The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-05-27
shotgun on somebody, doomed up in

! They're here, ne SalQ TO SeiWOoO
significantly. He looked enviously at
Selwood's victim, standing with his
face to the wall-he offered so tempt
ing a cushion for handful of buck
shot-but was appeased when Sci
wood seriously put on him the respon-
sibility of taking the three refugees
| through the burnt district to the
| barn.
Christie, listening eagerly to all the
words passed, edged up so she could
ask Selwood question apart. "You
are not coming?"
He hesitated as she spoke, and
looked at her almost curiously. The
old fever in his blood rose at the
sight of her. But pride ruled his will
and Christie, looking questioningly up
at him as If he, too, longed to say
and to hear more, saw nothing of
what was hidden behind the unbend-
ing expression. "Not yet" was all he
said when he answered. But you
| oughtn't to lose a minute-follow
Pardaloe and keep close to him.
Pardaloe himself seemed in haste.
Don't lose no time, Christie" he
urged; "come along"
She could not be hurried. "Then
surely" she faltered to Selwood, 81
shall see you again tonight-to-to
say something-to thank you for"
Selwood held on to his words as If
they were diamonds. "Glad to do It,"
he murmured, stubbornly laconic.
His gaze was so steady that her
eyes fell. However, she would not
give up-and when she looked at him
again her eyes were glistening a lit
tie. 81 know hurt you terribly"
she began. He offered nothing to help
her out. 81 did not want to-" she per-
sisted, resolved to soften him. "Can't
you-come with us now?"
1t was his turn TO squirm. He did
not risk his eyes directly on hers
| only repeated, almost mechanically,
Not yet"
Are you going TOTO fght?" She
| could hardly breathe the hateful
word between her reluctant lips.
81 may have to-" Without looking
at her, he raised his hand toward the
open door. Follow Pardaloe"
She made her last appeal-save,
perhaps, that deepest appeal that
until now had lain unspoken in her
eyes. But Christie could say things,
too. As she stepped toward the door
her eyes flashed back at him. 'If I
didn't fear endangering your life
I'd stay anyway"
The suddenness, the surprise, the
intimate defiance, brought the care
free old laugh for a moment to Sell
woods lips-the laugh of the sum-
mer auction days, the laugh that
Christie remembered and had missed
so long. But without giving him time
for a word she stepped out into the
night. 1t was not till then that he
imagined he heard in the darkness
something like suppressed sob.
With Christie on the way to safety
and Lefever's men at his call, Sell
wood started Barbanet back to Star
buck.
But Barbanet had only disappeared
when Selwood heard woman's
scream. Christie had but just crossed
the other threshold-it was her voice.
He sprang out of the open back
door and ran around to the front. In
the street, lighted by the gray CLEAN
Of daybreak, he saw a little group
of struggling figures. To his left, out
of the wide-open doors of Bartoes
place, Starbuck's men were crowding.
What Selwood feared had happened:
a door guard, freeing himself, had
given the alarm. AS they ran out they
were met with the gun-fre of Le-
fever's men, and in what seemed no
more than a second the two parties
were at grips with clubs and guns.
Before Selwood could dash across
the sidewalk, the group in the street
was surrounded by crowd of yelling
men. In the thick of 1t Selwood made
out Pardaloe, whirling about like a
bear and furiously shaking off a man
who chung to his back; second man.
gun in hand, jumped around the two,
evidently trying to shoot the mule
boss without hitting his assailant !;
Christie, screaming, her father, and
Bull Page urging her away, stood by,
wringing her hands. And at that mo-
ment an. active man, dashing out Of
Bartoe's and brandishing q revolver,
ran between Christie and her protec-
tors and caught her up with his free
arm.
Had the confusion been less, had
the uncertain light been less certain,
Selwood would have been at no loss
to recognize this man; the commonest
instinct In the nature of men would
have declared Starbuck to him In the
man assailing Christie. He did not
realize that smoke was now rising
about Bartoe's place, that Pardaloe
had made good his threat to burn 1t,
and that the men running out of the
door were crying "Fire!" He had
eyes for no one but Starbuck and
heard nothing but Christie's angry,
rebellious cries as she struggled to
free herself And he ran toward her
with an answering cry.
Starbuck saw him leap into the
street; and, still holding the frantic
girl, he brought down his gun like
flash on Selwood.
1t was a reckless, useless shot.
With Christie fighting him with her
puny fists, the bullet flew wide. Not
deigning to reply. not even drawing
his own gun, but maddened to fury,
Selwood dashed forward; before