The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-04-06

see you mlScOnStrue my question,
as does about everybody in the
States to whom | have ever put
1t. What | meant to ask was:
How would your people look up
on the prospect of being annexed
to Canada?"
The lambent eyes looked Jen-
sens way with a most penetrat-
ing and quizzing stare. The idea
Mallabee had expressed was so
revolutionary that Jensen could,
for a moment, scarcely collect his
| thought to form an answer.
Il don't think they have ever
even considered that" he finally
said, but if they should, ! am
certain they would be against it
to a unit"
Now, father" chided Kerry
Mallabee. let us drop politics for
the remainder of the evening. VI
We continue in this manner, you
and Mr.. Alan Kerirson will soon
be quarreling. Tomorrow you
shall" She cut her sentence
and arose from her chair with
look of sudden fright overshad-
owing her face.
There had suddenly come the
noise of many feet on the veranda
outside, the sound of someone
pounding on the front entrance.
and the stifled whining of dog.
Jensen glanced from father to
daughter in amazement. wonder
ing what this turn of affairs
could possibly mean.
It's those thrice damned
Swedes," declared Stephen MALTA
bee explosiyely. what the devil
can they have got in their giz-
yards now? They've seemed ready
to boil over ever since Big Dan
left. -.
And the master of Argyle
House strobe toward the door.
Jensen and Kerry Mallabee arose
from their seats at the table and
| followed him.
Stephen Mallabee threw back
the bolt and stood with his six
feet six of gaunt body in the CEN
ter of the entrance as he shouted:
What do you mean by banging
on my door at this hour of the
night?"
Jensen could see 20 or 80
roughly dressed men clustered
about on the veranda. One of
these men was leading Peter
Saints dog by rope.
A raw-boned hulk of man
stepped forward from the crowd
and spoke:
"Das dog here" he said, point
ing to the struggling Babe, ban
kill our bast man, Dan Larsen, at
Little Babos. At tank We ban
hang her OPP to pole for murder;
but das here Pete Saint, he say
we skall hang him instead"
Two gigantic fellows stepped
forward from the center of the
throng, conducting Peter Saint
between them.
Stephen Mallabee gave vent to
believing roar as he dashed
among them, striking out right
and left. Before they had a
chance to gather their dull wits
into either individual or concert
ed action, he was back inside,
dragging Babe by her rope and
leading Peter Saint by one arm.
Then he turned again upon the
growing pack of miners and
with a world of scorn in his voice
cried:
Get back to your clubhouse,
every manjack of you, or I'll put
you on half rations for month.
If you ever had one sensible idea
in your brains, it would overbal-
ance your bodies so badly that
you couldn't walk"
The Swedes moved no farther
than off the veranda, where they
stood talking among themselves
in Swedish. Finally the shock
headed spokesman stepped for
ward again and said:
GAY tank we skall have Pete
Saint or his dog" he insisted
stubbornly.
Stephen Mallabe was almost be-
side himself with rage.
You can have neither the man
nor his dog" he shouted. IF you
don't get back to your clubhouse
within two minutes, I'll have you
strung up by the thumbs"
"Yas, big boss, Ay tank you
mean keep das word; but who
sball do das stringing oop?"
Who?" barked Stephen MALTA
bee, trying hard to control him
self and to be patient with this
dull-witted man. THE mine boss.
Don't you know he has guns
enough in the power house to NOV
you all down like wheat, II you
don't toe the mark?"
"Yas," droned the Swede. eve
skall remember all das; but we
got cookie, mine boss, engineer,
and electricion locked up in ce-
ment power house. They say we
skall not hang Pete Saint, so we
take all das guns over to bunk
house and lock up mine boss and
J das other men,"
What" shrilled Stephen Nal
labee, In a roaring crescendo
This is mutiny! I'll have you all
hung for it,"
Maybe So" stubbornly re-
turned the Swede. But we ban
shoot up place little, first"
Several of his comrades STEP
| ned forward. drawing guns from