"Pritchen, then," called out another. "I move for Pritchen."
"Pritchen, Pritchen," came the response. "He"ll do. He"s the tongue for such things. Mount the bench, Bill."
Since the night of the debate Pritchen appeared to be a changed man.
Instead of making a big fuss over the affair he had laughed it off with the men, and even shook hands with Caribou Sol. "It was only a little racket," so he told them, "and the sooner forgotten the better." He occasionally went to the Reading Room, and one Sunday attended church.
The men declared that Bill was "the clear stuff," after all, so agreeable did he make himself to every one who came in his way. It was therefore quite natural that he should be chosen chairman on this occasion.
A half smile played around his mouth as he complied with the miners"
request. He was much pleased with the result so far, and looking from his elevated position, a contemptuous feeling for the men around him came into his heart. "What curs they are," he said to himself, "to be led first one way and then another. But a short time ago they were ready to drive me out of Kla.s.san; now they have chosen me chairman.
Oh, what great things a little oil will do to make human machines run smoothly. I guess I"ve applied it all right this time. My forbears didn"t lick the Blarney stone in old Ireland for nothing, I see that for sure."
"Boys," he began very deliberately, "I thank you for this honour.
Anyone else would make a far better fist at it; though I shall do the best I can. It is in the interest of the community that this serious problem before us should be considered as carefully and promptly as possible. The meeting is now open for discussion as to the best manner of proceeding."
"Let"s turn out and search every cabin," suggested one.
"No, that won"t do," replied another. "The thief may search his own shack, and laugh up his sleeve at us."
"But we could divvy up," insisted the other. "Several go in a bunch, and then there"d be no danger."
Caribou Sol listened attentively to the various remarks which were made. Seeing that no solution of the difficulty was being reached, but rather a greater complication, he slowly rose and looked around.
"B"ys," he commenced, "if yez don"t mind listenin" to an old man, one who has been through the mill, and seen sich things afore, I"d like to offer a suggestion."
"Go ahead, Sol," responded several, for they knew the old man only spoke when he had something important to say.
"Now, I"ve been in several camps sich as this, where there"s no one sich as magistrate or policeman to enforce law an" order. Then the miners had to take matters inter their own hands."
"How did they do it?" asked one.
"Ye may be sure they didn"t leave it fer every ninny to take up valuable time waggin" his tongue, an" sayin" nothin". They ginerally got down to bizness as soon as the camp was formed, an" appinted several of the leadin" men to dispense law as they saw fit. Sometimes they were called "The Vigilance Committee," an" right good work they did, too. They had their eyes peeled fer bizness, ye bet yer life."
"Tell us, Sol, how they chose them," asked Perdue.
"Sometimes by vote, either by ballot or show of hands."
"Was it ever left to the chairman to appoint them?" continued Perdue.
"I should think that"s a much easier way, and I suggest that we do the same."
"Hear, hear!" came the response. "Go ahead, Bill. Name yer men, and let"s get this business fixed up."
Pritchen"s eye gleamed with a triumphant light at this turn of affairs.
He made a show of refusing such an important task, but the men would not listen.
"Come, man," said Perdue, "stick to yer job. Ye kin do it, and all "ill be satisfied."
"Well, if you want me to do it," replied Pritchen, "you"ll have to put up with my choice. I"ll do the best I can, and I want no back jaw when it"s done."
"All right, Bill, never fear. Go ahead."
Pritchen looked slowly round the room as if weighing each man carefully in his mind.
"Mickie O"Toole," he said, "will you stand by and help with this job?"
"Sure," came the reply. "To the very last."
"And find the rope too, Mickie?" laughed one.
"If you"re the thafe, begorra, I"ll find the rope, tie the knot, and give the first pull."
The laugh which followed this repartee showed that the men were in excellent humour, and enjoying the whole proceedings.
"Tim Slater, I spot you," continued Pritchen. "Is it a go?"
"Very well, pard, ye may bank on me," came the reply.
"Jim, how does your pulse beat?" and Pritchen threw a wink at Perdue.
"Leave me out, Bill. It"s hard fer me to git away. Choose some one else."
"Ah, come off, Jim," remonstrated Mickie. "If I tie the knot you"ll need to brace the poor divil up a bit with a dram or two of yer hot stuff."
"Guess he won"t need the rope, then; the stuff"ll fix him," came a voice from the back of the room.
Perdue craned his neck, and stood on tip-toe to see the speaker, while his flushed face told that the thrust had gone home.
"Never mind him, Jim," laughed one of the men. "It"s only Joe, the kid, having a little fun."
"It"s d-- poor fun, then," surlily replied the saloonkeeper. "Yes, Bill, I"ll jine ye, if my help"ll do any good to round up the beast, and mebbe there"s more"n one."
"You ought to know," again came the voice.
Perdue was furious. He was about to give vent to his feelings in no uncertain language, when Pritchen laid his hand upon his shoulder.
"Be quiet, Jim, and never mind the cur. Let"s get on with our job. I choose the parson," he continued, looking the missionary full in the eyes.
Keith started as he heard his name mentioned. He had been standing silently in a corner, watching with disgust the way in which the business was being conducted. He noticed that the men chosen were Pritchen"s tools. Why had the chairman selected him?
"I would rather not act," he quietly replied. "Please appoint some one else."
"Ye"d better do it, parson," urged Caribou Sol. "A chaplain may be needed, an" ye"ll be mighty handy."
A peculiar note in the old man"s voice and the look in his face placed Keith on his guard. "Yes, I may be needed," he thought. "If some poor chap gets into the hands of those brutes it will be well to see that fair play is given at any rate."
"Very well, then, I agree," he a.s.sented after a short pause.
Pritchen noted how quick Sol was to persuade Keith to accept, and the look upon his face, so the little scene pleased him immensely.