The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-03-08

Lon nodded
But you'd better git a more likely
caliber. Mine'll rip holes through you
the size OF walnuts."
"Niver fear. It's me own slugs smell
their way with soft noses, an they'll
spread like fiapJacks against the COM
In out beyand. An whenll have the
pleasure Of waitin' on ye? The water
| holes a strikin' locality"
Tafnt bad. Jest be there In an
hour an you won't set long on my
comm"
| Both men mittened and left the post,
their ears closed to the remonstrances
OF their comrades. 1t was such little
| thing, yet with such men little things.
nourished by quick tempers and stub
born natures, soon bossomed into big
things. Besides, the art OF burning to
bedrock still lay In the womb of the
future, and the men of Forty Mile,
shut In by the long arctic winter, grew
high stomached with overeating and
enforced idleness and became as irrita-
BILE as do the bees In the fall OF the
year when the hives are oyerstocked
with honey.
There was no law In the land. The
mounted police was also a thing of the
future. Each man measured an of
Tense and meted out the punishment
inasmuch as 1t affected himself Rare
ly had combined action been necessary,
and never In all the dreary history OF
ba bol bn al vi ~ ho
Decalogue been violated
Big Jim Belden called an Impromptu
meeting. Scrufr Mackenzie was placed
as temporary chairman and a messen-
ger dispatched to solicit Father Rou-
beau's good offices. Their position was
paradoxical and they knew It By the
right Of might could they interfere to
prevent the duel. yet such action while
In direct line with their wishes, went
counter to their opinions. While their
rough hewn, obsolete ethics recognized
the individual prerogative Of wiping
out blow with blow they could not
bear to think OF two good comrades
such as BEETLES and McFane meeting
in deadly battle. Deemlng the man
who would not fight on provocation a
bastard, when brought to the test II
seemed wrong that he should fight.
But scurry Of moccasins and loud
cries, rounded of with a pistol shot,
, interrupted the discussion. Then the
! storm doors opened and Malemute Kid
entered, smoking Colts in his hand
and merry light In his eye.
Il got him." He replaced the empty
, shell and added, 'Your dog, Scruff."
yellow Fang?' Mackenzie asked.
mo; the lop cared one"
THE devil! Nothing the matter witt
= him"
Come out and take look
: That's all right, after all. Guess
q he's got 'em too. Yellow Fang came
! back this morning and took a chunl
out OF him and came near to MAXIM
!. widower Of me. Made rush 70
) Zarinska but she whisked her skirt
in his face and escaped with the los
), of the same and a good roll in tn
snow. Then he took to the wood
again. Hope he don't come back
= Lost any yourself?"
= "One the best one Of the pack-Shot
but didn't get very far. Ran foul o
= sitka Charleys team, and they seal
', tered him all over the street. And nov
two of them are loose and raging mad
So you see he got his work in. Th
dog census will be small in the sprini
g if we don't do something
{ "And the man census too
"Hows that? Whose in troubl
. now?"
l. ooh, BEETLES and Lon McFane hat
an argument, and they'll be down b,
settle It,"
The incident was repeated for biz
benefit and Malemute Kid, accustom
ed to an obedience which his fellow
men never failed to render, took charg'
Of the affair. His quickly formulated
plan was explained, and they prom
ised to follow his lead implicitly.
$50 you see," he concluded, I'VE d.
not actually take away their privilege
they'll fight when they see the beaut.
OF the scheme. Life's a game and mel
the gamblers. They'll stake their Who'll
! pile on the one chance in a thousand
Take away that one chance and the,
won't play"
He turned to the man in charg
of the post "Storekeeper, weigh gu
three fathoms OF your best half incl
manila"
"We'll establish a precedent whicl
will last the men Of Forty Mile to tn
end OF time" he prophesied. Then b
colled the rope about his arm and LEI
his followers out Of doors, just in tim
/ to meet the principals.
1 what DANCED rightd he to fetc
| my wife in?' Numbered BEETLES t
| the soothing overtures of a friend
| "'Twa'n't called for" he concluded de
| cisively. "'Twa'n't called for" he re
| iterated again and again, pacing II
! and down and waiting for Lon MS
i Fame.
/ And Lon McFane-his face was ho
| and tongue rapid as he Haunted IL
surrection in the face Of the church