The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-27

ished their work when the doctor came running He began abruptly:
 HI've been looking for you, Murray. The men areHal1 quitting" :"
 O'Nefl started. "A11 quitting2 What are you talking about?' l There's a stampede-a gold stan1- peder'
 | Murray stared at the speaker as if .doubting his own senses. There's no gold around here,'' he said at last.
 1.-TWO men came in last night. They
 have been prospecting over in the l White river and report rich quartz They've got samples with 'em and say there are placer indications every where" T | The significance of the incidents i 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 l robes.
 'who are these prospectors?o ?o he ins i quired curtly.
 Nobody seems to 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 | won't have fifty men on the job by to- morrow night''
 1 What Iaasie Baker and Thorn stop herc?''
 Gray shrugged. Tired out, perhaps. We've got to do something quick, Mur- ray. Thank God, we don't have to sell lem grub or haul 'em to Oman That l will check things for day or two. If they eyer start for the interior we're lost, but the cataract isn't frozen over l and there's only one sled trail past it. We don't need more than six good men to do@ the tricl1''
 .sWe can't stop stampede that way
 Df. Gray's face fell into harsh lines. "Ill bend a Winchester over the first man who tries to pass Appleton held the place last summer: I'll guarantee to do it now"
 ''No. The men have right to quit, Stanley. We can't force them to work l We can't build this bridge with chain gang"
 .tHumph! I can beat up these. two prospectors and ship lem in to the hos pital until things cool down"
 ."That won't do, either. I'll talk with them and if their story is right-wen. I'll throw open the commissary and outfit every one. ;"
 Eliza gasped; Gray stammered.
 You're crazYr' exclaimed the doctor
 eff it's a real stampede they'll go anyhow, so we may as we'll take our medicine with a good grace. The loss of even a hundred men would crip- pie us.''
 s"The camp is seething. It's all Mel len can do to keep the day shift at work. If you talk to lem maybe they'll listen to you.''
 Argument won't sway them. This isn't strike; it's gold rush" He i turned toward the town. Eliza was speeches. with dismay as she hurried along beside him; Gray was i seowling darkly and rnuttering anatIle- mas; O'Neil himself was lost in 1 thought. The gravity of this final ca tastrophe left nothing to be said, Stanley lost little time in bringing 1 the two miners to the office, and there for a half hour Murray talked with 1 them. When they perceived that he was disposed to treat them courteous 1 ly they told their story in detail and l answered his questions with apparent l honesty. They willingly showed him l their quartz samples and retafled the hardships they had suffered Gray listened impatiently and once l or twice undertook to interpo1ate some question, but at glance from his chief he desisted. Nevertheless his long fingers itched to lay hold of the l strangers and put an end to this tale l which threatened ruin. His anger grew when. Murray dismissed them with every evidence of full belief in their words.
 ''Now that the news is out and my men are determined to quit I want ey- erybody to have an equal chance" l O'Neil announced as they rose to go. There's bound to be great rush and R 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 l ed. As the door closed behind them Gray exploded. but Murray checked l will get left Do you think the chance l is worth all that work and suffering7" l The bridge workers shifted uncom- l fortably on their feet. Then a voice exclaimed:
 Don't worry. boss. We'll make it i somehow
 Thorn says there's nobody over there," Murray continued. aBut that seems strange, for I happen to know i of half a dozen outfits at the head of 1 the White river. Jack Dalton has had i gang working there for four years. Dalton was famous character in 1 the north, one of the most intrepid of the early pioneers, and the mention of his name brought hush. A large part l of the audience realized the truth of 1 O'Neil's last statement, yet resented
 having it thrust upon them. Thorn | and Baker were scowling. Gray had l just entered the room and was signal
 ing to his chief, and O'Nefl realized l that he must score a triumph quickly 1 if he wished to hold the attention of
 his men, He resumed gravely: