s II y s1 !
Nothing loath, TuDbs went out on
the porch. and lis hoarse tones re-:
sounded through The little valley. In
s,ta,lntly men appeared from dQ6rways,
came from a dozen places in response
to that call. And women. eldtching
their children, peeted ont t see what
was, iii the. air, ),
! When tie p Z Z were 81. gathered before,
him Wilkerson stepped forward and
commenced to speak. .He, could not
break their issidllenr silence and. after a
few words Of generalities. be, mustered
bis courage and slouted:'."1 am the
owner = q, this imineI ! have tho deeds
right here. T. S.
The erect 81 this was TAI other than
lie, had expected, NQt.ja murmur came
from tie still. mutoationless throng. 1t
was al. 4. they, had not heard him. In
a loNerr. tone: he repeated 1t, Il am the
owner 81 the Master Key mine and all
that goes with it,,
ne held up the papers, and Bill,
Tubbs looked at them and gravely nod
ded his head. al much as to say that
he had inspected them and could vouch
for their, authenticity. Still no sound
from the miners. 4
There is a quality in the silence Of
the crowd. OF earnest men that is more
questioning. than any word could be.
The men who had worked and toiled
for old Tom Gallon. who had been de-
ceiyed and bafled, who had had their
loyalty tested to the utmost. now de-
manded through their imperious ST.
lence that Wilkerson open up his mind
to them. If he was indeed the owner
Of the Master Key" what did he in
tend to do?
You'd better say some. more quick
"" warned Drake in low tone. And
Wilkerson. completely bewiIdered. set
the match to the powder. He stepped
forward with as ugly. 3 look ms he
could assume and cried, Nov tell me
what you want?"
Instantly the air was filed with
roars Of rage and disappointment.
Fifteen minutes later Harry Wilker-
o was sweating within the cabin.
With a shaking hand he poured him
self out a tumbler of Tubbs' whisky.
He had promised the miners back pay.
steady work, full wages and food. He
must make good. and he did not know
how. ., 49,, ..,
"Tubbs,' he said sharply, you must
find out what men We can, trust. Say
nothing. but get all, the information
you can. III make it worth the while
Of the men who'll stick by me-"
Again the engineer chuckled fatuous-
~. They'll I'LL stick BY ye," he said
sagely. ''s'long as ye pay 'em like you
said ye would"
It was late in the afternoon when
. Tom Kane appeared on the mail .wag-
on The driver had already informed
him Of how affairs were going. and
the cook wasted no time. He climbed
down from the high sent, jerked his
battered case out Of the wagon and
made straight for his shanty. Within
i've minutes he had Invested himself
Of his black clothes and donned his
official overalls and apron. Then he
appeared on the porch as calm and I'M
concerned as though he had not been
away. ,r,
In no time at all a couple Of dozen
miners had gathered to shake hands
and swap news. Naturally their big
gest item. was Wilkersoh's proclama-
ton OF. ownership.
AT this Tom Kane laughed scorn-
fully. He derided the papers. ridiculed
the miners for being fools easily taken
in, and stated in set terms that be.
Tom Kane, actually held the place of
authority,
This soon came to, Wilkerson's ears.
and he hurried down the bill to. stop
what be. knew tosbe a dangerous secss.
sion. Instantly the old cook locked
horns with him, poohpoohed him to
his face, called him names Of peculiar
~yirulence and offered to fight him on
any terms. g. .-;se.s !. - -
Before, long the. camp wasgin an, UP
roar. and It was due to certain cooler
heads THAT trouble did not enshe I'm