Show BLACK BLACKROCK ROCK A T Talc tIc of the trie irks I By fly Ralph Connor It appeared that after tin the making of or the time league Je the tho Black Rock nock hotel hotelman hotelman man ha had bet bel Idaho one hundred to fifty that Nixon could not nol be got sot to drink 11 n I before Easter Easier All schemes 8 hud had failed unit and now not he had only lillY three days R In which to win his money and anti lh the tho ha ball II was his In last t chance lI Here Ip again ho he was wm halk balked tl fm Nixon for Nixon resisting all entreaties barrod liarS liar bar S rod Ii his I shack door and ami wont to bed before berolo nightfall according to his in invariable in- in variable custom on da pay ia At midnight midnight mid mid- night some sonie of men niemi C came battering battering bat but at al the Ih door minni for admission which Nixon reluctantly granted For half an hour hOIl they lie used er c every art ml or persuasion to induce him him to go o down downto own to the ball hall the glorious success of or w which was glowingly I depicted but Nixon remained Immovable a and rid they took loul their 11 baffled burned anti and cursing I In n I two wn hours tIle the they returned i drunk enough lo to b be dan dangerous 1 kicked I at tho thu door dour In Iii vain aln finally gained entrance en en- trance through the time window hauled Nixon out nut of bed 1011 and holding a gla glass q of whisky to fO hl hits his lips hall bade him drink I hit But ho knocked knockel th the lie glass Ia away spilling spill spill- ing time the liquor el CI himself J amid tho the lei bed It was drink or fight and anI anelon Nixon on was read rad ready lo to fight but 0 after 1 parley tile the they had a n. drink all around and fell II to persuasion again The night was cold and poor Nivon sat shivering on tho the edge elge e of ot It hl his bed hed If Ir he would take one drink tile they would leave o hIm him alone He lie nee need 1 not nut show himself so o stiff The whisky rU tummies fumes S 'S filled his nostrils If one CHIP drink would get Ret them off surel surely that hut was r than tiati O fighting an and killing kill ing n some ono one or imi gl getting killed He lIe Heh h hes yielded ll his gla glass s. s rhe They sat about him hini amiably drinkIng drinking drink drink- In ing and amul lauding him as a n. line fine fellow after nr all nil One more glass before the they left Then Nixon ro rose e. e dressed himself him him- self drank all that thatus was us left of nr the bottle hottle put PUl his mone money In ill his pocket and came down clown to 10 the dance wild tild with his time old ma madness ness reckless of oC faith and anti pledge forgetful Corg of home wife babies his whole heln being absorbed absorb absorb- ed Cl in Iii ono great passion passion to to drink and drink antI and drink till tilt he could COUIl drink no more Before Shaw had hat finished his tale talc I Craigs Craig's eyes were wel streaming with tears teals I and 1111 groans of or ra rage e and Ift pity broke brok alternately from him Abe Ab rt remained I IJ speechless J for a time not nol trusting I himself but as he heard Craig groan Oh Ohm the beasts The fiends he seemed seem seem- od ed d encouraged tl to let Jet himself loose and J JIe he Ie began hegan swearing sweating with the time coolest lId and most curdling blood deliberation I Craig listened with evident e approval al finding complete lion lon in Abes Abe's performance when sud- sud deal lenly h he seemed to 10 waken walen up cau caught ht Abe Abc by the arm und said In n a 0 horror horror- stricken voice voice- Stop Stol stop God forgive c us We c I must riot not swear like this Abe Abo stopped at nt once and arid In n a surmised surprIsed surprised sur sur- and slightly grieved voice said S Wh Vh Why what's whal's the matter with that thal Vint Aint that what whal you wanted y Yes s. s yes God forgive me I am afraid It was he lie answered hurriel- hurriel I y but bul T r must not mint Oh Ohi dont don't you ou won worry went on be Ahl cheerfully Ill look after that and amid anyway aint the they the Rankest blankest cst blanket pt blank going blank going ore off again gain Into a roll of or curses till OI C Craig In n an agony of entreaty succeeded mcc In n arresting lIng th the tho low flow of profanity po possible to o no one ono but bin a mountain stage e CI Cr 1 Abe Abc l unused paused looking hurt and amid ed Ir the they 11 did hI not nol dos e everything every every- thing ho hI S I jf upon th hum Jn i S Yes Yel yes C urged Gl Craig I But that thatis is s not nol our business Well so o I r reckoned d. d replied Abe recognizing the tho limitations of or thin the cloth loth you aint used usel to It It and anti you expected to do o It But it Just makes lakes me mo feel good let good let out o school like to ke to properly do ern up the blank lank blank and 1111 off ho he wont went again ng It vas ivas On only un under I the till pressure of oC Mr I Craigs Craig's prams an and commands that thal ho lie j finally agreed to Iu 10 hold hoM In though It I W was H tough to lie bo done asked Shaw I Nothing answered Craig bitterly bitter bitter- Iv ly iy n lIe II was wn exhausted with his long bug I ildo ride from the Landing antI and broken with Ith hitter bitter ti disappointment 0 over Ih the ruin of nil all that thai he lie hind had labored so o tong lung tt to accomplish h. Nonsense C said Graeme mp Th Theres Ie Ien u n good deal Ical to fIn do I It Tl was Va n agreed d that Craig should re remain rennin re- re main 1 ln with Nixon while thilo the time others of or us mis should gather up what whal fragments frag frag- ments we could find tImid of or tho the broken le league We e had hall Just opened the door dOni when wo WI met mart a man striding up at ut a ii great pace It was li Craw Craw- I r ford 0 line y ye seen the lie lad wu Wt his salutation No one ono replied So I told tod ol I Geordie of my last sight of ot Billy In n limo An Au did dill ye l no gang Aang alt alfter alfier r him ho Ito asked ll In Indignant surprise adding with some Sonic contempt Man n but yere yer a feckless huddle lull Hilly Billy gone Jon too said Shaw They ml might hl have havo let Billy alone POOl Pooi Craig stood In lii n a dumb agony agon Billys Billy's fall seemed scorned more moie than he could CoUil bear I We Ve wont out nut leaving him bin heart broken n amid th the ruins of oC his league As we stood outside of Craigs Craig's shack shock In the lie dim starlight we could not nOI hide from ourselves es that lint we wo were we're were re beaten It was not nol so gO much flinch grief as 11 n at blind fury that filled m in my heart a am and 1111 looking hooking at Ih the faces of the tho men about aboul mo mile I read the same Mm fooling feeling there But Bui what could wo WI do Io The rhe yells ol of of carousing minors down at al Slavin's told us that nothing could b bo be done with them that thal nl night hl To ro be hI so o ut utterly Ily b beaten and unfairly and with no chance of or revenge was maddening Id Ial like to 10 get got back hack at em said at A Abo 1 lie be carefully r repressing himself Ive J got ot It It H. men said Graeme sud sod denly This town does loes nol not require all the whisky there theae Is II In it it And he lie unfolded his plan It was to gain po possession of Sla saloon and the 1 bar bal of the Black Dlack Rock hotel and clear out all the tIme liquor to be he found in both these places I did ld not much like the hE Idea and Geor lo said said- Im gaen alfter the he lad Ill I'll hue I toe tao dae lae wP wi yon on Its It's no that cue easy an un its it's a waste But nul Abe J was wild to tr try It and Show Shaw was quite willing while old Nelson Ison sternly approved Nelson Nolson you and armi Shaw get got a couple of If our Ull mc men n and atte attend nd to the tho saloon Slavin and anti the whole gan gang are up at atthe atthe the Black Rock flock so O you ou wont won't have much trouble but hUl come to us as soon as aR you ou can Then Coli followed owed a scene the thc like of or which I can never nEwer hope to see seo again and It was worth a mans man's seeing But there were times that night when I wished I had not a agreed to follow Graeme In n hi his plot A As we went up to C the hotel I asked askell ci Graeme Graeme- rae me What about the tho law of this Law raw he replied indignantly rime rhe They haven't ha troubled much about law in the lie whisky business here Tile The They get t a ke keg of high wine some drugs s and b begin gln operations No he lie went on If we WI can get et the thc crowd out omit and ourselves es In 10 well we'll make them break bieak the tho law latt In n getting us out The law won wont won't t trouble u us over o smuggled whIsk whisky It will he bo a n great lark larl and they wont won't crow crot too tOn loud over o the time I league fO mA t ot t tn V. V I Ii 15 did lid not pol like thin tho undertaking at first but as L- L thought I-thought of or tho he whole wretched Illegal business flourishing upon the time weakness AA of the tho men inca In the mines and mind camps camp whom I had learned learn learn- ed 11 to 10 rt regard gar as brothers and especially especial especial- sp ly Iy as UI I thought of oC the cowards co thai that did lid for fOl Nixon Ixon I lot lei m my go and amlI determined with Abe AhE to ti get gem ll back at al em em 1 Continued tomorrow morning |