The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, August 22, 1902, Image 3

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By JOHN R MUSICK
-Author oI MyaUrioHa Mr Howard Tht
Dark Stranger Cfcarlle Allcndalas
DcBbU Etc
Copyright 1697 by Robbbt Bowsraa Boss
All rtgfcta marred
CHAPTER III Continued
Weve got one on em wounded an
lets make most out o him we kin
-afore we let him go Lets not go an
act like a hull passel o fools as dont
know what were a doln nohow Save
Tilm an well git Crack Lashs dust
back an well hang all four together
you all know thats much bettern
hangin one at a time
The life of the captive was spared
for the time being and the miners
proceeded at once to organize them
selves Into a vigilance committee pre
paratory to stopping crime at the very
beginning in their new settlement
Lying on a low couch in one of the
shanties was the hero of this Btroy
Iknown on the Klondike as Crack Lash
Paul His wounds were severe and
he was in a feverish condition One
of the miners who had some knowl
edge of medicine and surgery had ex
tracted the ball and dressed the
wounds The name of the doctor will
perhaps never be known In the Klon
dike he was only called Sawbones
The patients face was flushed and
Ills eyes closed His quick breathing
and nervous movements indicated that
le suffered mentally as well as physic
ally
Be quiet whispered Sawbones
in the ear of his patient Here take
this He raised the head of the
wounded youth and gave him a spoon
ful of nerve quieting medicine He
drank it off and then lay back on his
lied and slept The doctor arose from
the low stool at the side of the couch
and went out
He quickly turned his gaze toward
t every projecting branch within range
of his vision A look of disappointment
came over his face as his eyes search
ed in vain for some object
What have you done with him
lie asked of a miner who was going
Nothin was the answer
What haint you hung him yet
No
Why
Glum Ralston said not
Whats the matter with Glum
Has he got bats in his belfry roared
the infuriated doctor
Hold on Sawbones dont get off
your trolley until somethins on the
track I tell ye Glums all right He
then proceeded to explain matters to
the irate doctor assuring him that he
would yet have thesatlsfaction of see
ing the robber lifted high enough to
get a birds eye view of the new Jeru
salem but explained that in order to
get the others they must keep the
powers of speech in the one they had
Well with that explanation I cave
in growled Sawbones But I dont
want any feelin o sentimentality
roaming around this camp We dont
come of a forgivin stock we dont
The patient slept for several hours
and when he awoke as evening began
to draw near he was much improved
But he recovered slowly and so did
the prisoner The latters wound how
ever was more severe than Pauls
and for a time his case seemed doubt
ful The doctor impressed with the
hope that some information would be
obtained from the wounded man used
liis skill to the utmost to bring about
a speedy recovery
When Paul was able to walk about
he insisted on going to his shanty to
investigate it though he was so weak
lie had to sit down on a sluice box to
rest before he approached the door
When he had rested sufficiently he
arose and unlocking the door entered
the shanty He searched the room
carefully for some clue that might
have been dropped by one of the at
tacking party after they entered the
room but for a long time found
none
At last he discovered in a narrow
crack between the logs and chinking
what seemed to be a bit of paper
wadded up and thrust into the hole
He went to it pulled it out and it
proved to be an envelope stained with
blood
The envelope was stuck in the crack
near the corner where the wounded
outlaw had fallen and Paul at once
surmised he put it there He took
the paper out of the envelope and
gazed at the handwriting in amaze
ment It ran as follows
San Francisco Sept 1 1895
Inclosed find transportation and
money sufficient to pay your way to
Juneau Whatever you do remember
that Paul Miller is not to return to
Fresno Do him no harm if you can
accomplish your ends without vio
lence but at all hazards keep him
two years longer in the Klondike
L T
He read the mysterious paper again
He turned it over and looked on the
back Who was L T and why
should he wish to keep him in Alaska
There seemed to be something slight
ly familiar about the chirography but
he was not certain Having a clue to
the mystery he sat down to study the
puzzle
The more he read the note the more
he was puzzled and the farther he
seemed to get from the solution
There has been a carefully laid
plot to ruin me he said to himself as
he sat upon the stool trying to study
the missive Who is L T and
why should he wish me to remain in
he Klondike
He left the shanty carefully lock
ing the door after him and was mak
ing his way to the cabin at which he
had stayed since the attack when he
met Glum Ralston
Hello Crack Lash gettin under
way agin
I am able to bo out Glum he
answered
Glad on it boy glad on it
The ex sailor was about to pass on
when the young man said
I want to talk some with you
Glum There was a deep laid plot to
rob and murder me I have an enemy
or enemies I know not how many
who have designs on my happiness
Ralston was not a man to be moved
by emotion or jump at a conclusion
He sat a long time listening to the
unquestionable evidence of the youth
When he had finished there was no
longer a doubt that here was a con
spiracy to injury Crack Lash and per
haps take his life A new light was
breaking in on him and he became
more interested In the youth than he
had been
M well Crack Lash I think wed
better run em down Wonder how
many we kin git to go with us
I want no one but you Glum said
the youth You and I are enough for
I can trust you which is more than I
care to do with all I believe that if
I can capture those men they will not
only tell me where to find my lost
treasure but also inform me who this
enemy L T is
Then by the trident o Neptune
well go an never stop until we find
them
After consulting the matter they
decided to keep their departure a se
cret from their companions and de
cided to start before they were awake
next morning During the night a
snowstorm raged Next morning long
before the miners were astir our two
friends were attired in furs with sev
eral dogs provisions blankets and
rifles and set off on snow shoes in
search of the three men who had
robbed and so nearly killed Paul sev
eral weeks before
Glum Ralston had received reliable
information that the men he wished to
And were in a valley up the Yukon
and they acted on that information
They found the snow still falling
though it was not very cold For sev
eral miles they trudged along on the
snowshoes in silence A last Glum
said
Stop
Why asked Paul
Well rest
I am not tired
Ye dont think ye are mate Dut
youll have all the wind out o yer sails
afore ye know it Set down
There was a log lying near and both
sat upon it
I am sufficiently rested so lets go
on said the youth after a short rest
starting to his feet
Dont be too certain ye know ye
kin stand it lad I tell ye its a longer
voyage n you think an theres rough
sailin between this an the Chilkoot
They reached Dawson City next day
at noon As Paul was still weak he
secured a room in the hotel and went
to bed to rest Being overcome by
weariness and the journey he was
soon buried in profound slumber
He was awakened by some one shak
ing him by the shoulder and whisper
ing
Tumble up Crack Lash
What is it Glum he asked start
ing up and rubbing his eyes
Theyre here
Who
The rascals that robbed ye I saw
th face o one o them fellers wed
seen a hangin around our diggins be
fore you were robbed an Id bet my
wolf skin cap th others aint fur off
Paul Miller hastily donned his
clothes The pale youth drew on his
fur boots and buckled his revolvers
about his waist He realized how
dangerous an encounter would be and
he knew he might be a corpse in
twenty minutes He breathed a silent
prayer for Laura mother and lastly
himself and whispered
Im ready
They went down to the room below
where they found a wild crowd carous
ing but no sign of the man who was
suspected of being an accomplice in
the robbery
Wait at the door Crack Lash
Glum whispered
The ex sailor left him and hurried
away He was gone but a few min
utes when ho hurried to his side say
ing
Theyre gone
Where
Up the ukon well find em in the
valley
Lets go at once said Paul They
set out for the upper valley An
Esquimeaux was engaged to take
them several miles on his dog sleds
and from there they traveled on foot
sleeping on the snow securely wrap
ped in their blankets
On the morning of the third day
thjey came upon the trail of these men
and followed it until nightfall Next
morning they were early jon their trail
again and after four hours hard
travel Glum Ralston said
There they are Crack Lash
He pointed down a narrow valley
which diverged from the main valley
and three spects could be seen upon a
slight elevation
Glum Ralston was an experienced
scout and began at once to put in
play his woodcraft They crept for
ward to some trees and advanced rap
idly keeping themselves screened
from the observation of the men they
were trying to overhaul
Night fell again without coming up
with them but a glimmer far up the
mountain side told them they had
camped there The pursuers slept
and rested a few hours and then again
started on the trail
At last they came in sight of the
three men not over two hundred
paces away Raising their rifles they
shouted to them to halt The fugitives
cast quick glances behind and then
with defiant yells fled
Two darted around one side of a
huge projecting cliff that formed the
extreme spur of the mountain and on6
went the other way Two rifle sbta
rang out on the mountain and twc
bullets whizzed through the air
Ye winged yer man Crack Lash
cried Glum Follow him and Ill give
chase to the others
Paul needed no second command
but darted after the man at whom he
had fired The fugitive threw away
his gun and fled for life and for an
hour Paul was in doubt whether he
was gaining or him or not At the end
of that time to his great chagrin he
saw him dash Into a thick forest of
pines and firs
When next he saw him he was
creeping along a ledge Ave hundred
feet above him With no other thought
than the capture of the fugitive and
recovery of his treasure Paul threw
off his snowshoes and clambered up
the steep precipice with great labor
and no little danger Up he went
heedless of everything but the solu
tion of the mystery which threatened
his life and happiness of himself and
Laura He reached the fork and be
gan to climb the great dead limb of a
tree which touched the coveted ledge
At that moment he heard a crackling
at the root of the tree and became
conscious of a descending motion in
the limbs to which he clung
He knew he was falling and that
with the vast mass he must descend
into the valley beneath He left him
self rushing downward through the
air he closed his eyes there came a
horrid crash on his ears and he knew
no more
When Paul regained consciousness
he was lying on a pile of skins and
furs in a cavern
A man clothed wholly in bear and
seal skins stood over him gazing at
him with a pair of strange gray eyes
His hair was long falling to his shoul
ders and his beard which was almost
white came to his waist He had a
half savage and half civilized appear
ance
Paul gazed into the strange wild
face and asked
Who are you
The stranger without taking his
eyes off him asked
Who are you
I am a miner from the Klondike
who was robbed I was in pursuit of
the robbers when the accident befell
me You found me
Yes
Paul at first supposed that some ot
his limbs were broken or dislocated
and dared not move but after a few
moments he discovered that he had
suffered no greater injury than a se
vere shock He had fallen into a deep
snowdrift which had broken the fall
and no doubt saved his life
Wont you tell me who you are
asked Paul after a few minutes gazing
into the face of the mysterious
stranger The man turned away for a
moment as if he wished to avoid the
answer and then slowly turning back
answered
I am a hermit will that suffice
Do you live here Paul asked
Yes
How long have you lived in this
mountain
Then came a longer silence than
usual when the hermit of the cave
answered
What difference can that make to
you I found you in a perishing con
dition and brought you here and
saved your life Is that not enough
without telling all the secrets of my
life He turned slowly about and
went to a small fire that smoldered on
the stones some distance away and
began to toast some slices of moose
steak Paul closed his eyes and tried
to reason that he could be in no imme
diate danger If the man had intend
ed to kill him he would no doubt have
done so while he was unconscious Ho
also reasoned he might have some
design in saving his life
To be continued
HE LOVED HIS HORSES
Owner Wept When Compelled to Part
With Them
An incident which illustrates the
strong attachment that forms between
a man and a good team occurred at a
public sale four miles south of town
Wednesday It was noticed that the
owner immediately withdrew from the
crowd upon the bringing forth of a
fine span of blacks but returned latei
when called upon to describe the
team Among other things their age
etc he stated that he had raised
them from colthood that they wer
true kind and faithful Here he coulc
say no more and crossing his arms
on the one nearest him he sobbed like
a child The intelligent animal evi
dently realizing that something was
wrong turned his head and gentlj
pushed his nose against his old mas
ters face Such scenes are not wit
nessed every day in this hard old
world and a glance at the crowd ol
farmers disclosed scores of moist eye
and the autioneers voice grew husks
as he proceeded with the sale of tha
old friends No man need be ashamed
of such weakness if such it may bf
termed It is one of the finest quali
ties attributable to mankind Jeffer
son Bee
Sowing Wild Oats
Sence them city boarders got to
comin here our Johnny has been goin1
to the bad said Mrs Hayseede td
Mrs Clovertopp x
You dont say
Yes indeed Hes got to stayin
out late at night Why last Satday
night he went off down town and
never came home until half after 9
Ive got a mind to ask the preacher
to talk to him on the error o his
way
rfefx
REVISION MUST COME
TARIFF REFORM DEMANDED BY
WESTERN REPUBLICANS
Plank of the Iowa Platform Has
Found Ready Acceptance Recip
rocity Such as McKinley Favored
Is Now the Demand
That the mass of thepeoplo of the
western states irrespective of party
are in favor of tariff revision may be
onsidered as beyond controversy
The republicans of Iowa have express
ed themselves with no uncertain
sound and what they have said finds
ready acceptance in all the neighbor
ing states
There Is no intention and no desire
to do anything radical with the pres
ent tariff schedules The protective
feature of the law is not to be inter
fered with or antagonized but high
duties that have ceased to be protec
tive merely and have become onerous
and oppressive on the taxpayers
should be removed
So too in regard to the duties
that foster trusts and are for their
sole benefit these must be reduced
or abolished so that competition may
be admitted no matter from what
country it may come
Senator Cullom of Illinois who
keeps very closely in touch with the
people and has a clear perception of
public sentiment recognizes these
facts and declares that tariff revision
must soon be taken up by congress
the sooner the better
Western republicans would impress
their eastern brethren with the earn
estness of their opinions on this sub
ject and urge on behalf of the west
ern people a moderate revision in the
Dingley traiff law
Such a revision in the near future
by the friends of protection will keep
the tariff question out of politics for
years to come and establish the pro
tective policy as a finality
Reciprocity such as President Mc
Kinley favored must also be made a
distinct government policy so that our
trade abroad may be widened and ex
tended If we are to gain access to
foreign markets we must make some
concession to our home markets We
can not have both entirely to our
selves
These are the principles and opin
ions that are finding extensive lodg
ment in the western mind and it will
be well if the leaders of the repub
lican party both east and west give
thoughtful heed to them
A denial of tariff revision by the
next congress will seriously imperil
the presidential election of 1904 As
has been pointed out before the peo
ple have a rude way of rebuking their
unfaithful servants and a faithless
congress may again lead to a repeti
tion of the election of 1892
CULLOM ON THE TARIFF
Illinois Senator Sees Necessity for
Revision
The Senior Senator of Illinois is
not a radical tariff reformer but he
is a good observer and student of
public sentiment He has favored the
ratification of the reciprocity treaties
and he realizes that tariff revision is
a real not a sham issue He is more
reasonable and progressive in dealing
with this question than reformer-manager
Babcock who forgets as chair
man what he has so forcefully and in
telligently said as tariff reformer
Illinois sympathizes with Cuba and
supports her request for a material
reduction of duty But it does not
stop there As Senator Cullom says
the people of Illinois are also think
ing a great deal about tariff revision
The Senator adds
There is no demand among our peo
ple for anything revolutionary in tariff
matters and I know they are willing
to trust the Democrats to do the work
which they feel should be done What
we want to do now is to inquire care
fully into the whole subject of Dingley
schedules and determine just what
rates should be cut and to what ex
tent I dont know how soon we shall
have to take up this tremendous task
in Congress but I do know that we
shall have to do it before a great
while
Meanwhile the Republican party
must recognize the need and the duty
of dealing with the question Shallow
talk of letting well enough alone
will not do And the conventions
should speak more plainly than Iowa
did the other day Those professed
tariff reformers who are satisfied with
the Iowa planks are not at all hard
to please Any militant high-protectionist
Bourbon will admit that
schedules are not sacred or eternal
and that as an abstract proposition
revision is desirable from time to
time From Iowa we had a right
to expect something more specific and
definite a declaration for example
that the time for revision has come
and that certain schedules are no
longer necessary either for protection
or for revenue Iowa has not said as
much as so conservative a statesman
as Senator Cullom is perfectly willing
to say that there is work to do here
and now on the tariff system and
that mere is danger in delay and ex
cessive timidity
The Iowa tariff plank is disappoint
ing though half a loaf is better than
none at all There is however con
solation in the remarks of our senior
Senator Chicago Record Herald
CHANGES
IN
THE TARIFF
Declaration of Iowa Republican Con
vention Commended
The Republicans of Iowa reaffirm in
this years platform certain state
ments made in the platform of 1901
They say again
Wo favor such changes In the tariff
from time to time as become advisable
through the progress of our Industries
and their changing relations to the
commerce of the world Wo indorso
the policy of reciprocity as the natural
complement of protection and urge Its
development as necessary to the reali
zation of our highest commercial pos
sibilities
Tho Republicans who express them
selves after this fashion do not look
upon the Dingley tariff law as a per
fect unalterable piece of legislation
It has no sanctity for them They aro
willing to lower duties when tho prog
ress of industry makes high duties un
necessary for protection They aro
ready to lower duties through reci
procity treaties whenever commercial
advantages can be gained thereby
This is the policy of McKinley It is
a broad liberal Intelligent policy
which should guide the course of tho
Republican party in congress
The Iowa Republicans also say this
year as they did last year We favor
any modification of the tariff sched
ules that may be required to prevent
their affording shelter to monopoly
There was opposition to this clause in
the committee on resolutions It was
asserted that the clause would bo a
plea of guilty to the Democratic
charge that the tariff is the parent at
trusts Happily the argument had no
effect The Republican party of Iowa
has not been put in the false position
it would have occupied if it had de
clared indirectly that the tariff sched
ules cannot afford shelter to monop
oly
It is a notorious fact that some of
the tariff schedules do afford shelter
to monopoly That is they permit
certain trusts or combines to exact
from domestic consumers unreason
ably high prices for their products
prices higher than could be exacted if
the tariff afforded no more protection
than is necessary to enable the Ameri
can producers to compete on even
terms with their foreign rivals
As some trusts make an illegitimate
use of the protection they enjoy why
should the Republicans of Iowa and of
the United States hesitate to say so
Why should not they promise to de
prive the trusts of a shelter they are
abusing The language used in the
Iowa platform is not a confession that
the tariff i3 the parent of trusts There
are trusts in free trade England The
language is a simple statement that
the party which made the tariff will
change the tariff whenever it appears
a wrongful use is being maGe of any
of the duties levied by it Chicago
Tribune
TWO PICTURES
1896
Hat i
1902
The Next Congress
A Democratic house next November
would go far to check the progress of
the country by largely destroying con
fidence in the future It would indi
cate a change where no change is de
sired It would promise a political
revolution where revolution would be
disastrous It would be taken as a
storm signal by the rich and poor
alike Manufacturers would have no
ground upon which to base estimates
as to future work capitalists would
have no faith in the continued pros
perity of the country Apprehension
would prevail where faith now con
trols and the preparation for a change
would do much to precipitate a finan
cial and an industrial reaction
Every man whether employer or
employe working by the day or the
hour working for others or for him
self every man who believes that the
conditions now prevailing are better
conditions than those that prevailed
in 189G should see to it that his vote
and his influence are cast against the
election of a Democratic Congress
next November Louisville Post
A Surplus Breeder
When the Dingley tariff bill became
a law quite a number of wise news
papers demonstrated that the Cleve
land deficit would continue because it
would be impossible to get more reve
nue from the Dingley law than from
the Gorman act Nevertheless under
the Dingley law the tariff collections
increased from 1102000000 to 165
000000 Indianapolis Journal
AS TO NEWSPAPER TRU8TS
Brooklyn Eagle Shows Why They Aro
Not Practicable
If Mr Ochs can run two newspapers
In Philadelphia and one In Now York
and If Mr Hearst can run what la
almost three editions of tho samo
paper in New York Chicago and San
Francisco why may not Mr Collier
run 40 newspapers all tho way from
Peokskill through Skaneateles and
Schenevus Partly for tho samo rea
son that a man who can drive a span
may not bo ablo to guide a four-in-hand
or if ho drivos a four-in-hand
he may not bo equal to tho require
ments of a 16 horso team Each ono
of the 16 horses will have a temper
of his own which will need watch
ing Each one of Mr Colliers pro
posed 40 newspapers in his combi
nation will bear just about as much
watching as a healthy boy just out
of kilts who has learned to run
away A newspaper is an individual
product to a much greater extent than
a box of soap or a barrel of sugar
cured hams Is It Is mado for one
particular local market even more ex
clusively than scrapple pepper pot
or catfish and coffee are prepared for
the Philadelphia palate gumbo for
that of New Orleans or codfish balls
for Boston If tho paper is to bo a
success tho man who runs it must
not only know local prejudices and
history he must be a part of them
They must beat in his pulses uncon
sciously Then the paper is the voice
of the community and a fair sharo of
the treasure of the community finds
its way into tho editors bank account
Brooklyn Eagle
DEFIANT OF UNCLE SAM
Notable Career of a Kentucky Moon
shiner and a Bad Man
It seems strange that a man could
for 30 years defy the United State-
authorities and carry on tho business
of illicit distillation of spirits yet
such an Instance is on record In thci
Cumberland mountains on the Kentucky-Virginia
border where civiliza
tion is a mockery and where law and
order are jokes Will Wallen aged
50 years and known as Whisky Bill
is a man who has done this thing To
day he is still living in his accus
tomed haunts and is as free as the
deer in his native mountains
For over 30 years Whisky Bill
has eluded the officers of the govern
ment Both the Kentucky and the
Virginia officials have searched for
him numerous times but they have
so far failed to effect his capture At
this time there is little or no effort
made to capture Wallen and his
ebrated whisky resort In the wilds of
the Cumberlands which has become
the only rendezvous for moonshine
lovers for many miles around
Several times Wallen has been in
conflict with United States officers In
June 1880 he and a comrade named
Jones fought off 13 officials and shot
one of them He has also figured in
some of the mountain feuds and in
1884 killed a feudist named Taylor
Vance Another man who fell before
his rifle was Bishop Boggs who tried
to hold the moonshiner up
Rulers Death Unnoticed
It is curious to note how absolutely
unnoticed by the world in general was
the death recently of a reigning mon
arch Two or three lines only in tho
papers told us of the decease or the
Bey of Tunis Tunis is a country
much visited in the winter by Amer
icans and many tourists have seen this
oriental potentate The Bey was a
small black bearded man elderly and
in appearance somewhat resembling
the Sultan of Turkey His palace in
the city of Tunis was furnished with
an absurd commingling of oriental
and European furniture The floor of
the great throne room for example
was covered with a gaudy Brussels
carpet In the room adjoining is a
life size portrait of Washington The
Bey used to drive about the streets
dressed in a plain blue uniform in a
rather shabby coach preceded and fol
lowed by a score of ragged calvary
men carrying long spears One of his
accomplishments was painting in
oils and in the palace is a portrait
which he made of himself painted
upon the mirror which he looked Into
as he worked Since the French or
cupation the poor old Bey has been
ruler in name only
Tribute to American Literature
Professor Hartmann a well known
German authority on modern litera
ture stated in a recent lecture that
in no country in the world is litera
ture in so healthy a condition as in
the United States The faults of taste
the habit of exaggeration of loading
the page with purple patches sink in
to a comparatively unimportant place
when it is considered how virile the
style is how searching and complete
the treatment of a subject Hartmann
is of opinion that the modern Amer
ican novel at its best is better than
anything ever produced in England or
France For poetry the American
people he says are not yet ripe Be
fore the nation as a whole can appre
ciate great poetry or breed a school
of great poets it must pass through
much tribulation or trial
Change of Diet Wanted
There are a good many things of
which even the very poor may get
more than is sufficient A tired and
weary man fell from utter and sheer
faintness by the roadside A crowd
gathered almost Immediately when
an officious onlooker hurried forward
shouting
Stand back Give him air
The fainting man rallied and sat up
Air he gasped Give me air
Why gentlemen I have had nothing
but air for this last fortnight
jvotI