Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-03-19
(Continued.J

In silence and gravely this ridicu-
lous request was complied with. The
crowd, very attentive. heaved and
stirred. The desperadoes, shouldering
their way here and there. were finding
each other out, were gathering in lit
tie groups.
They'll try a rescuer whispered the
man next to me.
Men" Danny's voice rang out. clear
and menacing, do your duty"'
At the words across the silence the
click of gunlocks was heard as the
vigilantes leveed their Weapons at the
crowd. From my position near the
condemned men | could see the shrift
ing components of the mob freeze to
lmmobility before the menace of those
barrels. At the same instant the man
/ who had been appointed executioner
ierked the box from beneath Catlins
! feet.
! There goes one!' muttered Charley.
Il hope forked lightning will strike
every strangling"- yelled Crawford.
His speech was abruptly cut short as
the box spun from under his feet.
! kick away, old fellowr' said Scar
! face Charley. Me next! I'll be with
you in n minute! Every man for his
| principles. Hurrah for crimel Let her
( rip! And without waiting for the ex-
/ ecutioner he himself kicked the sup.
| port away.
/ Morton died without n sign. Catlin
at the last suddenly Gained and met
his fate bravely.
Before the lull resulting from the
execution and the threat of the pre-
sented weapons could break Danny
Randall spoke up.
Gentlemen he called clearly, "the
| roster of the vigilantes is open! Such
of you as please TO join the association
for the preservation of decency, law
and order in this camp can now
do sou
The guard lowered their arms and
moved to one side. The crowd swept
forward. In the cabin the applicants
were admitted few at a time. Be
fore noon we had 400 men on our rolls.
Some of the bolder roughs ventured
few threats, but were speedily over.
Awed. The community had found It.
self and was no longer afraid.
No sooner had this radical cleanup
Of the body polite been consummated
than the rains began. Ghat means
little to any but a Californian. To
him it means everything. We were
quite new to the climate and the con-
ditions, so that the whole thing was
great surprise.
For four days it rained steadily.
The morning of the fifth day broke
dazzlipgly clear The sky looked bur-
nished as a blue jewel; the sunlight
glittered like shimmering metal; dis
tant objects stood out plain cut, with
out atmosphere. For the first time We
felt encouraged to dare that awful
mud and so stopped over to town.
We found the place fairly drowned
out No one in his first year thought
of building for the weather. Barnes
hotel, the Empire and the Bella Union
had come through without shipping
drop, for they had been erected by
men with experience in the California
climate, but almost everybody elsehad
been leaked upon a-plenty. And the
deep dust of the travel worn overland
road had turned into morass beyond
belief or description.
Our first intimation or definite sea-
sonal change came from our old friend
Danny Randall, who hailed us at once
when he saw us picking our way gin
gerly along the edge of the street. In
answer to his summons we entered
the Bella Union.
"f hope you boys weren't quite
drowned out" he greeted us. You
don't look particularly care1orn."
We exchanged the appropriate com
ments then Danny came at once tG
business.
'Now I'm going to pay Off you three
boys" he told the express messengers.
"and want to know what you want
can givelyou the dust, or / can give
you an order on San Francisco firm,
just as you choose"
Express business bustedl" asked
Johnny.
TITS quit for the season." Danny
Randall told him. like everything
else. In two weeks at most there
won't be a score of men left in Italian
Bar" He observed our astonished in
credulity, smiled and continued: you
boys came from the east, where it
rains and gets over it. But out here
1t doesn't get over it. Have you been
down to look Mt the river? No? Well.
you'd better take n look. There'll be
no more bar mining done there for
awhile. And what's mining camp
without mining? Go talk to the men
of '4S. They'll tell you. The season
is over, boys. until next spring. and
you may just as well make up your
minds TO hike out now as later. What
are you laughing att" he asked Johnny
Il was just thinking ofNour big Wig.
i2nte organization" he chuckled.
Il suppose it's true that mighty few
OF the same lot will ever get back to
Italian Bar" agreed Danny. but it's
a good thing for whatever community
they may hit next year"
Johnny and Old elected to take their
wages in dust. Cal decided on the or