Beadle's Dime Library No. 305 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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say you ought to be ashamed of yourse 24 Silver-Plated Sol; the Montana Rover. And to this resolution they remained true- Giant Dave was visibly affected by their devo-. tion, but he still kept their interests at hearf, and it was not until be had exhausted all his arguments that he abandoned the effort to make them drop his case and resume work. The day passed slowly on, but not a stroke of work was done in the mine. Bunker kept watch, and when he saw that the strikers were indeed, firm, he prepared to keep his threat an expel them from tkeir bouses, Unluckily, he found plenty of self-styled sym- pathizers, These were men who were bis rivals in mining, and whe would be glad to see the Highteen. Carat closed. From enemies they be- came suddenly transformed to supporters, and, anxious to help the quarrel on, they announced that Bunker could rely on them in the emer- gency. And Bunker prepared for the eviction, CHAPTER XXXII. ALONE WITH THE GRIZZLIES. BUNKER did not have any trouble in gather- ing a force of men to assist him in his work, bere are always men to be found who, too lazy to work, are ready to assist zealously in any such enterprise, and these he took under his wing and formed as a party of eviction, Then they went out on their mission, The miners were at home and expecting the visit, and they had made up their minds to bear it philosophically. To resist would be to array themselves against the law, such as existed in Bowlder Bar, and the peoplein geveral would be sure to side against them, Clearly they must go, and then wait for some turn in the tide which would give them what they considered their rights. Bunker went to work and the clearing-out process. began. It was conducted in a way which made the miners more than ever indig- nant, but th y scarcely spoke a word as they were themselves first ordered out and then fol- lowed by their goods, The posse under Bunker’s lead were, at least, earning whatever pay they received. A dismal scena was soon presented, as house after house was emptied and the furniture and other goods piled up in front of it, and some of Bunker’s supporters began to wonder if he was doing wisely. Quietas the miners were, they mighh yet strike back, n unexpected episode occurred as Bunker was directing the emptying of one house. light figure suddenly came to his side, and he looked down and saw Ettala Danforth. “‘ Jason Bunker, you ought to be ashamed of yourself!” she impulsively said, ‘* Had 1?” muttered the mine-owner, confused by the unexpected assertion, ‘Yes, you had! What right have you to turn all.these people out of doors? This family are my friends, and they do not know whero they will sleep to-night. For shame! to make such nse of your power!” “ They’ve chosen their own road; I’ve nothing to.do with it,” be sullenly replied. ‘‘ You have everything todo with it. You are driving houest people out of their homes.” ‘“‘These houses are for my workingmen; I won’t have a lot of loafers in them, en m force refused.to work longer, they forfeited a)l right to them,” ‘Your excuse is no excuse atall. You are acting out of a mean spirit of roMcgeh, fed I ttala looked very pretty as she stood there with her cheeks flushed with indignation, and the miners forgot their resolve to. keep silence and uttered a:cheer. Bunker, however, was beginning to recover his self-possession, and he remembered that he was not without means of retort, ‘*T understand very clearly why you uphold them,” be said. _‘* You know all. their troubles are due to Dave Bond, and you are so infatuated with the fellow that you have lost all prudence. Better look to yourself, not to the miners!” ‘*How dare you bring my name into this af- fair?” Ettala cried, her eyes flashing. ‘‘Tdaredo anything to quiet a woman's in- solent tongue, and if you are not careful I will say more. .Your record since you knew Bond will hardly bear investigation.’ The words had scarcely passed his lips when a heavy hand fell on bis shoulder, and he looked around and saw Giant Dave, himself, The miner’s face was pale, and his eyes blazed with a suppressed fury before which Bunker shrunk back in fear, “You mean snake!” said the giant, huskily, ‘thar ain’t anything too bad fur you ter say, is thar? Luckily, you opened yer, mouth in my hearin’, this time, an’ you've got ter answer fur it. I don’t allow no slurs while I’m around, an’ I won’t b’ar them. Git downon yer knees an’ beg Miss Danforth’s pardon!” **T baven’t said anything,” answered Bunker, half-defiantly, but still cowering, ‘*Tt makes no diffrence what you've said or ain’t said; you’ve sneered at a lady whose shoes ou ain’t fit ter black, an’ you’ve got ter swaller Dee words. Down on yer knees!’ jiant Dave was no longer the mild, meek man bis associates had known; he towered aloft on Eph’s in all his grand strength, and his face was full of lofty indignation, He forced the mine-owner down at one motion of bis powerful hand, at the last word and, just then, the fellow would have given a good deal had he never made war on his employee. He begged Ettala’s pardon with such haste that he bardly knew what he said, and then, as the girl hastened away, alarmed at the storm her impulsive interruption bad caused, Dave turned and walked deliberately toward bis cabin. Bunker proceeded with his work, but his heart was no longer in it. He saw that the st gg were gradually turning against him; that dark looks met him on all sides; that there were suspicious mutterings among the men; and he sincerely wished Josepb Danforth had shot himself before he enlisted him in the work of warring on Giant Dave. But the work of expelling the miners was done; they were homeless; and, so far, Bunker had had matters his own way. Thers were those, however, who prophesie work would yet cost bim dearly, Silver Plated Sol watched the grizzly with a sort of fascination as the beast advanced upon the log. Thus far, he had not been seen in turn, and he certainly had no desire to attract his at- tention. Tf Old Eph was not in a sociable mood he was welcome to ‘‘pass by on the other side.” Eph advanced rg the Jog in a careless way which showed that he was accustomed to the road, and he had gone half the distance before his mood changed. Suddenly, however, he paused; his nose was elevated; and his gaze became fixed on the man suspended in the air. long pause followed, Man and beast looked at each other steadily, but neither stirred. On the part of Eph, he seemed fo be decidedly sur- prised. His countenance was not so capable of photographing bis mind as is a human face, but it was plain to Sol that he was at fault. Doubtless, he had traversed the bridge a good many times before, but never until then bad he noticed this peculiar feature of the log: rider, Possibly, he was wondering if it had grown hers like a mushroom—but this point is imma- rial, Several seconds rolled away without activity art, and then he gave signs of lifa. Still keeping his gaze fixed on the man, he ad- vanced until directly beneath him, and then proceeded to view him again critically. What conclusion he arrived at is uncertain, but it is possible he thought he saw somethin good for his stomach, At any rate, a wick gleam appeared in his eyes and he proceeded to sit erect and put up bis paws for a closer ac- quaintance. Danger had fairly begun, Eph reached for his. victim, but he was not. a very stalwart. beast anyway, and he fell short over afoot. He pawed the air in a helpless way for a while, and then settled down and showed his teeth in a vicious way. Colton had watched him narrowly, and not always with indifferevce, but when he had seen the matter tested, he began to feel moreat ease. ‘You've got to grow awhile yet, uncle Eph,” he coolly observed. “Suppose you pass on and take a year’s vacation?” It seemed a fair proposal, but Eph treated it with silent disdain. He seemed to meditate, and then tried the length of his paws again with the old result, However, be was not inclined to give up, and he stalked across the log to the eastern bank of the canyon. Silver-Piated Sol now grew fresh- ly uneasy. A shelf of rock projected to the tree from which he was suspended, meeting the limb, and made a road which even a brute could not fail to find if he searched in earnest, The grizzly was in earnest, and be soon found ie oe more than that he advanced upon the imb, Sol watched him anxiously. The limb was thick and strong, and fully capable of bearing all the weight upon it, and it bent but little as Eph walked forward. He advanced until di- rectly above Sol, and then paused and looked longingly down. 2 tied-up man was still beyond his reach. After a little delay he Jay down, and then one of his paws was thrust over and toward Sol, It did not reach him by several inches; in vain fph swung his paw around and tried to lengthen bis leg; it remained a fact that he would bave ie grow, as Sol advised, before he could do any arm, The prisoner had been too busy watching him to pay attention to anything else, but when a slight sound below caused him to look down, he saw two other grizzlies on the bridge. The whole family was coming to the matinee, The new-comers were as interested as the first, and each tried his success at rearing and reach- ing up, and Sol had the pleasure, such as it was, of seeing a paw waving both above and below him, while the alt pegtending claws told what would be bis fate if one of them should geta fair chance at him. at they would do so finally seemed proba- that the day’s | ble, and they seemed to work together with such harmony that be balf-expected to see one of the lower ones mount on the shoulders of the other and end the matter at once, ‘“‘This is the most interesting menagerie I ever saw,” thought the rover, “‘but Vl be banged if I like it, Perbaps that fellow above will jump off and alight on me, or the villainous trio may gnaw cff the rope and let me down. Silver- Plated Sol, this is a leetle the worst fix you ever got into!” If he was troubled, the grizzlies were puz- gled. They wanted the man, but they did not know how to get at bim. They walked back and forth, and viewed him from various points, and seemed to be getting in ill-bumor, but all that did not help them in the least. The fellow on the limb kept bis place and seemed to consider himself a guard, Now and then he stretched down one foot, as though bop- ing his leg had lengthened, but always withcut success. Perhaps half an hour bad worn away in tbis: way when a fourth grizzly appeared, and Sol. felt a thrill run through his whole body. The new-comer Was a giant in size—the king of grizzlies, it seemed—and the rover felt an un- pleasant conviction that bis great size would enable him to reach the body which grizzlydom: desired. CHAPTER XXXiV. OLD EPH’S CLAWS. THE ‘giant grizzly advanced along the log with a slow and stately tread. He seemed ob- livious to the fact that a man was swinging in mid-air, or that others of his tribe were on the log abead of him, and one wou'd bave said he was a veritable monarch of the woods outona royal excursion. As he advanced the lesser brutes gave ground somewhat, but still remained looking upward, and the giant came toa balt and directed his attention the same way. Perhaps he considered it beneath his dignity to express surprise; ab. any rate, he looked with what seemed pbilo- sophical indifference. Bol Colton, however, felt an uneasiness bo had not before entertained. He marked Old Eph’s stature and dreaded the result of investi- gations. The test soon came. The giant deliberately reared, and it seemed as though a mountain of flesh was arising. He put out one paw and made a stroke; it missed its grip by the frac- tion of an inch. Again the paw swept forward, and Sol saw the deadly claws glisten in the fading light. A particle of his shirt was caught and torn away resistlessly; another inch and it would have been bis skin. The big grizzly seemed likely to fulfill Burbank’s assertion that they would cut him into sbreds. The fellow bear on the limb above was aroused to new life and gave variety to the per- formance by reaching down, but it. was chiefly on the king ‘that attention needed to be: be- stowed. | And Ola Eph did come again, sweeping his muscular paw forward, and evidently bent on finishing his work. : Silver-PlatedSol started:back in keen alarm as the giant’s claws literally tore the sbirt from his breast, but wounding him only slightly. “Pm in for slaughter!” he concluded, look- ing at the banks of the canyon in a vain hope of aid. ‘I can’t stand out against the pressure, and I reckon I may as well— Ha!” He escaped another stroke by an involuntary lift upward, and it gave him an idea, A cer- tain degree of motion was still left him—might he not avoid the giant’s strokes in precisely the same way he bad avoided the last? He tried it, and though it was a work of labor, found that he was rot so helpless as he had thought, though great care bad to be used not to bound witbin reach of bis neighbor on the Jimb. , : The matter was becoming serious, however, and Sol knew it could not last in that fashion fora great while. He bad been suspended so log that sharp pains were shooting through bis limbs and body, while bis bands and feet felt as though they had turned to stone, or, more pro- erly, had no feeling at ull. Add to this the act that the buge grizzly was liable to reach him at any moment, and he felt that be might as well give up the batile first as last. “Td give my last red to be free and armed with a revolver for a moment,” he thought, grating his teeth, as he avoided another stroke from Old Epb. “Yd make it lively for that cock-eyed villain!” That there was anything unusual about Eph’s eyes did not 3 but the uneomplimentary term was excusavdie. After that stroke, however, Eph settled down and remained quiet for awhile. His gaze was fixed on Sol in an evil way, and it was plain no love was lost ane sop but what followed was not to be expected. | | Eph wheeled and trotted along the log, fol- lowed by his two associates, and in two m utes. the three were out of sight. Only the one on the limb remained, : Eomicbooks