The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-08-25

rent of words from young John Belk
nap, who stepped closer. one hand,
palm upward, extended In business
like sideways gesture.
eff you'd put 1t up, it'd saved you
being set down on your tail. Baxter.
| wanted to see the bottom Of your
new rubber because ] found a track
in the snow couple of hours ago
and. put alongside of other things |
found out, | figured your rubber made
that print. You've got reputation to
uphold. l suppose. but hereafter when
tell you to do a thing | want you
to do It'll
Don't get ready to fight yet" John
went on. as he might have talked to
an enraged child. Maybe there1l be
some fighting between us. but not I'm.
til you've had your chance to get out
of it."
"Chance" Baxter shouted. "Say,
you got lot of CUTS, talkin' of givin'
me a chance to get out of fighting
you'll"
John nodded Eyes, have. Enough
CUTS so you don't scare me very much.
Baxter. And plenty to tell you what
I've come to tell"
Baxter's eyes swept a segment of
the circle about them; he swallowed
quickly. This was something new In
the way of an encounter.
"Tell? What you got to tell mel"
he demanded.
This. Probably you've heard the
boys saying that l came pretty near
getting mine this evening out at the
mill A load let go and had to take
to the pond. I'd trusted those stakes.
Baxter. They're the best patent
stakes made. didn't think they'd
let go.
"My guess seems to we been pretty
good. In the fresh snow behind that
car were a mans tracks. He'd come
from between lumber piles where no.
body else has been for weeks. He
stood for quite time in the shadow
of the trucks; he stopped down there.
side of the car. When the thing hap
pened that he'd waited and watched
for, he tiptoed to the trips and let 'em
go. Then he ran. :"
He paused a moment and his eyes,
for the first time, smoldered.
"He didn't get me, Baxter. got
out and found his tracks in the snow.
l measured his foot; saw the print
of stars on the heel and a crepe sole.
They were new rubbers. So are yours.
Yours have the stars and the sole.
haven't measured yours yet, because
l want to give you run for your
money.
"I've got this proposition to make:
If you weren't the man In those rub
bers, stay right here in Kampfest. If
you're here tomorrow night at this
time I'm coming in here and take your
rubber off and measure it and If it's
the same size as that worn by the man
who tried to make pulp of me with
saw logs, I'm going to make pulp of
you with the only things know how
to fight with These!"
He extended his hands
Baxter, you don't know what
hard bird is! You've got by in some
of your fracuses because people were
afraid of you. A man who's afraid is
licked before he makes his first punch
I'm no more afraid of you than | am
of the sweet west wind. don't like
your kind. I'd get lot of satisfaction
out of knocking your block off and
using it as football That's all I've
got to say. Good night ~
He turned and in an amazed silence
made his way towards the door,
Baxter hitched at his pants and
turned, looking into the faces about
him. But now he read there not the
sniveling admiration of the admitted
ly inferior, not the apprehensive
glances of men who feared him. He
saw only contempt and rising smiles.
He knew well enough what they
were thinking: that at last he had en-
countered fear by finding a man who
had no fear. He fell into a morose
silence from which he reused now and
again to mutter threats of what would
happen If John so much as stuck his
face inside that door tomorrow
night. But he was afraid. this
Baxter; caught between two fires
From behind, Gorbel, with club over
his head, was goading; beyond waited
a youth who dismissed his threats as
casually as he would brush at a
buzzing fly.
And when the way freight went
through Kampfest at two the next
morning a heavy man with grain
sack over his shoulder boarded the
cabOose.
where you want to go. Jack?" the
conductor asked.
"Any place. {. Out of this dump r.
Baxter growled.