The Bossier banner., 1918-01-31
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pyright, 1917, by William Macleod Paine

heavy-set foreigners. Elliot gathered
from their talk that they had lost their
jobs because they had tried to organ
ize an incipient strike in the Frozen
Gulch district.
"Roughnecks and booze fighters
that's all they are. But they earn
their way. Not that blame Macdon-
aid for firing them, mind YOU" con-
tinued the miner. "His superintendent
up there was 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 f llow's
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. 1t was the clean
est hurry-up job ever did see.'
"From what I've heard about him,
he must be remarkable man."
"He's the biggest man in Alaska,
bar none."
This was subject that interested
Gordon Elliot very much. Colby Mac
| donald and his activities had brought
him to the country.
"Do you mean personally-or be-
catse he represents the big corpora
| tons"
| Both. His word comes pretty neaI
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
honestY
you've said two things, my friend,
answered Strong dryly. "He's square
If he tells you anything, don't worry
because he amt put down his JohI
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 ant
what's more nobody ever will"
mo wonder men like him."
'But when you say honest No
j MOI the way you define honesty dow
in the States. He's a grabber, Mac is.
1 w llGL uOCS liz lUOh AhC.
! "Oh, I don't know" Strong hest
tated, while he searched for words t.
show the picture in his mind. "Big a
, a house-steps out like buck in tn
spring-bluegray eyes that bore righ
through you."
'How old?'
2 "Search me. You never think of ag
! when you're looking at him. Forty
] FIVE, mebbe-or- fifty--I don't know.
$ "Marriea?"
s "No-o." Hanford Strong nodded i
e the direction of the Kusiak circle
/ "They say he's going to marry Mr.
J. Mallory. She's the one with the re
" hair"
/. 1t struck young Elliot that the mine
e was dismissing Mrs. Mallory in to
S cavalier a fashion. She was the sol
n of woman at whom men look twic
y and then continue to look while 81
ii appears magnificently unaware Of
f. Her hair was not red, but of lustrot
c. bronze, amazingly abundant, ar
Y. dressed in waves with the careful ski
C Of coiffeur. Slightest shades
meaning she could convey with Ii
le of the eyebrow or an intonation of Il
Z musical voice. If she was alreat
IS fencing with the encroaching yea
n there was little evidence of it in b
IN opulent good looks.
=.
lg The whistle of the Hannah blew f
the Tatlah Cache landing while Strol
Il and Elliot were talking. The gan
le plank was thrown out.
A man came to the end Of the wha
r. carrying suitcase. He was well-ss
It. thick in the chest and brOad-sho,
V. dered. Looking down from aboy
le Gordon Elliot guessed him to be in Il
n early thirSes.
le Mrs. Mallory was the first to reco
N nize him, which she did with draw
is ing little shout of welcome. "Oh, yo
r. Mr. Man. knew you first. I spe'
We for you," she cried.
The man on the gangplank look
v, up, smiled and lifted to her his bro
gray hat in a wave of greeting.
d. "How do you do, Mrs. N Tory? Gil
It to see you."
,e The miners from Frozen Gulch we
= grouped together on the lower DEF
ty At sight of the man with the suitca
e. sullen murmur rose among the
I'd Those in the rear pushed forward a
r. closed the lane leading to the cabil
ed One of the miners was flung rough
o. against the new passenger. With
ks wide. powerful sweep of his arm t
e. man who had just come aboard hurl
in the miner back among his companion
I "Gangway!" he said brusquely, a
as he strobe forward did not ev
ne glance in the direction of the ang
men pressing toward him.
III "Here. Keep back there, you t
"a lows. None of that rough stuff goe
ee ordered the mate sharply.
ey The big Cornishman who had be
of tossed aside crouched for a spring.
ke launched himself forward with
awkward force of a bear. The ST
ng case described whirling arc of
ad Gle with the arm of its owner as
rs dius. The bag and the head OF
of miner came into swift impact. Lakt
". bullock which had been pOleaxed.