CHAPTER VIII
THE KNIFE
In every community, be it never so small, there are undesirablecitizens; and, while the little party was still at breakfast on thefollowing morning, three such members of society came around the cabinand let fall their packs, greeting the occupants boisterously.
"Well, well!" said Lee, coming to the door. "You're travellin' kind ofearly, ain't you?"
"Yes--early and late," one of them laughed, while the other twosprawled about as if to rest.
"How far are you goin'?"
"Not far," the spokesman answered.
Now in the North there is one formality that must be observed withfriend or enemy, and, though Lee knew these men for what they were, hesaid:
"Better have some breakfast, anyhow."
"We just ate." There was an uncomfortable pause, then the speakercontinued: "Look here. It's no use to flush around. We want a piece ofthis creek."
"What are you goin' to do with it?"
"Cut that out, Lee. We're on."
"Who wised you up to this?" inquired the miner, angrily, for he hadother friends besides those present whom he wished to profit by thisstrike, and he had hoped to keep out this scum.
"Never mind who put us Jerry. We're here, ain't we?"
Stark spoke up. "You can't keep news of a gold strike when the windblows, Lee. It travels on the breeze."
The harm was done, and there was no use in concealment, so Leereluctantly told them of his discovery and warned them of the stakesalready placed.
"And see here, you fellers," he concluded, "I've been forty years atthis game and never had a creek named after me, but this one is goin'to be called '"No Creek" Lee Creek' or I fight. Does it go?"
"Sure, that's a good name, and we'll vote for it."
"Then go as far as you like," said the miner, dismissing them curtly.
"I'll step along with the boys and show them where our upper stakesare," volunteered Stark, and Runnion offered to do the same, addingthat it were best to make sure of no conflict so early in the game. Thefive disappeared into the woods, leaving the others at the cabin tomake preparations for the homeward trip.
"That man who did the talking is a tin-horn gambler who drifted in amonth ago, the same as Runnion, and the others ain't much better," saidGale, when they had gone. "Seems like the crooks always beat thestraight men in."
"Never knowed it to fail," Lee agreed. "There's a dozen good men incamp I'd like to see in on this find, but it'll be too late 'gin we getback."
"Dose bum an' saloon feller got all de bes' claims at Klondike," saidPoleon. "I guess it's goin' be de same here."
"I don't like the look of this," observed the Lieutenant, thoughtfully."I'm afraid there's some kind of a job on foot."
"There's nothing they can do," Gale answered. "We've got our groundstaked out, and it's up to them to choose what's left."
They were nearly ready to set out for Flambeau when the five menreturned.
"Before you go," said Stark, "I think we'd better organize our miningdistrict. There are enough present to do it."
"We can make the kind of laws we want before the gang comes along,"Runnion chimed in, "and elect a recorder who will give us a squaredeal."
"I'll agree if we give Lee the job," said Gale. "It's coming to him asthe discoverer, and I reckon the money will be handy, seeing the hardluck he's played in."
"That's agreeable to me," Stark replied, and proceeded forthwith tocall a miners' meeting, being himself straightway nominated as chairmanby one of the strangers. There was no objection, so he went in, as didLee, who was made secretary, with instructions to write out thebusiness of the meeting, together with the by-laws as they were passed.
The group assembled in the cleared space before the cabin to make rulesand regulations governing the district, for it is a custom in allmining sections removed from authority for the property holders thus tomake local laws governing the size of claims, the amount of assessmentwork, the size of the recorder's fees, the character of those who mayhold mines, and such other questions as arise to affect their personalor property interests. In the days prior to the establishment of courtsand the adoption of a code of laws for Alaska, the entire country wasgoverned in this way, even to the adjudication of criminal actions. Itwas the primitive majority rule that prevails in every new land, andthe courts later recognized and approved the laws so made andadministered, even when they differed in every district, and even whenthese statutes were often grotesque and ridiculous. As a whole,however, they were direct in their effect and worked no hardship; infact, government by miners' meeting is looked upon to this day, bythose who lived under it, as vastly superior to the complicatedmachinery which later took its place.
The law permits six or more people to organize a mining district andadopt articles of government, so this instance was quite ordinary andproper.
Lee had come by his learning slowly, and he wrote after the fashion ofa school-boy, who views his characters from every angle and followstheir intricacies with corresponding movements of the tongue, hence thebusiness of the meeting progressed slowly.
It was of wondrous interest to Necia to be an integral part of suchimportant matters, and she took pride in voting on every question; butBurrell, who observed the proceedings from neutral ground, could notshake off the notion that all was not right. Things moved too smoothly.It looked as if there had been a rehearsal. Poleon and the trader,however, seemed not to notice it, and Lee was wallowing to the waist inhis own troubles, so the young man kept his eyes open and waited.
The surprise came when they had completed the organization of thedistrict and had nearly finished adopting by-laws. It was so boldlyattempted and so crude in its working-out that it seemed almostlaughable to the soldier, until he saw these men were in deadly earnestand animated by the cruelest of motives. Moreover, it showed the firstglimpse of Stark's spite against the trader, which the Lieutenant haddivined.
Runnion moved the adoption of a rule that no women be allowed to locatemining claims, and one of the strangers seconded it.
"What's that?" said Lee, raising his one eye from the note-book inwhich he was transcribing.
"It isn't right to let women in on a man's game," said Runnion.
"That's my idea," echoed the seconder.
"I s'pose this is aimed at my girl," said Gale, springing to his feet."I might have known you bums were up to some crooked work."
Poleon likewise rose and ranged himself with the trader.
"Ba Gar! I don' stan' for dat," said he, excitedly. "You want for jumpNecia's claims, eh?"
"As long as I'm chairman we'll have no rough work," declared Stark,glaring at them. "If you want trouble, you two, I reckon you can haveit, but, whether you do or not, the majority is going to rule, andwe'll make what laws we want to."
He took no pains now to mask his dislike of Gale, who began to movetowards him in his dogged, resolute way. Necia, observing them,hastened to her father's side, for that which she sensed in the bearingof both men quite overcame her indignation at this blow against herself.
"No, no, don't have any trouble," she pleaded, as she clung to thetrader. "For my sake, daddy, sit down." Then she whispered fiercelyinto his ear: "Can't you see he's trying to make you fight? There's toomany of them. Wait! Wait!"
Burrell attempted to speak, but Stark, who was presiding, turned uponhim fiercely:
"Now this is one time when you can't butt in, Mr. Soldier Man. This isour business. Is that plain?"
The Lieutenant realized that he had no place in this discussion, andyet their move was so openly brazen that he could restrain himself withdifficulty. A moment later he saw the futility of interference, whenStark continued, addressing the trader:
"This isn't aimed at you in particular, Gale, nor at your girl, for amotion to disqualify her isn't necessary. She isn't old enough to holdmining property."
"She's eighteen," declared the trader.
"Not according to her story."
"Wel
l, I can keep her claims for her till she gets of age."
"We've just fixed it so you can't," grinned Runnion, cunningly. "No mancan hold more than one claim on a creek. You voted for that yourself."
Too late, Gale saw the trick by which Stark had used him to rob his owndaughter. If he and his two friends had declined to be a part of thismeeting, the others could not have held it, and before another assemblycould have been called the creek would have been staked from end toend, from rim to rim, by honest men, over whom no such action couldpass; but, as it was, his own votes had been used to sew him up in amesh of motions and resolutions.
"No Creek" Lee had the name of a man slow in speech and action, and onewho roused himself to anger deliberately, much as a serpent stingsitself into a painful fury; but now it was apparent that he was boilingover, for he stammered and halted and blurted explosively.
"You're a bunch of rascals, all of you, tryin' to down a pore girl andget her ground; but who put ye wise to this thing, in the first place?Who found this gold? Just because there's enough of you to vote thatmotion through, that don't make it legal, not by a damned sight, and itwon't hold, because I won't write it in the book. You--you--" He glaredat them malevolently, searching his mind for an epithet sufficientlyvile, and, finding it, spat it out--"dressmakers!"
So this was why both Stark and Runnion had gone up the creek with thethree new men, thought Burrell. No doubt they had deliberately arrangedthe whole thing so that the new arrivals could immediately relocateeach of Necia's claims--the pick of all the ground outside Lee'sdiscovery, and the surest to be valuable--and that Stark would share inthe robbery. He or Runnion, or both of them, had broken Lee's oath ofsecrecy even before leaving camp, which accounted for the presence ofthese thugs; and now, as he revolved the situation rapidly in his mind,the soldier looked up at a sudden thought. Poleon had begun to speak,and from his appearance it seemed possible that he might not cease withwords; moreover, it was further evident that they were all intent onthe excited Frenchman and had no eyes for the Lieutenant. Carefullyslipping around the corner of the cabin, and keeping the house betweenhim and the others, Burrell broke into a swift run, making the utmostpossible speed for fear they should miss him and guess his purpose, or,worse yet, finish their discussion and adjourn before he could completehis task. He was a light man on his feet, and he dodged through theforest, running more carelessly the farther he went, visiting first theupper claims, then, making a wide detour of the cabin, he came back tothe initial stake of Necia's lower claim, staggering from hisexertions, his lungs bursting from the strain. He had covered nearly amile, but, even so, he laughed grimly as he walked back towards thecabin, for it was a game worth playing, and he was glad to take a handon the side of the trader and the girl. Coming within earshot, he heardthe meeting vote to adjourn. It could not have terminated moreopportunely had he held a stopwatch on it.
From the look of triumph on Runnion's face, the Lieutenant needed noglance at Gale or Poleon or Necia to know that the will of the majorityhad prevailed, and that the girl's importunities had restrained heradvocates from a resort to violence. She looked very forlorn, like alittle child just robbed and deceived, with the shock of its firstgreat disillusionment still fresh in its eyes.
Runnion addressed the other conspirators loudly.
"Well, boys, there are three good claims open for relocation. I'm sorryI can't stake one of them."
"They won't lie open long," said one of the undesirable citizens,starting to turn down-stream while his two companions made for theopposite direction. But Burrell stopped them.
"Too late, boys. Your little game went wrong. Now! Now! Don't getexcited. Whew! I had quite a run."
Gale paused in his tracks and looked at the young man queerly.
"What do you mean?"
"I've jumped those claims myself."
"YOU jumped them!" cried Necia.
"Sure! I changed my mind about staking."
"It's a lie!" cried Runnion, at which Burrell whirled on him.
"I've been waiting for this, Runnion--ever since you came back. Now--"
"I mean you haven't had time," the other temporized, hurriedly.
"Oh, that sounds better! If you don't believe me take a look foryourself; you'll find my notice just beneath Miss Gale's." Then to "NoCreek" Lee he continued, "Kindly record them for me so there will be noquestion of priority."
"I'll be damned if I do!" said the belligerent recorder. "You'reworse'n these crooks. That ground belongs to Necia Gale."
Up to this time Stark had remained silent, his impassive face betrayingnot a shadow of chagrin, for he was a good loser; but now he spoke atlarge.
"Anybody who thinks the American army is asleep is crazy." Then toBurrell, "You certainly are a nice young man to double-cross yourfriends like that."
"You're no friend of mine," Meade retorted.
"I? What do you mean?"
"I double-crossed you, Stark, nobody else."
The Kentuckian glared at him with a look like that which Runnion hadseen in his face on that first day at the trading-post. The thought ofthese five men banded together to rob this little maid had caused agiddiness to rise up in him, and his passions were beginning to whirland dance.
"There's no use mouthing words about it," said he. "These thugs areyour tools, and you tried to steal that ground because it's sure to berich."
Stark exclaimed angrily, but the other gave him no time to break in.
"Now, don't get rough, because THAT is my game, and I'd be pleasedenough to take you back a prisoner." Then turning to Lee, he said:"Don't make me force you to record my locations. I staked those claimsfor Miss Gale, and I'll deed them to her when she turns eighteen."
Poleon Doret called to Runnion: "M'sieu, you 'member w'at I tol' youyestidday? I'm begin for t'ink it's goin' be you."
The man paled in his anger, but said nothing. Necia clapped her handsgleefully.
Seeing that the game had gone against him, Stark got his feelings undercontrol quickly, and shrugged his shoulders as he turned away.
"You're in the wrong, Lieutenant," he remarked; "but I don't want anytrouble. You've got the law with you." Then to Runnion and the othershe said, "Well, I'm ready to hit the trail."
When they had shouldered their packs and disappeared down the valley,Gale held out his hand to the soldier. "Young man, I reckon you and Iwill be friends."
"Thank you," said Burrell, taking the offer of friendship which he knewwas genuine at last.
"I'm in on that!" said "No Creek" Lee; "you're all right!"
Poleon had been watching Stark's party disappear, but now he turned andaddressed the young soldier.
"You mak' some enemies to-day, M'sieu."
"That's right," agreed Lee. "Ben Stark will never let up on you now."
"Very well, that is his privilege."
"You don't savvy what it means to get him down on you," insisted Lee."He'll frame things up to suit himself, then pick a row with you. He'sthe quickest man on a trigger in the West, but he won't never make noopen play, only just devil the life out of you with little things tillyou flare up, then he'll down you. That's how he killed the goldcommissioner back in British Columbia."
Necia had said little so far, but the look in her eyes repaid thesoldier for his undertaking in her behalf, and for any mischief thatmight ensue from it. She came forward and laid her hands upon his.
"Promise that you won't have trouble with him," she begged, anxiously,"for it's all my fault, and I'd--I'd always blame myself if any hurtcame to you. Promise! Won't you?"
"Don't worry, daughter," reassured Gale. "There's nothing Stark can do,and whatever happens we're with the Lieutenant. He's our kind ofpeople."
Burrell liked this grizzled old fellow with the watchful eyes, and wasglad now that he could grip his hand and face him squarely with noguilt upon his conscience.
By this time Doret had finished with their blankets, and the four setout for town, but instead of following the others they accepte
d Neciaas guide and chose the trail to Black Bear Creek. They had not gone farbefore she took occasion to lag behind with the Lieutenant.
"I couldn't thank you before all those people--they would have read oursecret--but you know how I feel, don't you, Meade?"
"Why! It was a simple thing--"
"It was splendid when you defied them. My, what a fierce you are! Oh,boy! What if something should happen to you over this!"
"But there's no chance. It's all done, and you'll have your finedresses and be able to hold your nose just as high as you want."
"Whatever I get I will owe to you. I--I've been thinking.Suppose--well, suppose you keep two of those claims; they are sure tobe rich--"
"Why, Necia!" he exclaimed.
"They're yours, and I have no right to them under the law. Of course itwould be very handsome of you to give me one--the poorest."
"You ought to have your ears boxed," he laughed at her.
"I don't see why. You--you--may be very poor, for all I know."
"I am," he declared, "but not poor enough to take payment for a favor."
"Well, then, if they are really mine to do with as I please, I'll sellone to you--"
"Thanks. I couldn't avail myself of the offer," he said, with mockhauteur.
"If you were a business man instead of a fighting person you wouldlisten to my proposition before you declined it. I'll make the priceright, and you may pay me when we get behind yonder clump of bushes."She pouted her lips invitingly, but he declared she was a minor and assuch her bargain would not hold.
It was evidently her mood to re-enter the land of whims and travelagain, as they had on the way from town, but he knew that for him sucha thing could not be, for his eyes had cleared since then. He knew thathe could never again wander through the happy valley, for he vowed thismaid should be no plaything for him or for any other man, and as therecould be no honorable end to this affair, it must terminate at once.Just how this was to be consummated he had not determined as yet, nordid he like to set about its solution, it hurt him so to think oflosing her. However, she was very young, only a child, and in timewould come to count him but a memory, no doubt; while as for him--well,it would be hard to forget her, but he could and would. He reasonedglibly that this was the only honest course, and his reasoningconvinced him; then, all of a sudden, the pressure of her warm lipscame upon him and the remembrance upset every premise and process ofhis logic. Nevertheless, he was honest in his stubborn determination toconclude the affair, and finally decided to let time show him the way.
She seemed to be very happy, her mood being in marked contrast to thatof Poleon and the trader, both of whom had fallen silent and gloomy,and in whom the hours wrought no change. The latter had tacitlyacknowledged his treachery towards Stark on the previous night, butbeyond that he would not go, offering no motive, excuse, orexplanation, choosing to stand in the eyes of his friend as an intendedmurderer, notwithstanding which Poleon let the matter drop--for was nothis friend a good man? Had he not been tried in a hundred ways? Theyoung Frenchman knew there must have been strong reason for Gale'soutburst, and was content to trust him without puzzling his mind todiscover the cause of it.
Now, a secret must either grow or die--there is no fallow age forit--and this one had lived with Gale for fifteen years, until it hadmade an old man of him. It weighed him down until the desire to be ridof it almost became overpowering at times; but his caution wasingrained and powerful, and so it was that he resisted the temptationto confide in his partner, although the effort left him tired andinert. The only one to whom he could talk was Alluna--she understood,and though she might not help, the sound of his own voice at leastalways afforded him some relief.
As to Poleon, no one had ever seen him thus. Never in all his life ofdream and song and romance had he known a heavy heart until now, for ifat times he had wept like a girl, it was at the hurts of others. He hadloved a bit and gambled much, with equal misfortune, and the next dayhe had forgotten. He had lived the free, clean life of a man who winsjoyously or goes down with defiance in his throat, but this venomousthing that Runnion had planted in him had seeped and circulated throughhis being until every fibre was penetrated with a bitter poison. Mostof his troubles could be grappled with bare hands, but here was oneagainst which force would not avail, hence he was unhappy.
The party reached Flambeau on the following day, sufficiently ahead ofStark and his men for Lee to make known his find to his friends, and bysunset the place was depopulated, while a line of men could be seencreeping slowly up the valleys.
Gale found Alluna in charge of the store, but no opportunity of talkingalone with her occurred until late in the evening, after Necia had putthe two little ones to bed and had followed them wearily. Then he toldhis squaw. She took the news better than he expected, and showed noemotion such as other women would have displayed, even when he told herof the gunshot. Instead, she inquired:
"Why did you try it there before all those others?"
"Well, when I heard him talking, the wish to kill him was more than Icould stand, and it came on me all at once, so that I was mad, Isuppose. I never did the like before." He half shuddered at the memory.
"I am sorry," she said.
"Yes! So am I."
"Sorry that you failed, for you will never have as good a chance again.What was the matter with your aim? I have seen you hit a knot-hole,shooting from the hip."
"The man is charmed," declared Gale. "He's bullet-proof."
"There are people," she agreed, "that a gunshot will not injure. Therewas a man like that among my people--my father's enemy--but he was notproof against steel."
"Your old man knifed him, eh?"
She nodded.
"Ugh!" the man shivered. "I couldn't do that. A gun is a straight man'sfriend, but a knife is the weapon of traitors. I couldn't drive ithome."
"Does this man suspect?"
"No."
"Then it is child's play. We will lay a trap."
"No, by God!" Gale interrupted her hotly. "I tried that kind of work,and it won't do. I'm no murderer."
"Those are only words," said the woman, quietly. "To kill your enemy isthe law."
The only light in the room came from the stove, a great iron cylindermade from a coal-oil tank that lay on a rectangular bed of sand heldinside of four timbers, with a door in one end to take whole lengths ofcord-wood, and which, being open, lit the space in front, throwing thesides and corners of the place into blacker mystery.
When he made no answer the squaw slipped out into the shadows, leavinghim staring into the flames, to return a moment later bearing somethingin her hands, which she placed in his. It was a knife in a scabbard,old and worn.
"There is no magic that can turn bright steel," she said, then squattedagain in the dimness outside of the firelight. Gale slid the case fromthe long blade and held it in his palm, letting the firelight flickeron it. He balanced it and tested the feel of its handle against hispalm, then tried the edge of it with his thumb-nail, and found it honedlike a razor.
"A child could kill with it," said Alluna. "Both edges of the blade areso thin that a finger's weight will bury it. One should hold the wristfirmly till it pierces through the coat, that is all--after that theflesh takes it easily, like butter."
The glancing, glinting light flashing from the deadly thing seemed tofascinate the man, for he held it a long while silently. Then he spoke.
"For fifteen years I've been a haunted man, with a soul like a dark anddismal garret peopled with bats and varmints that flap and flutter allthe time. I used to figger that if I killed this man I'd kill thatmemory, too, and those flitting, noiseless things would leave me, butthe thought of doing it made me afraid every time, so I ran away, whichnever did no good--you can't outfoot a memory--and I knew all the whilethat we'd meet sooner or later. Now that the day is here at last, I'mnot ready for it. I'd like to run away again if there was any place torun to, but I've followed frontiers till I've seen them disappear oneby one; I've retre
ated till my back is against the Circle, and thereisn't any further land to go to. All the time I've prayed and plannedfor this meeting, and yet--I'm undecided."
"Kill him!" said Alluna.
"God knows I've always hated trouble, whereas it's what he lives on.I've always wanted to die in bed, while he's been a killer all his lifeand the smoke hangs forever in his eyes. Only for an accident we mighthave lived here all our days and never had a 'run-in,' which makes mewonder if I hadn't better let things go on as they are."
"Kill him! It is the law," repeated Alluna, stubbornly, but he put heraside with a slow shake of the head and arose as if very tired.
"No! I don't think I can do it--not in cold blood, anyhow. Good-night!I'm going to sleep on it." He crossed to the door of his room, but ashe went she noted that he slipped the knife and scabbard inside thebosom of his shirt.