The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-06-30

| tenSely forward
what" he demanded, a long drawn
word, strained with surprise; perhaps
with something like shock.
81 said; we'd got news a certain
| party who's raised HI here was COM
| in in to put a chunk under a corner.
We aimed to get him back to Ramp
| fest with bad news for old Belknap.
Bein' excited like we was. and bein'
dark like it was. we mistook you for
him. Not important, mebby, but true I"
John took quick breath and let II
out through his nostrils in Or amazed
| Whit.
swell, I'll be-"
He looked up again for the girls
face. as though an exchange of glances
| with her might clarity this bewilder-
ing situation. She was gone. He
stared at the others, but they were
watching Tiny who was being helped
to sitting posture by the smaller
man.
"All right, Tiny?" the other asked.
The big fellow felt his chin gingerly
and his head, and then shook 1t as If
to chase off the fog which impaired
his faculties.
sd he git away?" he asked.
A chuckle from the crowd then.
Away, your grandma! There he
sets, Tinyl"
The dazed eyes followed the gesture
and then blinked slowly.
"Y Cd, Way-Bill, faint him." he
said weakly.
mo, faint"
But this one he's a stem
winder!"
Anyhow, that"
md if this one was him"
"Then we'd have a lot more to
worry about. Yes, sir, if old Belknap
could hire 'em like you, chum"-to
John-"then the company would have
somethin' to lay awake nights about p
Tiny had been staring at John and
now his gaze wavered as a mans will
when he is overcome with embarrass-
ment.
g.. get up" he mumbled, and
John helped him to his fet
The boys heart was pounding. Old
Tom, starting that sort of trouble?
"All right, Tiny" Way-Bill asked,
and when assured that the late uncon-
scious man was getting to be as good
as new, he turned to John. "Guess it's
due you to explain little" he said,
and John caught some vague change
in the attitude of the group. The
shuffling of feet, the murmurs, the
looks spoke of growing chagrin and
embarrassment such as had marked
Tiny's faltering gaze. stranger In
this country?'
"Yes."
"Mebby you've heard of old Tom
Belknap?"
81 have once"-some of his
wrath surging upward to mingle with
high curiosity.
"Well, he's evident amin to run
the Richards company, here, off the
earth. He's done plenty, but the last
thing he thought up was to bring a
j hand named Baxter from Kampfest."
John, frowning, followed the mans
matter-of-fact words closely. He spoke
| as one sure of himself; even as one
reciting common knowledge.
"This Bakers q tough customer
He mixed ii with our woods boss last
week, tossed him off a car md broke
his hip. Tonight be was advertised
to come over here md clean out the
town single-handed. Makes us pretty
hot'-voice rising trifle-'bein, thar
old Belknap only wants to close us
down SOS he can buy somethin' for
| little or nothin'. We done what, like
| ly, you'd do for the outfit that hired
you md you knew was fair md square
md in Jackpot. Only we done
n error"
A grim little man, he was, but had
spoken with fine spirit of loyalty.
He now added: "Tm sorry. Tiny,
here, sure ought to be awful sorry,
| and l guess everybody else feels like
we do. l hope. chum. the feelin's amt
too hard"
They stilled as group will when an
answer to an important question Is
due.
"Why, no. l see how II is"
John said, but blankly.
Mistaken for his fathers hired
bully! And old Tom trying to run
/ this other company into corner? /.
Old Tom, mixing 1t as. perhaps, an
even older Belknap had done in the
pine days? Was that possible ex-
PLANTATION of why he-young John-had
been so carefully kept away from
Kampfest? Were things transpiring
in this country of which his father
was ashamed?
Like a white-hot thread the thought
scared through his consciousness. If
a fight was on here. waged by his ia
ther against a weaker competitor.
Now, might that not offer greater
vent, more complete relief for his
swelling resentment than bashing
strangers with his fists? Until this
moment his only possible vengeance
on his father had been to run away
| but now
A man came in from outside. shout
dering through the press heating
snow from a Scotch rap with his
J mitten.