The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-01-25

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 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 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
tons"
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 Mac. They amt there. No
body ever heard him squeal yet and
what's more nobody ever WILL"
"No wonder men like him."
"But when you say honest Mo-!
Not the way you define honesty down
in the States. He's grabber, Mac is"
'What does he look like?"
"Oh, 1 don't know" Strong hesi-
tated, while he searched for words to
show the picture in his mind. big as
house-steps out like buck in the
spring-blue-gray eyes that bore right
through you"
"How old?"
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 miner
was dismissing Mrs. Mallory in too
cavalier a fashion. She was the sort
of woman at whom men look twice,
and then continue to look while she
appears magnificently unaware Of it.
Her hair was not red, but of 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.
A man came to the end of the wharf
carrying suitcase. He was well-set,
thick in the chest and broad-shoul-
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 q drawl-
ing little shout of welcome. ooh, you,
Mr.. Man. 1 knew you first. I 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 Gulch were
grouped together on the lower deck
At sight of the man with the suitcase
q Sullen murmur rose among them
Those in the rear pushed forward and
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
the miner back among his companions
"Gangwayw he said brusquely, and
as he strobe forward did not even
glance in the direction Of the angry
men pressing toward him.
Here. Keep back there, you fel
lows. None of that rough stuff goes,
ordered the mate sharply.
( The big Cornishman who had beer
tossed aside crouched for a spring. He
launched himself forward with the
awkward force of a bear. The suit
case described a whirling arc of a cir
Gle with the arm of its owner as a "a
dius. The bag and the head of thu
miner came into swift impact Like 6
bullock which had been poleaxed, thu
man went to the floor. He turned ovel
with q groan and lay still.
The new passenger looked acros.
the huge, sprawling body at the grouI
of miners facing him. They glared il
savage hate. All they needed was T,
leader to send them driving at hin
with the force of an avalanche. TIL,
man at whom they ragged did not Civ,
an inch. He leaned forward slightly
his weight resting on the balls of hi.
feet, alert to the finger tips.
"Next," he tainted.
Then the mate got busy. He hustled
his stevedores forward in front of tn,
miners and shook his fist in their faces
as he stormed up and down. If the.
wanted trouble, by Jove! it was wait
ing for 'em, he swore in apoplecti
fury. The Hannah was river boa
and not dive Of wharf rats!
The man with the suitcase did no
| wait RI hear Ollt his tiradN He fol