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By REX E. BEACH.
Copy rid !i t, It '15. by Ilex 13. llcnch,
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SiCBBSisisXtifKTWFfynauf
Mrivt i:i.j
n't,!' ;ili.
i""'! hum luil '.'i t:' ',
inc. Tho.v I.-i tni".:lii w :ii i fury
' men wlin hiii Hi- for !!!' .miiI hud
grown to hate the liao of r-iill'nan's
vacillatou I'm (, tin blii.sU i.l du' (IN
trio I nt ttiriio.v iiinl I ho stiirkiut conil
tiotico nl I he clerks, for It seemed t list t
they all worked meehanii nll.v. like
toys, at the dictate of Alee McNu
niiira. At last vlun Uic.v hail ceased,
beaten and exhausted, they hito tun
confused with technical phrase- to
grasp anything o.vopl tin f.tet that
M'lluf was denied them, that their
claims wo iv to lo wo lit oi I b tho ro
( celvor ami, as a crowning defeat, thoy
liMinu'd Hint tin judge would iimvo his
rntirt t St. Michael's ami hoar no
"iivos until ho rotiirtioil. a inoutli lator
Meanwhile. MoXnmnra hlroil ovory
alio man ho could lay hand upon ami
rlpricd tho placers open with double
diifls. Kvory day a stream of yellow
du 4 poured Into tho hunk and was
locked In his vaults, while those uiiiiu
owuiys who attempted to witness lie
eloinups won! ejeeted from their
claims. 'I'lie politician had worked
with Iiierodlhle swiftness and system,
iiinl a fortnight after lauding ho had
made good his boast to Slruve and
was In charge of every good elalni la
he dlslriet, tho owners wore ousted.
Ilictr appeals argued and detiioil and
the court none for thirty days, leav
ing him a dear Hold for his operation.
I To felt a contempt for most of his vic
tims, who wore slow wittod Swedes,
grisping neither the purport nor tho
magnitude of his operation, and to
Itioso litigants who wore discerning
enough to seo Its enormity ho trusted
in his organization to thwart them.
The two partners had come to feel
I tint thoy wore heating against a wall
hikI had also come squarely to face the
proposition that thoy wore without
funds wherewith to continue their bat
tle. It was maddening for them to
lliiul; of tho dally robbery that they
mifTored. for tho .Midas tnmoW out
many ounces of gold at ovory shirt,
and more maddening to realize the re
i elver's shrewdness In crippling them
by his th'ft or the gold In their safe.
That had been Ills crowning stroke.
4,Vo must got money quick," said
(ilotiistpr. "Do you think wo can bor
i ov '"
"HornnvV" sniffed Uoxtry. "I'olks
don't lead money in Alaska."
They relapsed into a moody silence.
"I met a feller this morula' that's
workin' on tho .Midas," the old man
resumed. "Ho came In town for a
mlr of gum hoots, an' ho sny.s they've
n;n Into awful rich ground-so rich
tail they have to cU'an up oery moru
la when the night shift goes oft' cause
Hie ril lies dog lih gold."
"Think of It!" tllenistor growled. "If
-wo had even a part of one of those
cleanups wo could send Whontou outrode."
In the midst of his bitterness a
thought struck him. He made as
though to speak, then dosed ills mouth.
Tt'it his partner's eyes wore on him,
filled with a suppressed but growing
fire. Dextry lowered Ills voice cau
llously: "There'll be $20,000 In them sluices
tonight at midnight."
(llenlster stared back, while his pulse
finiimlod at something that lay lu tho
other's words.
"It belongs to us," tho young man
wild. "There wouldn't be anything
wrong about It, would there V"
Ilex try sneered. "Wrong! Itlght!
Them is line an' soutidln' titles In a
mess like this. What do they moan?
1 tell you at midnight tonight Alec
McN'arunra will have $20,000 of our
mouey"-
"(Jod! What would happen ir they
cuught us?" whispered the younger,
following out his thought. "They'd
never let. us get off tho claim nllve. He
couldn't find a better excuse to shoot
iih down and get rid of us. If we came
up before this Judge for trial, we'd go
in Sitka for twenty years."
"Sure! Hut It's our only chance. I'd
ruther die on the Midas In a fair fight
Mian set here hltln' my hangnails. I'm
prowin old, an' I won't never make
nnothor strike. Ah to belli' cnught
them's our ohuuees. I won't be took
nllve, I promise you that, and before I
wo I'll get my satisfy. Castin' things
up, that's about all a man gets lu this
vale of tears, Jest satisfaction of one
hind or another. It'll bo a light In the
open, under the stars, with the clean,
wet moss to He down on, and not a
r-orappln' match of freak phrases and
Jaw books Inside of a stinkln' court
room. Tho cards is shullled and In the
Imix, parduer, and the game Is started.
If we're duo to win, we'll win, If
we're due to lose, we'll lose. '
things Is all jggcred out a
years had ('ome on, 1in. !
game':"
"Am I game'" CionlMlcr's ni-tril
dilat -d. and hN voice lie a time.
"Am 1 game? I'm with ymi till (!''
big cash In. ami Lord have tiictvy on
any man that blocks mir game to
night."
"We'll need another hand to help
us." said Hext ry. "Who can we g.
At ihil tunmoot, as though lu .m
swer, the door opened with tin" scum
ceretuoiiy that friends of the front n--are
wont to observe, aduiiiting the ni
tenuated, Mapping, dome crowo-d i
lire of Slapjack Slniius, and lctr roll
upon him with the hunger of a w 'l
It was midnight, and over tin- dark
walls of Hie valley peered a multitude
or stars, while away on Hi southern
hmi.ou there glowed a subdued olTuI
gonce as though from hidden tires bo
uealli tho (i'oIiI Cod's caldron or as
though tho phosphoroM-enee of Hering
had spread upward Into tho skies Al
though each night grew longer. It was
not yet necessary to light lie men at
work in the cuts. There wore perhaps
two hours lu whleh It was illllletilt to
.see at a distance, but the dawn came
earl. ; hence no provision had been
iiiado for torches.
I'M w minutes before tho hour the
night shift boss lowered the gates lu
tho dam, and as the rush from the
sluices subsided his men quit work
and climbed the blulV to the mess tent
Tho dwelling-, or the .Midas, as has al
ready been explained, sat back from
the crock at a distance of a city block,
tho workings being thus partially hid
den under the brow of the stoop bank
It Is customary to leave a watchman
In the pit during the noon and midnight
hours, not only to see that strangers
preserve- a neutral attitude, but also to
The uutchmun Mtul; with a litint cry.
w.vich flio wnsU gales anil water sup
ply. The night man of the Midas had
been warned of his resnonslbllltv and.
knowing that much gold lay in his
keeping, was disposed to gaze on the
curious minded with tho sourness of
suspicion. Therefore, as a man lead
lug a packuorse approached out of tho
gloom of the creek trail, his eyes were
on him from tho moment lie appeared
The road wound along tho gravel of
the biiM and passed In proximity to
the Mumes. However, the wayfarer paid
no attention to them, nud the watch
man detected nn explanatory wear!
nesB In his slow gait.
'Some prospector getting lu from n
trip," he thought.
Tho stranger stopped, scratched a
match, and as ho undertook to light
his pipe, the observer caught tho ma
hogany shine of a negro'B face. The
match sputtered out and then came Im
patient blasphemy as he searched for
another.
"Evenln', sah! You-ail oblige me with
u match?" He addressed the watcher
on the bank above and, without wait
ing a reply, began to climb upward.
No smoker on the trail will deny the
luxury of a light to the most humble,
so as the negro gained his level the
man reached forth to accommodate
him. Without warning the black man
leaped forward with the ferocity of an
animal and struck tho other a fearful
blow. The watchman sank with a
faint, startled cry, and tho African
dragged him out of sight over tho
brow of the bank, where ho rapidly
tied him hand and foot, stufllng a gag
Into his mouth. At tho same moment
two other llgures rounded tho bend
below and approached. They were
mounted and leading a third saddle
aorsp as well as other pack animals,
(leaching the workings, they dismount
ed. Thou began a strange procedure,
for one man clambered upon the
(Continued on Ta,o tiix.)
3 Doils Given Awav Dec. 24. S532S !S&
a number with every 25c purchase entitling you to a draw on the Dolls. The
one holding the most tickets gets the largest Doll. The nc holding the first
lucky number gets the next Doll. The one holding the second lucky number
gets the third Doll. Gall for your tickets when making purchases.
Goods Sale
t F. NEWHOUSE
IINiMilidi ilrMlliiHd i ' JUS
Fall
! a
Hosiery astd Underwear
It's jusL the time for medium weights in Hosiery and Underwear,
and it's not too early to selecl your winter weights while our line
is complete.
J Children's IX L rib hose, good jrradcat ioc; heavier at J Ays IS&G 2G
wwwwi w i.m.1 . .
L&dS&s HBMirson Hose
The only Hose knit without a seam, at
25c and 35c.
?9 Bfl d H h I Hoi
Underwear
Children's long sleeve gan.e Vests, at 15c, 20c and 25c.
Childrens long pants, gauze 2c.
Ladies' long sleeve gauze Corset Covers at
Vests at.
" " Pants, gauze, at
American Beauty
Corsets
riw m
DGI
icSSyr I
XlfPy 1
AMEMCAN BEAUTY Elyln 7.1G
Kalamazoo Corsot Co., Wai.urj
What slyle of Corset do you wear?
We have the low bust, long on hips, at
SOc and $1.00
High bust, long on hips, at 50c to 3.00.
Tape Girdles at 50c.
Every pair guaranteed to give satisfaction.
Dress Goods
While not the largest line, we have selected it with great care
and will save you money if you will look our stock over before
buying.
Suiting in half wool at 25c and 30c.
All wool Venetians and Serges at 50c a yard.
Chiffon Broadcloth, 44 inches wide, all wool, at 90c.
YARNS
Our line of yarn is complete on all the following:
Imported Saxony-Germantown Zephyrs-Acme Knitting Worsted
Fleisher's Knitting Worsted-Fleisher's Spanish
Fleisher's Shetland Floss
Outings
All grades of Outings from 7c to 1 5c
Cotton Batts at 1 Oc to 85 c.
Crocheted Baby Jackets, Silk Hoods, Handbags, Collars
4- CT Aftmjfftsw cjb. I
