Down the Slope Part 60

The carpenters were seated on the ground a short distance away, while Joe remained perched on the ruins of the hut calmly smoking his pipe; but prepared for any attack, however sudden.

"Go back to Blacktown and tell the lawyer to send some officers," the miner cried, "These beauties are countin' on buildin' a house right here, I'll hold 'em off till they can be arrested."

"Oh, yes you will," one of the party shouted. "Wait till the crowd get here from Farley's, an' then we'll see who runs this place."

Joe brandished his axe, as an intimation of what he was prepared to do, and cried to Fred who stood in silent astonishment a few paces away:

"Hurry on, lad, there's no time to be lost!"

This roused Fred to a sense of the necessity for immediate action, and he started off at full speed.

The surveyors thinking quite naturally that they were not included in the hostilities, made ready to perform the work for which they had been engaged; but no sooner were the instruments set up than the carpenters made a dash at them, crying:

"If we have to lay still you shall do the same. Stand back an' wait till Mr. Wright comes."

"Stick to your job, an' if one will help me, I'll get rid of the whole boiling," Joe cried as he advanced.

"Look here, my friend," the elder of the surveying party said in a low tone, "I understand something about this fight, and don't propose to get mixed up in what isn't really any of my business. We'll run the lines, if n.o.body molests us; but won't put ourselves out to do it."

"Then I can't count on you?"

"Not at all; this is too serious business for us to be involved in. If you want to buy a good revolver, though, I'll sell one cheap, and take my pay when we meet in Blacktown.

"You're a brick," Joe cried, enthusiastically. "Give me the shooter, an'

I'll guarantee to pay any price for it."

The weapon was delivered, and the miner left his fortification, marching directly toward the enemy.

"I give you a fair warnin' to clear out," he said, leveling the revolver. "This is my land, an' I order every one to leave. These surveyors are here to run the lines for my partners an' me. The first who interferes with em' will get a ball. I ain't talkin' foolish, for you know the law will uphold me in defendin' my own. Now begin the job,"

he added, to the surveying party, "an' we'll see who wants to have trouble."

This argument was understood by Mr. Wright's adherents, and they kept at a respectful distance, while the others did their work.

New stakes were set up without any regard to those already in position, and the labor had but just been completed when the superintendent and two members of his company arrived.

"Why are you not at work?" he asked one of the carpenters.

For reply the man pointed toward Joe, who was pacing to and fro on what he believed to be the boundary line of his property.

"Get those timbers up," Mr. Wright cried angrily.

"You may drag them off; but the first one who dares so much as raise a joist for any other purpose, shall suffer!" Joe shouted.

"Knock that fellow down! What business has he here?" and the superintendent's voice trembled with suppressed fury.

"I'm where I belong, an' seein's how your men don't dare do the knockin'

down, s'pose you take a hand at it."

Mr. Wright advanced as if to act upon the suggestion; but before he reached the imaginary line the miner shouted:

"If you put a foot on this land I'll shoot. Send your crowd home, and then if you want to tackle me I'll throw the revolver down, an' meet you half way."

The superintendent paid no attention to this remark, save to halt on the safe side of the danger line, where he whispered a few words to one of his men, and the latter started at full speed for Farley's.

"I reckon my jig is about up," Joe muttered to himself. "He's sent for help, an' they're bound to bring what'll be of more service than this revolver."

The surveyors, evidently believing there was no especial reason why they should stay, now matters were nearing a crisis, took their departure, and the miner was once more left alone to defend his rights. Ten minutes later Fred appeared from among the trees, followed by five determined looking men, and Joe's cheers were not ended when Mr. Hunter came in view.

The lawyer shook hands with the miner as he said:

"You've saved us what might have been a bad mess. Now we have a reasonably large force, and can hold out until an injunction is procured."

"Are you likely to get one soon?"

"A clerk will bring it in a short time. The application has been granted, and the only delay is while the papers can be made out."

"I'm glad of that, for Wright has sent after more help, an' when it comes things are likely to be hot."

Mr. Hunter now advanced and held a long conversation with the superintendent and his friends, at the conclusion of which he ordered Joe to have the lumber dragged from the tract staked out by the surveyors.

In this work Fred a.s.sisted, while the miner stood guard with his revolver to prevent any interference, and when the task was finished the former whispered to his partner:

"Did they scare you, Joe?"

"Well, I don't mind ownin' to you that they did; but not one in the gang knew it. I was bound to stick as long as I could, an' a big lot of bluff helped me through."

"Mr. Hunter says that if the injunction can be served on Mr. Wright before the men begin work, it will be all right."

"Is that the only thing he knows of to stop matters?"

"It will be enough."

"I'd rather trust to my fist than any paper that was ever written."

After a time Fred succeeded in making the miner understand what kind of a doc.u.ment it was they depended upon to prevent the superintendent from trespa.s.sing, and the explanation had but just been made as Mr. Hunter's clerk arrived with the important doc.u.ment.

When this had been served on Mr. Wright the matter was settled temporarily, and the lawyer said to Fred and Joe:

"You can return home, and the next summons will be for the trial. This move of Wright's has been a foolish one, and will, I think, prejudice his case."

CHAPTER x.x.xIV

THE NEW MINE

It is unnecessary to give the details of the long trial to establish the t.i.tle of that certain tract of land known as "Louder's Slope."