The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-02-08

The cool, hard words pelted like nail.
''Must be bluff, Mac. The muckrake
magazines have raised such row
about the Guttenchild crowd putting
over big steal on the public that the
party leaders are scared stiff
Il understand that, Wally. What
don't get is how you came to let them
slip this over on you without even
a guess that it was going to happen
That phase of the subject Selfridge
did not want to discuss.
"Bet you hat I've guessed it right
just a grand-stand play of the admin
istration to fool the dear people. This
fellow has got his orders to give us
a clean bill of health. Sure. That
must be it. I suppose it's this man
Elliot that came up on the boat
with u.s."
eyes"
swell, that's easy. If he hasn't been
seen we can see him."
Macdonald looked his man Friday
over with a scarcely yelled contempt.
you've about as much vision as a
breed trader. Unless miss my guess,
Elliot isn't that kind. He'll go through
to finish. If he sees straight we're
all right, but if he is narrow conser-
walton fanatic he might 90 ahead and
queer the whole game"
you wouldn't stand for that" The
quick glance of Selfridge asked ques-
ton.
The lips of the Scotsman We're like
steel traps and his eyes points of steel.
well cross that bridge if we come to
1t. Our first move is to try to win him
to see this thing our way. I'll have
casual talk with him before he leaves
for Kamatlah and feel him out"
whats he doing here at all? If
he's investigating the Kamatlah claims,
why does he go hundreds of miles out
of his way to come in to Kusiak p
asked Selfridge.
Macdonald smiled sardOnically. "Hes
doing this job right. Elliot as good as
told me that he's on the job to look up
my record thoroughly. So he comes to
Kusiak first. In a few days he'll leave
for Kamatlah. That's where you come
in, Wally."
"HOw do you mean?"
'You're going to start for Kamatlah
| tomorrow. You'll arrange the stage
before he gets there-see all the men
and the fOremen. Line them up so
they'll come through with the proper
talk. If you have any doubts about
whether you can trust someone, don't
take any chances. Fire him out of the
camp. Offer Elliot the company hos
pitality. Load him down with favors.
Take him everywhere. Show him ev-
erything. But don't let him get any
proofs that the claims are being
worked under the same management"
"But he'll suspect it,"
"You can't help his suspicious. Don't
let him get proof. Cover all the tracks
that show company control"
II can fix that" he said. "But what
about Holt? You know how bitter he
Island crazy. He ought to be locked
away with the fitter-mice."
"You mustn't let Elliot meet Holt
''How the deuce can I help it? Nc
chance to keep them apart in that
little hole. 1t can't be DONE"
"Cant it?"
Something in the quiet voice rang
a bell of alarm in the timid heart
of Selfridge.
"YOu mean"
"a man who works for me as my
lieutenant must have nerve, Wally
Have you got that? Will you take
orders and go through with them"
Wally nodded. His lips were dry
"Go to it. What am I to do?'
"Get Holt out of the way while Ell
lot is at Kamatlah. 1t isn't doing
Holt any good to sit tight clamped tt
that claim of his. He needs a change
Besides, want him away so that we
can contest his claim. Run him III
into the hills. Or send him across tt
Siberia on a whaler. Or, better still
have him arrested for insanity ant
send him to Nome. I'll get Judge Ian
dor to hold him awhile"
"Leave it to me. The old man /:
going on a vacation, though he doesn'
know it yet"
"Good enough, Wally. I'll trust you
But remember, this fight has reached
an acute stage. No more mistakes
The devil of it is we never seem II
land the knockout punch. We've
beaten this bunch Of reform idiots be
fore Winton, before the secretary o.
the interior, before the president an(
before congress. Now they're begin
ming all over again. Where is it tt
end?'
'This is their last kick. Probabl.
Guttenchild agreed to it so as to lie
the party go before the people at th'
next election without any apologies
Entirely formal investigation, I shoult
say"
This might be true, or it might not
Macdonald knew that just now thu
American people, always impulsive il
its thinking, was supporting strongl,
the movement for conservation. 4
searchlight had been turned upon tn,
Kamatlah coal fields.
The trouble had originated in a de
partment row, but it had spread unit
the Macdonald claims had become /.
party ISSUE The officials of the LANE
office, as well as the national admin
istration, were friendly to the claim
ants. They had no desire to offend on,
of the two largest money groups in TIT
country. But neither did they want t
come to wreck on account of the Gut
tenchilds. They found it impossible t.
ignore the charge that the entries wer
fraudulent and if consummated woul'
result in a wholesale robbery of tn
public domain. Superficial investiga
lions had been made and the claimants
whitewashed. But the clamor had per
sisted.