Putnam patriot., 1916-10-06
Eliza gasped; Cray stammered.

Eliza gasped: Gray siammered
 "You're erazy.r exclaimed the doctor. "lf it's a real stampede they'll go anyhow. so We may as well take our medicine with good grace. The loss of even hundred men would crip- Fle us
 The camp is seething. It's all Mel len can do to keep the day shift at work If you talk to 'em maybe they'll listen h ynu.-
 Argument won't sway them. This isn't a strike; it's a gold rushs He turned toward the town.
 Eliza was speeches. with dismay as she hurried along beside him; Gray was scowiing darbly and muttering auathe- mas; oNeil himself was lost In thought The gravity of this final ca fastrerAe lett uethiug te lee said.
 stanley iost httie time ip bringing the two miners t3 the office. and there For haif hour Murray talked with them When they perceived that be was disposed to treat chem courteous r tler tnli taeir story in detail and answered his questions with apparent honestly. They willingly showed him their quartz samples and retailed the aardships hey had suffered.
 Gray listened impaliently and once pr twice undertook to interpolate some question. but at glance from his chief he deSisted. Nevertheless his long fingers itehed 10 lay hold of the sf...,s .y1 which threatened ruin His anger grew when Murray dismissed them with every evidence of full belief in sheir words.
 Now that the news is out and my men are determined to quit l want ev- erybody to have an equal chance" 0'Neil announced as they rose to go. There's bound to be great rush and lot of suffering. maybe some deaths. so I'm going to call the boys together and have you talk to them"
 Thorn and Baker agreed and depart ad. As the door closed behind them Gray exploded. hut Murray checked him quickly, saying with an abrupt ,hange of manner: Wait! Those fel- iowS are lying.'
 Sezing the telephone. he rang up Dan Appleton and swiftly made known the situation. Stanley could hear the engineers startled exclamation.
 "Get the cable to Cortez as quickly IS you can" O'Neil was saying. You have friends there. haven't you? Good. Hes just the man. for he'll have Cor dons payroll. Find out if Joe Thorn and Henry Baker are known and, if so. who they are and what they've been doing lately. Get it quick, under stand. Then phone me" He slammed the receiver upon its hook. That's not Alaskan quartz" he said shortly. 1t came from Nevada, or Pm greatly mistaken. Every hard rock miner car ries specimens like those in his kit"
 You think Gordon
 II don't know But we've got rock men on this job who'll recognize ore out of any mine they ever worked in. Go find them. then come back here and hold the line open for Dan"
 Suppose he cant locate these fel- lows in Cortez?''
 Then Let's not think about that. The news of O.Neil's attitude spread quickly, and excitement grew among the workmen. Up through the chill .tarkness of early evening they came charging. They were noisy and eager. and when the gong summoned them to supper they rushed the messhouse in hoisterous good humor
 These men. be il said. were not those who had struck carrier ill the senson tt the behest of Gordohs emissary. Linn. but fellows whose loyalty and Industry were unquestioued. Their re as3tl to stampede at the first news was proof of tAeir devotion. yet any one aho has Eyed in mining community knows that no loyalty of employee to employer is stroas enough to with stand for bong the feverish excitement of gold rush.
 Loug before the hour when O'Neil appeared the low roofed messhouse was crowded
 Natalie and Eliza. knowing tue i'm poetanee of this crisis. refused to go home and begged Murray to let them attend the meeting. Mir. Blaine. who also felt the keenest concern in the outcome offered to escort them. and at last with some difficulty he man aged to wedge them inside the door, where they spprehensiyely scanned the gathering.
 Murray had no skill as a public epaoi-or i, tho ordinarxy sausa. ha ot- tempted no oratorical tricks and ad- dressed his workmen in matter of fact tone.
 Boys he began. there has been a gold strike at the head of the White river and you want to go. l don't blame you. I'd like to go myself If there's any chance to make money"
 You're all right. boss shouted some one. and n general laugh attested the crowds relief at this acceptance of the inevitable. They had expected argu- ment. despite the contrary assurances they had received.
 Now. we all want an even break. We want to know all there is to know, so that few fellows won't have the advantage of the rest The strike is 300 miles away It's winter and-you know what that means. talked with Baker and Thorn this afternoon. want them to tell you just what they told me"
 
 CHAPTER xx.
 The Fake Is Exposed.
 "HE two miners were thrust for
 ward. and the embarrassed