The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-02-22

| ACShOu we re Feduy.
Under orders from Elliot bud fixed
up the smudges and arranged the mos
quito netting over the bound men SO
as to give them all the protection pos
sible.
Were going to take bud with us
for part of the trip. Well send him
back to you later in the day. You'll
have to fast till he gets back, but out
side of that you'll do very well if you
don't roll around trying to get loose.
DO that and you'll jar loose the mos
quito netting. You know what that
MEANS" explained Gordon.
ut amt likely any grizzlies will
come pOkin' their noses into camp. But
you never can tell. Any last words
kyOu want sent to relatives9" asked
Gideon Holt.
The last words they heard from Big
Bill as they moved down the draw
were sulphuric.
by the watch when they started. About
nine they threw off for breakfast. By
this time they were just across the
| divide and were ready to take the
down trail.
81 think Well let bud 60 now" Ell
liot told his partner in the adventure.
Better hold him till afternoon. Then
they can't possibly reach us till we
get to Kamatlah."
what does it matter if they do?
We have both rifles and have left them
only one revolver. Besides, l don't
like to leave two bound men alone in
so wild a district for any great time.
No, Wen start bud on the back trail.
That grizzly you promised Big Bill
might really turn up"
The two men struck the headwaters
of Wild Goose creek about noon and
followed the stream down. They trav-
eled steadily without haste. So long
as they kept good lookout there was
nothing to be feared from the men
they had left behind. They had both
a long start and the advantage of
weapons.
If Elliot had advertised for a year
he could not have found a man who
knew more of Colby Macdonald's past
than Gideon Holt. The old man had
worked a claim on Frenchman creek
with him and had by sharp practice
so at least he had come to believe
been lawed out of his rights by the
shrewd Scotsman. For seventeen years
he had nursed grudge against Mac
donald, and he was never tired of talk
ing about him. One story in particu-
lar interested Gordon.
'sThere was Farrell O'Neill. He was
good fellow, Farrell was, but he had
just one weakness. There was times
when he liked the bottle too well. He'd
let it alone for months and then just
lap the stuff up. 1t was the time Of
the stampede to Bonanza creek Well,
the news of the strike on Bonanza
reached Dawson and we all burnt ND
the trail to get to the new ground
| first. O'Neill was one of the first. He
got in about twenty below Discovery,
| If remember. Mac wasn't in Dawson,
but he got there next mo'nin' and
heard the news. He lit out for Bo-
nanza pronto."
The old miner stopped, took chew
of tobacco, and looked down into the
valley far below where Kamatlah
could just be seen, little huddle of
huts.
"Well?" asked Elliot. 1t was occa-
sionally necessary to prompt Holt
when he paused for his dramatic eff
fects.
"Mac drops in and joins O'Neill at
night. They knew each other, y un-
| derstand, so o. course it was natural
Mac would put up at his camp. O'Neill
had a partner and they had located
together. Fellow named Strong"
mot Hanford Strong, little, heavy
set man somewhere around fifty?"
you've tagged the right man.
Know him."
"Tve met him."
swell, I never heard anything
against Han Strong. Anyway, he was
off that night packing grub up while
Farrell held down the claim. Mac had
jug of booze with him. He got Far
rell tanked up. You know Mac-how
he can put 1t across when he's a mind
to. He's forceful devil, and he can
be mighty likable one. But when he
is friendliest you want to watch out
he don't slip an uppercut at you that'll
put you out of biz. He done that to
Farrell-and done it a-plenty."
| "How?'
| "O'Neill got mellowed up till he
| thought Mac was his best friend. He
was ready to eat out of his hand. So
Mac works him up to sign contract
before witnesses too; trust Mac for
that-eXchanglng his half interest in
the claim for five hundred dollars In
cash and Macs no-'count lease on
Frenchman creek. Inside of a week
Mac and Strong struck big pay
streak. They took over two hundred
thousand from the spring cleanup
ut was nothing better than rob-
berry"
Call 1t what you want to. Anyhow
it stuck. O'Nelll kicked, and that's all
the good it did him. He consulted law
yers at Dawson. Finally he got so
discouraged that he plumb went to
pieces-got on long bat and stayed
there till his money ran out. Then
one bitter night he starts up to b.
nanza to have 1t out with Mac. The
mercury was so low 1t had run into
the ground foot. Farrell slept in
a deserted cabin without a fire and
not enough bedding. He caught pneu-
mony. BY the time he reached the
claim he was mighty sick man. Next
week he died. That's all Mac done
to O'Neill. Not thing that wasn't
legal, either"
Gordon thought of Sheba O'Neill as
she sat listening to the tales Of Mac