To Win or to Die Part 22

"Yes, yes," came in a fierce shout, which crushed down some murmurs of opposition. "Go on, judge--go on."

"I will, gentlemen, till you bring forward another man to take my place.

Once more, we are here on British ground."

"No, no," came from the minority; "American."

"British, gentlemen; and as subjects of her Majesty the Empress-Queen we stand by law and order."

"Hear, hear!" was shouted.

"We will have no rowdyism, no crimes against our little society, while we toil for our gold."

"Hear, hear!"

"We have already bound ourselves to carry on our home-made laws here, so that every man can bring in his winnings and place them with the landlord, or leave them in his hut or tent, knowing that they are safe; and we are agreed that the man who robs one of us of his gold shall suffer for his crime, the same as if he had committed a murder."

"That's right, judge--that's right!" was roared.

"Very well, then," said the judge. "I have one word to say to those who have raised their voices several times to-night. Let me tell them that if they are not satisfied with our ideas of fair play, they had better pack their sledges and go right away."

"Likely!" shouted a man at the back; "and what about our claims we have staked out?"

"Let them be valued by a jury of six a-side, and I'll give the casting vote if it's a tie. We'll club together and buy, you shall have good honest value, and then you can go farther afield. There's plenty for everybody, and the country's open. If you don't agree to that and elect to stay, you must side with us and keep the law. Now then, who says he'll go?"

"None of us, jedge," came in a slow drawl. "You're right, and whether this is Murrican or Canady land, we all back you up."

There was a deafening shout at this, and as soon as silence came again the dark man said firmly, "Now, gentlemen, to settle the business on hand. We're not going to make the Yukon gold region a close borough."

"That's right, jedge," said an American.

"Every honest man is welcome here, but we want it known that for the rowdy thief and law-breaker there will be a short shrift and the rope."

There was another roar, and as it subsided the man with the red beard shouted, "That's right, pardners, right as right; and what me and my mates here want is justice and protection from them as robbed us, and tried to shoot us down. There they are, three o' the gang, and you've got 'em fast. Now what do you say?"

The two young men stood rigid and silent, expectant of the fateful words which might bring their careers to a close. They knew that wild appeals for mercy and loud protestation would be of no avail, but would be looked upon as arrant cowardice; and as the moments went on, heavy and leaden winged, a strange feeling of rebellion against the cruelty of fate raised a sense of anger, and stubborn determination began to grow.

It was too horrible to dwell upon, this prospect of the most ignominious death: an adverse judgment based on the vote of a crowd of rugged, determined men fighting for their own safety and the protection of the gold they were dragging from where it had lain since the creation of the world; but still it seemed to be their fate, and in both the growing feeling was the same--a sense of rage and hatred against the remorseless scoundrels who, to make their own position safe in the gold region, were ready to sacrifice the lives of their victims.

"If we could only be face to face with them alone," they felt, "with the chance to fight against them for our lives! The cowards! The dogs!"

Their musings were brought to an end by the voice of the head man of the trio, who broke in upon the whispering together of the judge and several of the men who had closed round him. "Well, pardners," he cried; "what's it to be after all you've said? Are we to have fair play, or are we to go where we can get it?"

"Wait a bit, sir, and you and your friends shall have fair play; never fear."

"Don't be in a hurry," shouted one of the Americans at the back. "Jedge don't want to hang the wrong men."

"No, sir," said the dark gold-seeker sternly; "we don't want to hang the wrong men, and there is a growing opinion here that you and your companions have not made out your charge."

"What!" roared Redbeard, as the Cornishman gave his young companions a nod; "not made out our case? Hear that, mates? Well, I _am_ blessed!"

"You charge them with robbery and attempted murder."

"Yes; didn't my mate show you his leg?" cried Redbeard indignantly.

"Oh, yes; and the prisoners, who defend themselves by charging you with attacking them, reply by displaying their wounds."

"Well, wouldn't you shoot if you was attacked? So where's your justice?"

"I will show you that I want to give you fair play," said the judge.

"There is enough in this case to mean the sternest sentence, and it will be awarded to the guilty parties."

There was a murmur of approval at this, and the judge said sternly, "Separate those three men, and separate the prisoners; keep them apart, so that they cannot communicate with one another."

There was a quick movement, and a couple of armed men placed themselves right and left of Dallas and Abel.

"Hullo!" said the Cornishman, "am I a prisoner, too? All right; I'm in good company."

But there was a little resistance on the part of the accusing party.

"Look here," growled Redbeard fiercely, "I want to know what this means."

"The rope and the tree for you and your friends if you fire, sir," cried the judge sternly.

"But--"

"Stand where you are," cried the judge. "Six of you take those other two outside, quite apart, and mind, you are answerable to your sheriff for bringing them back."

Redbeard growled as he stood beneath the great lamp, the two others which had been burning having been turned out so that a better view could be had from behind of each stage of the proceedings.

"Look here," cried Redbeard fiercely, as his companions were led out, "why aren't the prisoners to be sent out too? Is this fair play, pardners?"

"Yes," said the judge; "they are the prisoners. I only want your witnesses to be out of court."

There was a dead silence while the two men were led away, and a ray of hope began to shed light through the darkness of despair in the young men's brains, as they read in all this a strange desire on the part of their amateur judge to do justice between the parties.

They glanced round through the smoke of the gloomy place, to see fierce eyes fixed upon them on all sides, while in front there was the judge and his supporters, and their red-bearded, savage-looking accuser beneath the lamp, which shone full upon him. The smoke now hung above them in a dense cloud.

"Is it a dream?" said Dallas to himself; and then he started, for the judge said sharply to the man before him:

"Now, sir, you and your two friends have come here to dig gold."

"That's right, captain."

"Where did you come from?"

"Was.h.i.+ngton territory."

"That will do. Bring in the next witness."