The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-06-17
Poor Mans Gold
Courtney RyIey Cooper '' ~vs ss Cooper
G Courtney Ryley Cooper.
WNU Service.

watchers, he smashed them, cnt
after another, upon the floor, bow
ing meanwhile to the applause.
Jacks heart went steadily down
ward. The next step would be fol
Mckenzie Joe to pick a fight. 1
never failed.
The noise caused celebrants Il
assemble from every part of the
rambling structure; it even haltec
the play in the gaming rooms, the
players crowding in the doorway. i
was just as they began to fiooc
Through that Mckenzie Joe turned
from the bar and his smile van
ished.
A queer gleam came into hi:
hitherto vacant eyes. His finger:
widened until they were muscular
half arcs. His tremendous shout
ders hunched and his round, bea
verlike head shot forward. Jacl
had been cut off by the sudder
insurge of the gaming room crowd
Desperately he attempted to breal
through.
Joel" he shouted. "Joe! Watch
yourself!"
But Mckenzie Joe pretended no
to hear. The crowd fell back, sud
denly silent, leaving in their wake
solitary man, hypnotized by fear
his hands gesturing futilely, set
terror-stricken smile on his gray
lips. It was Bruce Kenning.
well, Joe," he said jerkily, ''hav
ing good time, Ell, Joe"
LET me through here!" Ham
mond shouted. "You fools-let me
through! Somebody stop Mckenzie
Do you want man killed."
II availed nothing. Mckenzie Joe
was moving forward; Bruce Ken
ming attempted to run. A drunken
miner showed him back into the
open. Then Joe shouted:
'You double crossing hound!'
With a lunge, he shot forward. Wild
ly Bruce Kenning struck out anc
then, with cry, strove to dodge
him. 1t was impossible; Mckenzie
Joe had caught him, one huge arm
around his neck, blocking off al
resistance save short arm blows
which struck the prospector's huge
chest and iron-muscled torso with
no more result than if they hac
been pounding against the trunk o:
a giant fir. Suddenly the geologis
was spun about, impelled by the
force of Mckenzie Joe's giant mus
cles. Jack Hammond, now literal
ly throwing celebrants out of hi:
way as he fought to get to his part
ner, saw the face of the man, green
gray with horror. Then Mckenzie
Joe began to beat at Kenning's fea
tures-almost instantly they seemed
to become nis-shapen, swollen
squirting red from a dozen lacera
tons as the triphammer blows GU
deep into his flesh. Bruce Ken
ming cried out, an agonized appeal
Help me! Help me, somebody
Get to him." Hammond shout
ed. Haven't you any sense? Nc
Kenzie will kill him!''
1t awoke the men about him; they
stirred; Hammond broke through
plunging forward that he might lear
upon his partners back and, with {
heavy forearm under his chin, pull
him backward, momentarily stop
ping the assault. Then a stagger
ing miner lurched forward.
Don't jump on man from be
hindI" he commanded, attempting
to break the younger mans hold
Around the World Annie swept int
action.
keep out of this!" she shouted
and swung a blackjack. The mar
fell. Instantly roar sounded from
a dozen equally drunken pals; al
in an instant, Hammond found him
self surrounded by milling form:
and the wildly failing fists of free
for-al fight.
Desperately Jack held his GRASP
on his struggling partner. With {
feeling of great relief, he saw the
haf-conscious Kenning slip from the
llOlO VI tI1C P4OSpS(lOl
and, buffeted by the fighters abou
him, stagger into the mass of tan
gled forms.
Shortly afterward, Hammond fell
a terrific wrench as Mckenzie Joe
exerted his full strength and broke
free. After that, the room became
vague conglomeration of noise anc
conflict, above which Annie's shril
voice sounded again and again as
her bunting costume torn, her tri
corn a wreck and her yellow hail
streaming, she swung her blackjack
and gave blasphemous command:
for quiet. Finally the turmoil
claimed. The orchestra started
again, blaring its loudest Ham
mond disentangled himself from the
grasp of a 20O-pound Swede and
looked about him for his partner
Mckenzie Joe had disappeared.
ITO BE CONTINUED)