The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-02-14

y
| the men together and read the riot act
to them. He fired this bunch on the
boat and was out of the camp before
you could bat an eye. 1t was the clean
est hurry-up job 1 ever did see."
From what I've heard about him,
he must be a remarkable man.
He's the biggest man in Alaska,
bar none"
This was a subject that interested
Gordon Elliot very much. Colby Mac
donald and his activities had brought
him to the country.
DO you mean personalities be-
cause he represents the big corpora
tiOns?"
Both. His word comes pretty near
being law up here, not only because
he stands for the Consolidated, but
because he's one man from the ground
up
do you mean that he's square
honest?"
you've said two things. my friend"
answered Strong dryly. Hes square.
If he tells you anything, don't worry
because he amt put down his John
Hancock before notary. Don't waste
any time looking for fat or yellow
streaks in Mae. They amt there No
body ever heard him squeal yet and
what's more nobody ever will"
mo wonder men like him"
But when you say honest MOI
Not the way you define honesty down
in the States. He's aagrabber, Mac is"
"What does he look like?"
"Oh, I don't know" Strong hest
tated, while he searched for words to
show the picture in his mind. big as
Il house-steps out like a buck in the
spring-blue-gray eyes that bore right
through you"
"How oId?"
Search me. You never think of age
when you're looking at him. Forty
five, mebbe-or fifty-I don't know"
''Married?"
moo" HanfOrd Strong nodded in
the direction of the Kusiak circle
'They say he's going to marry Mrs
Mallory. She's the one with the red
hair"
1t struck young Elliot that the miner
was Diminishing Mrs. Mallory in too
cavalier a fashion. She was the sort
of woman at whom men look twice.
/
appears magnificently unaware of it.
Her hair was not red. but of a lustrous
bronze, amazingly abundant, and
dressed in waves with the careful skill
of a cOiffeur. Slightest shades of
meaning she could convey with a lift
of the eyebrow or an information of the
musical voice. If she was already
fencing with the encroaching years
there was little evidence of it in her
Opulent good looks.
=
The whistle of the Hannah blew for
the Tatlah Cache landing while Strong
and Elliot were talking. The gang
, plank was thrown out.
man came to the end of the wharf
, carrying a suitcase. He was welI-set,
thick in the chest and broad-shouI-
; dered. Looking down from above,
Gordon Elliot guessed him to be in the
early thirties.
Mrs. Mallory was the first to recog-
, nize him, which she did with a drawI-
ing little shout of welcome. "Oh, you,
Mr.. Man. I knew you first. 1 speak
! for YOU she cried.
The man on the gangplank looked
up, smiled and lifted to her his broad
gray hat in wave of greeting.
"How do you do. Mrs. Mallory? Glad
; to see YOU"
The miners from Frozen GuIch were
: grouped together on the lower deck.
l At sight of the man with the suitcase
5 a sullen murmur rose among them.
: Those in the rear pushed forward and
2 closed the lane leading to the cabins.
One of the miners was flung roughly
, against the new passenger. With a
wide, powerful sweep of his arm the
. man who had just come aboard hurled
t the miner back among his companions
e "Gangway!'' he said brusquely, and
: as he strobe forward did not even
Y glance IN the direction of the angry
). men pressing toward him.
d Here. Keep back there, you fel.
: lows. None OF that rough stuff goes, y
d ordered the mate sharply.
, The big Cornishman who had beer
5 tossed aside crouched for spring. He
: launched himself forward with the
n awkward force of a bear The suit
I case described whirling arc of a cir
Gle with the arm of its owner as a "a
e dius. The bag and the head of the
/
u bullock which had been poleaxed, thu
4 man went TO the floor. He turned Over
e with a groan and lay still
Y The new passenger looked acros:
# the huge, sprawling body at the grouy
e of miners facing him. They glared il
savage hate All they needed was
G leader to send them driving at hin
d with the force of an avalanche. Tn,
s man at whom they ragged did not Civ,
If an inch. He leaned forward slightly
?. his weight resting on the balls of hi
d feet, alert to the finger tips.
ir Next" he tainted
u Then the mate got busy He hustle,
n his stevedOres forward in front of tn
miners and shook his fist in their face
= as he StOrmed up and down. If the,
n wanted trouble. by Joye. it was wait
n ing for 'en. he swore in apoplecti
d fury. The Hannah was river boa
ut and not a dive of wharf rats!
re The man with the suitcase did no
or wait to hear out his TRADE. He fol