The Red Cloud chief., 1918-01-31

| with q wave of his hand Strong
pointed to q group of miners who had
boarded the boat with them at Pierre's
Portage. There were about a dozen Of
the men, for the most part husky,
heavy-set foreigners. Elliot gathered
Jobs because they had tried to organ.
lie an incipient strike In the Frozen
Gulch district.
"Roughnecks and booze fighters
that's all they are. But they earn
their way. Not that I blame Macdon-
aid for firing them, mind you." con-
tinued the miner. Ellis superintendent
up there vas too soft. These here
Swedes got gay. Mac hit the trail for
Frozen Gulch. He hammered his big
fist into the bread basket Of the ring
leader and said, Ctr That fellows
running yet, I'll bet. Then Mac called
the men together and read the riot act
to them. He fred this bunch on the
boat and was out Of the camp before
you could bat an eye. It was the clean
est hurry-up job I ever did see."
"From what I've heard about him,
he must be a remarkable man."
Hes 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 PERSONAL---VERY. be-
cause he represents the big corpora
tions2"
Both. His word comes pretty near
being law up here. not only because
he stands for the Consolidated, but
because he's &C 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.
II he tells you anything, don't worry
because he amt put down his John
Hancock before a notary. Don't waste
any time looking for fat or yellow
streaks In Mac. They amt there. No
body eve heard him squeal yet and
what's more nobody ever WILL"
mo wonder men like him."
"But when you say honest No
Not the way you define honesty down
In the States. He's a grabber. Mac IT,"
"What does he look likeT
"Oh, I don't know" Strong hest
tated, while he searched for words to
show the picture in his mind. "Big as
a h~ouse-steps out like a buck in the
sprlng-blue-gray eyes that bore right
through you"
"How old2"
search me. You never think of age
when you're looking at him. Forty.
five, mebbe-Or fifty-I don't know"
MARRIED."
"No-o." 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 minel
was dismlssing Mrs. Mallory in too
cavalier a fashion. She was the sor
Of woman at whom men look twice
and then continue to look while sh,
appears magnincently unaware of II
Her hair was not red, but Of a lustrou'
bronze. amazingly abundant, ant
dressed in waves with the careful skill
Of a coiffeur. Slightest shades O
meaning she could convey with a lif
Of the eyebrow or an information Of tn,
musical voice. II she was alread,
! fencing with the encroaching year
there was little evidence of 1t in he
opulent good looks.
I. The whistle Of the Hannah blew 70
: the Tatlah Cache landing while Stron
, and Elliot were talking. The ganl
, plank vas thrown out.
Q A man came to the end Of the whar
D carrying a suitcase. He was well.se
s thick in the chest and broad-shou
: dered. Looking down from abov,
Gordon Elliot guessed him to be In tn
early thirties.
Mrs. Mallory was the first to reco,
ing little shout Of welcome. "Oh, yo'
I Mr.. Man. I knew you first. I spea
g for you." she cried.
The man on the gangplank locke
y up, smiled and lifted to her his brol
gray hat In a wave Of greeting.
d SLOW do you do, Mrs. Mallory? Glt
to see you"
d The miners from Frozen Gulch we
D grouped together on the lower dec
IS At sight Of the man with the suitca'
E. a sullen murmur rose among theI
n Those In the rear pushed forward M
! closed the lane leading to the cabin
One of the miners was flung rough
10 against the new passenger. With
wide. powerful sweep of his arm Il
~ man who had just ONE aboard hurl,
a. the miner back among his companion
70 "Gangway" he said b%rusquely, al
" as he strobe forward did not ev,
Of glance in the direction of the ang