The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-10-07

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS HtSHtetSStssstte
eating onions. Do you mind DETECTING
the blast in the opposite directionT
His calm imperturbability seemed to
1 madden Lexington.
You watt" he snarled thickly; you
! wait till I've finished with you. You
won't be so id humorous then.
| Hugh regarded the speaker. languid-
| ly.
Your supposition is more than prob
able" he remarked, in a bored voice.
i shall be too intent on getting into
a Turkish bath to remove the contain
nation to think of laughing"
Slowly darlington sank back in his
chair, hard, merciless smile on his
lips; and for a moment or two there
was silence in the room. 1t was broken
| by the unkempt man on the sofa. who,
without warning, exploded unexpected
~.
"a truce to all this fooling," he
burst forth in a deep rumble; II con-
fess / do not understand it. Are we
assembled here tonight, comrades, to
listen to private quarrels and stupid
talk?"
A murmur of approval came from
the others, and the speaker stood up
waving his arms.
Il know not what this young man
has done: care less. In Russia such
| trifies matter not. He has the appear
ance of bourgeois, therefore he must
die. Did we not kill thousands-aye,
tens of thousands of his kidney, before
we obtained the great freedom? Are
we not going TO do the same in this
accursed countryi Kill him now
throw him in corner and let us pro-
ceed."
He sat down, amidst a murmur of
approval, in which Hugh joined heart
lily.
Splendid" he murmured. "a mag
nificent peroration. Am 1 right, sir,
in assuming that you are what is vul-
carly known as Bolshevist"
The man turned his sunken eyes,
glowing with the burning fires of fanat-
| icism, on Drummond.
II am one of those who are fighting
for the freedom of the world" he cried
harshly, 'for the right to live of the
proletariat." He flung out his arms
wildly. SIT is freedom; it is the dawn
of the new age"
Hugh looked at him with genuine
curiosity; it was the first time he had
| actually met one of these wild vision
aries in the flesh. And then the curl
osity was succeeded by very definite
amazement: what had Peterson to do
with such as he?
| For the moment his own deadly risk
was forgotten: a growing excitement
filled his mind. Could it be possible
| that here, at last, was the real object
of the gang; could it be possible that
Peterson was organizing deliberate
plot to try and Bolshevize England?
He looked up to find Peterson regard
ing him with faint smile.
at is little difficult to understand,
isn't it, Captain Drummond?" he said,
carefully fiicking the ash off his cigar
Il told you you'd find yourself in deep
water" Then he resumed the contem-
| plation of the papers in front of him.
Hugh half closed his eyes, while a
general buzz of conversation broke out
round the table.
Fragments of conversation struck his
ears from time to time. The intimi-
dated rabbit, with the light of battle
| in his watery eye, was declaiming on
| the glories of workmens councils; a
| bullet-headed man was shouting an in
| spring battle cry about no starvation
wages and work for all.
"Can it be possible" thought Hugh,
grimly, shat such as these have the
| power to control big destinies?" And
then, because he had some experience
| of what one unbalanced brain, whose
owner could talk, was capable of
achieving; because he knew something
about mob psychology, his half con-
temptuous amusement changed to a
bitter foreboding.
you fool!" he cried suddenly to
the Russian and everyone ceased talk
| ing. you poor id boob You-and
your new earth! In Petrograd today
bread Is two pounds four shillings a
pound; tea, fifteen pounds pound. Do
| you call that freedom?" He gave a
| contemptuous laugh.
Too surprised to speak, the Rus
sian sat staring at him; and it was
| Peterson who broke the silence with
his suave voice.
"Your distress, / am glad to say.
is not likely to be one of .ong dura-
tion," he remarked. "In fact, the time
has come for you to retire for the
night, my young friend"
He stood up smiling; then he walked
over to the bell behind Hugh and rang
| it.
"Dead or mad-I wonder which"
He threw the end of his cigar into
the CRATE as Hugh rose. "While we
deliberate down here on various nat
tiers of Importance we shall be think
ing of you upstairs-that is to say,
if you get there. / see that darlington
is even now beginning to gloat in
pleasant anticipation"
Not a muscle on the soldiers face
twitched; not by the hint of a look
did he show the keenly watching au-
dience that he realized his danger.
Lakington's face was merciless, with
its fiendish look of anticipation. and
Hugh stared at him with level eyes
for while before he turned toward
the door.
Then l will say Good night" he