Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-08-03

ny UOuS " ply lulO mN WARDROBE. lie
won't stand inspection"
Miss Appleton pointed to his feet
and asked crisply:
How many pairs of socks do you
wear?:"
One"
Natalie was shocked. "One pair of
socks in this cold. It's time we took
Il hand. Now, lead us to this rabbit
hole where you live"
With Il feminine touch the girls en-.
Enthusiastically fixed up Murray's home.
They put his house in order; they
mended his socks. They had just fin
ished their work when the doctor came
running. He began abruptly:
i've been looking for you. Murray.
The men are all quitting"
O'Neil started. "All quitting? What
are you talking about?"
There's Il stampede-a gold STAN
pede"."
Murray stared at the speaker as if
doubling his w 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
Sossiping and buying dogs and fur
robes.
"Who are these prospectors?" he in
CURED CURLY.
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
here are going into town to equip. We
won't have fifty men on the Job by to-
morrow night"
What made Baker and Thorn stop
herew
Gray shrugged. Tired out, perhaps.
We've got to do something quick, Muir
ray. Thank God. we don't have to sell
EN- grub or haul .'em to Omar. That
will check things for Il day or two. If
they ever start for the interior we're
lost, but the cataract isn't frozen over
and there's only one sled trail past it.
We don't need more than six good men
to do the trick"
1--WE can't stop a stampede that
way"
DR.. Gray's 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 it now"
mo. The men have a right to quit,
Stanley. We can't force them to work.
We can't build this bridge with a 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. Ill talk with
them and if their story is right-well,
I'll throw open the commissary and
outfit every one."
Eliza gasped: Gray stammered.
Your crazy exclaimed the doctor.
"lf it's IL real stampede they'll go
anyhow. SO we may as we'll take our
medicine With Il good grace. The loss
of ever a hundred men would Grip
pie us"
The camp is SETTLING. It's all Mel
len can do to keep the day shift at
work. II you talk to EN- maybe they'll
listen to you"
Argument won't sway them. This
isn't a strike; it's a gold rush" He
turned toward the town.
Eliza was speechless with dismay as
she hurried along beside him; Gray was
scowling darkly and muttering anathe-
mas; ONeil himself was lost in
thought. The gravity of this final ca
tastrophe left nothing to be said.
Stanley lost little time in bringing
the two miners to the office, and there
for a half hour Murray talked with
them. When they perceived that he
was disposed to treat them courteous
ly they told their story in detail and
answered his questions with apparent
honesty. They willingly showed him
their quartz samples and retailed the
h%ardships they had suffered.
Gray listened impatiently and once
Or twice undertook to interpolate some
question. but at a glance from his
chief he desisted. Nevertheless his
long fingers itched to lay hold of the
strangers and put an end to this tale
which threatened ruin. His anger
grew when Murray dismissed them
with every evidence of a full belief in
their words.
Now that the news is out and nv
men are determined to quit I want ev-
erybody to have an equal chance"
O'Neil announced as they rose to 90.
There's bound to be a great rush and
a 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
ed. AS the door closed behind them
Gray exploded. but Murray checked
him quickly, saying with an abrupt