Alma record., 1916-11-30
Ghe
IRON TRAIL
BY
REX BEACH
csSysiSht 1913. BY Harper q
Brother
SYNOPSIS

Murray OMEN. railroad builder, on his
Wv % Alaska. 10 a passenger on the No
hsaskA The ahip runs aground. O'Neil
hs&ps Captain Johnny Brennan 70 Qusil
panic among the passengers.
A. the ship settles O'Nei is accosted
~ . bsautifu! girl. and he piunges over.
board with her. They are picked up by
Captain Brennan She proves to be Ma
talie Gerard. whose mother II the friend
q Curtis Gordon. O'NeiPs unscrupuloui
business rival.
O'Neil and Natalie journey TO Hope to-
gether She tells him OF her mother and
Gordon. When they arrive at Hope Cor
don meets them.
OMEN is impressed with the magnetism
of his rival. but Is sure his plans are un
sound Tom Slater quits Gordon foi
ONeil. They go 10 Cortez In time TO save
Dan Appleton IN n crooked card game
Appleton. an engineer had worked for
Gordon. He casts his fortunes with
O'Nen. O'Nen leads his men 70 a wild
country. convinced he can build a rail.
road up the Salmon river
Eliza Appleton IL sent 10 Omar % ex.
pose the men who are trying 10 snatch
contr0' OF an empire. She meets her
brother and Natalie Dan IS worried over
possible newspaper attack by Eliza or
O'Nen
There's scene when Curtis Gordon
asks Gloria 20 be hostess to Miss Golden
Gloria SAYS Miss Golden isn't "A ~ person
20 meet Natalie Gordon says she hai
money and DE needs ner iu his schemes
In her extremity Mrs Gerard listen,
70 Natalies plea TO 80 10 the Irish prince
O'Ncu finds places for them IN his new
hotel Gordon thUrourhly enraged plam
TO cripple ONel
Dan tells his sister he's desperately IN
love with Natalie and asks her TO win
0'Nen as re considers him a rival. Dan
goes out with car OF dynamite and holds
"a canyon threatened by Gordon's men.
Omen takes the girls on n trip 70 Jack.
son glacier lie decides 10 make peril.
Gus voyage In a skin down the Salmoh
river lcliza. despite his pleadings ac-
companies hm.
Dan Appleton accepts O'Nens offer OF
= 0oo 10 tHc man whnll cut a cable IN
the work done by Gordon. After cutting
the cable Appleton is set upon by a crowd
OF Gordons hut IS rescued by O'Nelis
men
When Dan tells Natalie that with the
500 lie means 10 buy her an engagement
ring she says she's sorry. that me has
made great mistake Eliza consoles
Dan
starting for New York. O Nell tells Eliza
he has the key 10 a kingdom. Gordon
tells Natalie ne is ready 10 marry her
mother In New York the Heidelmauns
refuse 10 back @ Nell
When things look darkest for o Nen in
New YorN he gets the backing Of Poult-
ney his. an English capitalist. Dan and
Eliza, with their savings pay on the la
borers at omar and prevent walkout
Gordon plans new attack
There's stampede gold STAN
pede'''
Murray stared at the speaker as if
doubling his own senses.
There's no gold around here" he
said at last
Two men came in last night. They
have been prospecting over in the
White river and report rich quartz
They've got samples with 'em and say
there are placer indications every
where
The significance OF the incidents
which had troubled him earlier In the
day flashed upon O'Neil; it was plain
enough now why his men had been
gossiping and buying dogs and fur
robes.
Who are these prospectorsf' = he in
quired curtly
Nobody seems 10 know. Their
names are Thorn and Baker That
gang from Omar has gone on and our
people will follow IN the morning
Those who can't scrape UP an outfit
here are going into town 10 equip. We
won't have tifty men on the job by to-
morrow night"
What made Baker and Thorn stop
here?"
Gray shrugged. Tired out. perhaps
We've GOT to do something quick Muir
ray. Thank God, we don't have 10 sell
EN- grub or haul EN- to Omar. That
will check things for Il day or two IL
they ever start for the interior we re
lost. but the cataract isn't frozen over
ana there's only one sled trail past IT,
We don't need more than six good men
TO do the trick"
we can't stop a stampede that
way"
Dr. Grays face fell into harsh lines
III bend a Winchester over the first
man who tries to pass. Appleton held
the place last summer: I'll guarantee
TO do ii now
NO. The men have a right to quit
Stanley We can't force them to work
We can't build this bridge with chain
gang"
'Humph. can beat up these two
prospectors and ship 'em in to the hos
pital until things cool down.
THAT won't do. either. III talk with
them and if their story is right-well.
Ill throw open the commissary and
outfit every one.
Eliza gasped. Gray stammered
You're crazy! exclaimed the doctor
IF it's real stampede they'll 20
anyhow, so we may as well take our
medicine with good grace. The loss
Of even hundred men would Grip
pie u.s.
The camp is seething. It's all Mel
len can do TO keep the day shift at
work. IL you talk TO EN- maybe they'll
listen to you"
Argument won't sway them This
isn't strike; it's gold rush" He
turned toward the town.
Eliza was speechless with dismay a.
she hurried along beside him; Gray was
scowling darkly and muttering anathc
mas: O'Neil himself was lost in
thought. The gravity Of this final ca
tastrophe left nothing TO be said