The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-09-12

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"wcre the hammers dropped on pur'
poser
Gordon looked at him with n grim
smile. "Your guess Is just as good MS
mine, Peter. what do you thlnkT
Peter answered seriously. 81 think
Il isn't safe for you to take the chances
YOU do, Gordon. I find n wrong I'M
preston about you prevalent among
the men. They are blaming you for
stirring up nll this trouble on the out
side, and they are worried for fear the
mines may close and they will lose
their Jobs. I tell you that they are In
n dangerous mood"
"Sorry, but I can't help Tint"
"You cnn stay around town and not
go out alone nights"
81 dare say I can, but I'm not going
to-"
1T think you had better use a little
sense, Gordon. ] dare say am e1ng-
gernting the danger. But when you
go around with that jaunty deyil-may.
care way of yours, the men think you
are looking for trouble-and you're
likely to get It."
"Am II"
81 know what I'm talking about.
Nine out Of ten Of the men think you
tried to murder Macdonald after you
had robbed him and that your nerve
weakened on the Job. This seems to
some Of the most lawless to give them
a moral right to put you out OF the
way. Anyhow, II IL n kind Of justIica-
ton. according to their point OF view.
Tn not defending II, Of course. I'm
telling you so that you car appreciate
your danger"
"You have done your duty, then,
Peter"
"But you don't intend to take my adj
viceT"
"Ill tell you what I told you last
time when you warned me. I'm going
through with the job I've been hired
to do, just rs you would stick II out
In my place. I don't think I'm In much
danger. Men in general are lnw.abid.
Ing. They growl, but they don't so as
far as murder"
Peter gave him up.
The next issue of the Kusiak Sun
contained n bitter editorial attack upon
Elliot. The occasion for II was q
press dispatch from Washington 10 the
effect that the pressure Of public opin.
ion had become so strong that Win
ton, commissioner of the general land
office, might be forced TO resign his
place. This was n blow to the coal
claimants, and the Sun charged In
vltriolic language that the reports OF
Elliot were to blame. He was, the
newspaper claimed. ar enemy to all
those who had come to Alaska to earn
an honest living there. He was q
snake In the grass, and as such every
decent man ought to hold him In scorn.
Elliot read this Just as he was leav.
ing for the Willow Creek camp. He
thrurt the paper impatiently into his
cont pocket and swung to the saddle.
Why did they prosecute himi He had
told nothing but the truth. nothing not
required Of him by the simplest. ele-
mental honesty. Yet he was treated
as an outcast and a criminal. The in
justice Of 1t was beginning to rankle.
He was temperamentally an opti-
mist, but depression rode with him TO
the gold camp and did not lift from his
spirits till he started back next day for
Kusiak. The news had been flashed by
wire oil over the United States that he
was a crook. His friends and relatives
could give no adequate answer to the
fact that an indictment hung over his
head. In Alaska he was already con.
victed by public opinion.
In the late afternoon, while Gordon
was still fifteen miles from Kusiak,
his horse fell lame. He led II limping
to the cabin OF some miners.
There were three Of them, and they
had been drinking heavily from "A jug
OF whisky left earlier in the day by
the st~age-driver. Gordon was In two
minds whether to accept their surly
permission to stay for the night, but
the lameness Of his horse decided him.
Not caring to invite their hostility,
he gave his name as Gordon instead OF
Elliot. He was to learn within the
hour that this was mistake number
two.
From a pocket Of the coat he had
thrown on n bed protruded the news
paper Gordon had brought from Ku.
siak. One OF the men, n big red.head.
ed fellow, pulled II out and began sulk.
lily to read.
While he read the other two bick.
cred and drank and snarled at each
other. All three Of the men were in
that stage of drunkenness when n
quarrel Is likely to flare up at a mo-
ment's notice.
Listen here" demanded the man
with the newspaper. "Tell YOU what
boys, I'm going TO wiring the neck OF
that pussyfooting spy Elliot II I eve
get a chanct."
He read aloud the editorial In the
Sun. After he had finished. the 9th.
ers Joined him In a chorus of curses.
Il always did hate a spy-and His
ones n murderer too. Why don't some
one MI his hide with leadf" one OF tho
men wanted to know.
Redhead was sitting nj the table Ue
thumped a heavy FIST so hard thot tho
tin cups jumped. "Gimme a crock NJ