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his lips察bade him drink。  But he knocked the glass sway察spilling
the liquor over himself and the bed。

It was drink or fight察and Nixon was ready to fight察but after
parley they had a drink all round察and fell to persuasion again。
The night was cold察and poor Nixon sat shivering on the edge of his
bed。  If he would take one drink they would leave him alone。  He
need not show himself so stiff。  The whisky fumes filled his
nostrils。  If one drink would get them off察surely that was better
than fighting and killing some one or getting killed。  He
hesitated察yielded察drank his glass。  They sat about him amiably
drinking察and lauding him as a fine fellow after all。  One more
glass before they left。  Then Nixon rose察dressed himself察drank
all that was left of the bottle察put his money in his pocket察and
came down to the dance察wild with his old´time madness察reckless of
faith and pledge察forgetful of home察wife察babies察his whole being
absorbed in one great passionto drink and drink and drink till he
could drink no more。

Before Shaw had finished his tale察Craig's eyes were streaming with
tears察and groans of rage and pity broke alternately from him。  Abe
remained speechless for a time察not trusting himself察but as he
heard Craig groan察'Oh察the beasts the fiends' he seemed
encouraged to let himself loose察and he began swearing with the
coolest and most blood´curdling deliberation。  Craig listened with
evident approval察apparently finding complete satisfaction in Abe's
performance察when suddenly he seemed to waken up察caught Abe by the
arm察and said in a horror´stricken voice

'Stop stop  God forgive us we must not swear like this。'

Abe stopped at once察and in a surprised and slightly grieved voice
said

'Why what's the matter with that拭 Ain't that what you wanted'

'Yes yes  God forgive me  I am afraid it was' he answered
hurriedly察'but I must not。'

'Oh察don't you worry' went on Abe cheerfully察'I'll look after
that part察and anyway察ain't they the blankest blankety blank'
going off again into a roll of curses察till Craig察in an agony of
entreaty察succeeded in arresting the flow of profanity possible to
no one but a mountain stage´driver。  Abe paused looking hurt察and
asked if they did not deserve everything he was calling down upon
them。

'Yes察yes' urged Craig察'but that is not our business。'

'Well so I reckoned' replied Abe察recognising the limitations of
the cloth察'you ain't used to it察and you can't be expected to do
it察but it just makes me feel goodlet out o' school liketo
properly do 'em up察the blank察blank' and off he went again。  It
was only under the pressure of Mr。 Craig's prayers and commands
that he finally agreed 'to hold in察though it was tough。'

'What's to be done' asked Shaw。

'Nothing' answered Craig bitterly。  He was exhausted with his long
ride from the Landing察and broken with bitter disappointment over
the ruin of all that he had laboured so long to accomplish。

'Nonsense' said Graeme察'there's a good deal to do。'

It was agreed that Craig should remain with Nixon while the others
of us should gather up what fragments we could find of the broken
League。  We had just opened the door察when we met a man striding up
at a great pace。  It was Geordie Crawford。

'Hae ye seen the lad' was his salutation。  No one replied。  So I
told Geordie of my last sight of Billy in the orchestra。

'An' did ye no' gang aifter him' he asked in indignant surprise
adding with some contempt察'Man but ye're a feckless buddie。'

'Billy gone too' said Shaw。  'They might have let Billy alone。'

Poor Craig stood in a dumb agony。  Billy's fall seemed more than he
could bear。  We went out察leaving him heart´broken amid the ruins
of his League。


CHAPTER IX

THE LEAGUE'S REVENGE


As we stood outside of Craig's shack in the dim starlight察we could
not hide from ourselves that we were beaten。  It was not so much
grief as a blind fury that filled my heart察and looking at the
faces of the men about me I read the same feeling there。  But what
could we do拭 The yells of carousing miners down at Slavin's told
us that nothing could be done with them that night。  To be so
utterly beaten察and unfairly察and with no chance of revenge察was
maddening。

'I'd like to get back at 'em' said Abe察carefully repressing
himself。

'I've got it察men' said Graeme suddenly。  'This town does not
require all the whisky there is in it'察and he unfolded his plan。
It was to gain possession of Slavin's saloon and the bar of the
Black Rock Hotel察and clear out all the liquor to be found in both
these places。  I did not much like the idea察and Geordie said察'I'm
ga'en aifter the lad察I'll hae naethin' tae dae wi' yon。  It's' no'
that easy察an' it's a sinfu' waste。'

But Abe was wild to try it察and Shaw was quite willing察while old
Nelson sternly approved。

'Nelson察you and Shaw get a couple of our men and attend to the
saloon。  Slavin and the whole gang are up at the Black Rock察so you
won't have much trouble察but come to us as soon as you can。'

And so we went our ways。

Then followed a scene the like of which I can never hope to see
again察and it was worth a man's seeing。  But there were times that
night when I wished I had not agreed to follow Graeme in his plot。
As we went up to the hotel察I asked Graeme察'What about the law of
this'

'Law' he replied indignantly。  'They haven't troubled much about
law in the whisky business here。  They get a keg of high wines and
some drugs and begin operations。  No' he went on察'if we can get
the crowd out察and ourselves in察we'll make them break the law in
getting us out。  The law won't trouble us over smuggled whisky。
It will be a great lark察and they won't crow too loud over the
League。'

I did not like the undertaking at first察but as I thought of the
whole wretched illegal business flourishing upon the weakness of
the men in the mines and camps察whom I had learned to regard as
brothers察and especially as I thought of the cowards that did for
Nixon察I let my scruples go察and determined察with Abe察'to get back
at 'em。'

We had no difficulty getting them out。  Abe began to yell。  Some
men rushed out to learn the cause。  He seized the foremost man
making a hideous uproar all the while察and in three minutes had
every man out of the hotel and a lively row going on。

In two minutes more Graeme and I had the door to the ball´room
locked and barricaded with empty casks。  We then closed the door of
the bar´room leading to the outside。  The bar´room was a strongly
built log´shack察with a heavy door secured察after the manner of the
early cabins察with two strong oak bars察so that we felt safe from
attack from that quarter。

The ball´room we could not hold long察for the door was slight and
entrance was possible through the windows。  But as only a few casks
of liquor were left there察our main work would be in the bar察so
that the fight would be to hold the passage´way。  This we
barricaded with casks and tables。  But by this time the crowd had
begun to realise what had happened察and were wildly yelling at door
and windows。  With an axe which Graeme had brought with him the
casks were soon stove in察and left to empty themselves。

As I was about to empty the last cask察Graeme stopped me察saying
'Let that stand here。  It will help us。'  And so it did。  'Now skip
for the barricade' yelled Graeme察as a man came crashing through
the window。  Before he could regain his feet察however察Graeme had
seized him and flung him out upon the heads of the crowd outside。
But through the other windows men were coming in察and Graeme rushed
for the barricade察followed by two of the enemy察the foremost of
whom I received at the top and hurled back upon the others。

'Now察be quick' said Graeme察'I'll hold this。  Don't break any
bottles on the floorthrow them out there' pointing to a little
window high up in the wall。

I made all haste。  The casks did not take much time察and soon the
whisky and beer were flowing over the floor。  It made me think of
Geordie's regret over the 'sinfu' waste。'  The bottles took longer
and glancing up now and then I saw that Graeme was

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