Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1916 — GOLD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GOLD

By STEWART EDWARD WHITE

SYNOPSIS Talbot Ward’s challenge to Frank Munloe to a personal encounter to determine whether Munroe is fit to make a trip to California in search of gold is accepted. Munroe gets a hammerlock on Ward and wins the bout. Arriving at Chagres, Talbot Ward’a knowledge of Spanish and his firm treatment of the native boatmen help wondertelly. The party enters a tropical forest. They reach Gatun, and, after passing through several villages where Ward always diplomatically handles the natives, they arrive in Panama. Ward puts it up to each man to get $220 in one day. Munroe makes $25 as a laborer. Johnny gambles and gets $220. Ward astound* the party by telling how. by shrewd business deals in one day In the Golden City, he accumulated several thousand dollars. Ward decides that he will not go with the party to the mines, but will stay* iu Francisco, where he thinks more Cold Is to be found. The party dig their first gold. They are not much encouraged when told that the value of their first pan is 12 cents. Don Gaspar, a Spaniard, and his manservant Vasquez join forces with the trio sad the gold is divided into five parts. After working like beavers several days the miners decide to take a day off and attend a miners’ meeting in town. For sls a week in gold and a drink of whisky twice a day Bagsby promises to isad the party to a rich unexplored mlntng country. A band of Indians come into the camp to trade. They are thankful for blankets. Later the Indians attempt an ambuscade, but are routed by rifle shots. McNally Is found with group of traders. Vasquez, left in charge of camp, is found •calped by the red men. Tank, Buck Barry and Don Gaspar are gent to town with ss,ooo in gold. Barry and Don Gaspar return to camp declaring they have been robbed. Johnny gets Into an altercation with Ccarface Charlie. Johnny’s splendid nerve attracts Danny Randall, who Is seeking honest men in the camp. Scarface Charlie sends Johnny a challenge to meet him at the main saloon. Johnny, with another great display of nerve, drops Scarface Charlie. Johnny and his express messenger friends arrest two of the Hounds who are tried for robbery. The lawless element controls the trial and the Hounds are freed.

Robberies grow more frequent as the lawless element holds sway. McNally and Buck Barry are murdered after the lawless element gets control of the city. CHAPTER XXIII. The Rule of the Lawless. W MONO the occasional visitors to ZJk camp was a man who called f \ himself Harry Crawford. He was a man of perhaps twen-ty-five years, tall, rather slender, with a clear face and laughing blue eyes. Nothing iu his appearance indicated the desperado, and yet we had long known him as one of the Morton gang. This man now took up his residence In camp, and we soon discovered that he was evidently the killer. The first afternoon he picked some sort of a petty quarrel with Thompson over a purchase, but cooled down instantly when unexpectedly confronted by a half dozen miners who came in at the opportune moment. A few days afterward in the slack time of the afternoon Thompson, while drinking at the har of the Empire and conversing with a friend, was approached by a well known sodden hanger-on of the saloons.

“What are you fellows talking about?” demanded this man impudently. “None of your business,” replied Thompson impatiently, for the man was a public nuisance and besides was deep in Thompson’s debt.

The man broke into foul oaths. “I'll dare you to tight!” he cried in a furious passion. Facing about, Thompson saw Crawford standing attentively among the listeners and Instantly comprehended the situation.

“You have the odds of me, with a pistol,” said Thompson, who notoriously had no skill with that weapon. ’“Why should I tight you?" “Well, then,” cried the man, “put up your fists! That’ll show who is the best man!” He snatched off his belt and laid It on the bar. Thompson did the same. “Come on!” cried the challenger, backing away. Thompson, thoroughly angry, reached over and slapped his antagonist. The latter promptly drew another revoler from beneath his coat, but be fore he could aim it Thompson jumped at his throat and disarmed him. At this moment Crawford interfered, apparently as peacemaker. Thompson was later told secretly by the barkeeper that the scheme was to lure him Into a pistol fight in the street, when Crawford would be ready to shoot him as soon as the first shot was fired. On the strength of this interference Crawford next pretended to friendship and spent much of his time at Thompson’s store. Thompson was in no way deceived. This state of affairs continued for two days. It terminated in the following manner: Crawford, sitting half on the counter and talking with all the great charm of which he

was master, led the subject to weapons. “This revolver of mine,” said he, at the same time drawing the weapon from its holster, “is one of the old navy model. You don’t often see them nowadays. It has a double lock.” He cocked it as though to illustrate his ppint, and the muzzle, as though by accident, swept toward the other man. He looked up from his affected close examination to find that Thompson had also drawn his weapon and that the barrel was pointing uncompromisingly in his direction. For a moment the two stared each other in the eye. Then Crawford sheathed his pistol with an oath. “What do you mean by that?” he cried. “I mean,” said Thompson firmly, “that I do not intend you shall get the advantage of me. You know my opinion of you and your gaug. I shall not be shot by any of you if I can help it.” Crawford withdrew quietly, but later in the day approached a big group of us, one of which was Thompson. “There’s a matter between you and me has got to be settled!” he cried. “Well, I can’t imagine what it is,” replied Thompson. “I’m not aware that I’ve said or done anything to you that needs settlement.” “You needn’t laugh!” replied Crawford, with a string of Insulting oaths. “You’re a coward, and if you’re anything of a man you will step out of doors and have this out.” “I am, as you say, a coward,” replied Thompson quietly, “and I see no reason for going out of doors to fight you or anybody else.” After blustering and swearing for a few moments Crawford withdrew. He made no attempt to fight, nor do I believe his outburst had any other purpose than to establish the purely personal character of the quarrel between Thompson and himself. At any rate, Thompson was next morning found murdered in his bunk, while Crawford had disappeared. I do not know whether Crawford had killed him oi not I think not

About this time formal printed notices of some sort of election were posted on the bulletin board at Morton’s place. At least they were said to have been posted and were pointed out to all comers the day after election. Perhaps they were there all the time, as claimed, but nobody paid much attention to them. At any rate, we one day awoke to the fact that we were a full fledged community, with regularly constituted court officers, duly qualified officials, and a sheriff.

The sheriff was Morton, and the most worthy judges were other members of his gang. This move tickled Danny Randall’s sense of humor immensely. “That’s good headwork,” he said approvingly. “I didn’t think Morton had it in him.” “It's time something was done to run that gang out of town,” fumed Dr. Rankin. “No; it is not time,” denied Danny, “any more than it was time when you and Johnny and the rest of you had your celebrated jury trial.” “I’d like to know what you are driving at!” fretted the worthy doctor. Danny Randall laughed in his gentle little fashion. I will confess that just at that time I was very decidedly wondering what Danny Randall was at. In fact, at moments I was strongly inclined to doubt his affiliations. He seemed to stand in an absolutely neutral position, inclining to neither' side.

Tom Cleveland whs killed in the open street by one of the Empire hang-ers-on. The man was promptly arrested by Morton in his capacity of sheriff and confined in chains. Morton as sheriff selected those who were to serve on the Jury- I had the curiosity to attend the trial, expecting to assist at an uproarious farce. All the proceedings, on the contrary, were conducted with the greatest decorum and with minute attention to legal formalities. The assassin, however, was acquitted. From that time the outrages increased in number and in boldness. No man known to be possessed of any quantity of gold was safe. It was dangerous to walk alone after dark, to hunt alone in the mountains, to live alone. Every man carried his treasure about with him everywhere he went No man dared raise his voice in criticism of the ruling powers, for it was pretty generally understood that such criticism meant death. This is a chapter I hate to write, and therefore I shall get it over with as soon as possible.

One Sunday iu the middle of Oct oner two men trudged into town leading each a pack horse. I was at the time talking to Barnes at his hotel and saw them from a distance hitching their animals outside Morton’s. They stayed there for some time, then tame out,’ unhitched their horses, led them as far as the Empire, hesitated, finally again tied the beasts and disappeared. In this manner they gradually worked along to the Bella Union, where at last I recognized them as McNally and Buck Barry, our comrades of the Porcupine. Of course 1 at once rushed over to see them. I found them surrounded by a crowd to whom they were offering drinks free handed. Both were already pretty drunk, hut they knew me as soon as I entered the door and surged toward me hands out. “Well, well, well!” cried McNally delightedly. “And here's himsoli! And who'd have thought of seeing you here? 1 made sure you were in the valley and out of the country long since. And you’re just in time. Make a name for itV Better call it whisky straight. Drink tons, my hoy! Come, join my friends! We’re all friends here! Come on. and here's to luck, the best luck ever! We’ve got two horse loads of gold out there —nothing but gold—and it all came from our old digging. You ought to have stayed. We had no trouble. Bagsby was an old fool!” All the time he was dragging me along by the arm toward the crowd at the bar. Barry -maintained an air of owlish gravity. “Where's Missouri Jones?” I inuuirfed. but I might as well have asked the stone mountains. McNally chattered on, excited, his blue eyes dancing, bragging over and over about his two horse loads of gold. The crowd took Ills whisky, laughed with him and tried shrewdly to pump him as to the location of his diggings. McNally gave them no satisfaction there, but even when most hilarious retained enough sense to put them off the track.

As will be Imagined. I was most uneasy about the whole proceeding and tried quietly to draw the two men off. “No, sir,” cried McNally, “not any! Jes’ struck town and am goin' to have a time!” in which determination he was cheered by all the bystanders. I did not know where to turn. Johnny was away on one of his trips, and Danny Randall was not to be found. Finally Inspiration served me. “Come down first and see Yank,” I urged. “Poor old Yank is crippled and can’t move.” That melted them at once. They untied their long suffering animals, and we staggered off down the trail. On the way down I tried, but in vain, to arouse them to a sense of danger. “You’ve let everybody in town know you have a lot of dust” I pointed out. McNally merely laughed recklessly. “Good boys!” he cried. “Wouldn’t harm a fly!” And I could veer him to no other point of view. Barry agreed to everything, very solemn and very owlish.

We descended on Yank like a storm. I will say that McNally at any time was irresistible and irrepressible, but especially so in his cups. We laughed ourselves sick that afternoon. The Morenas were enchanted. Under instructions. and amply supplied with dust, Morena went to town and returned with various bottles. Senora Morena cooked a fine supper. In the meantime I, as apparently the only responsible member of the party, unsaddled the animals and brought their burdens i.vto the cabin. Although McNally’s statement as to the loads consisting exclusively of gold was somewhat of an exaggeration, nevertheless the cantinas were very heavy. Not knowing what else to do with them, I thrust them under Yank’s bunk. The evening was lively, I will confess it, and under the Influence of it my caution became hazy. Finally, when I at last made my way back to my own camp, I found myself vastly surprised to discover Yank hobbling along by my side. I don’t know why he came with me, and I do not think he knew either. Probably force of habit. At any rate, we left the other four ft) sleep where they would. I remember we had some difficulty in finding places to lie. (To be continued. 1

“What do you mean by that?" he cried.