Black Rock: A Tale of the Selkirks

as he has with many another of hers, and by the transmission of an order for mountain pieces by the dozen, together with a cheque

erhaps they cannot understand them; but they understand my pictures, and I understand their cheques, and there

st of gentle and decent surroundings, they now seem str

tability created by the League. And when the manager's patronage had been secured (they failed to get Mrs. Mavor's), and it was further announced that, though held in the Black Rock Hotel ballroom-indeed, there was no other place-refreshments

o unmentionable depths of propriety. The organisation of the League was regarded by him, and by many others, as a sad retrograde towards the bondage

sted when he discovered that a 'gun' was decreed by British law to be an unnecessary ado

when in walked policeman Jackson, her Majesty's sole representative in the Black Rock district. Jackson, 'Stonewall' Jackson, or 'Stonewall

d Idaho, hardly looking up, but very angrily, for the luck was

nocent little game, but there is a regulation against playing it with guns; so,' he added even more sweetly, but fastenin

rage upon personal liberty. He was quite unable to play any more that evening, and it took several drinks all round to restore hi

tion. But this new feeling in the community for respectability he could neither understand nor endure. The League became the object of his indignant aversion, and the League men of his contempt. He had many sympathisers, and frequent were the assaults upon the newly-born sobriety of Billy Breen and others of the League. But Geordie's watchful care and Mrs. Mavor's steady influence,

e League men determined to show their appreciation of the concession of the committee to

like reason, Vernon Winton, the young Oxford fellow, would not go. When they chaffed, his lips grew a little thinner, and the colour deepened in his handsome face, but he went on his way. Geordie despised

what a fight he was making, and esteemed him accordingly. How well I remember the pleased pride in his face when he told me in the afternoon of the committee's urgent request

w things combine at time

been on the night-shift, had Mrs. Mavor not been so occupied with the

g ball. But I do not wonder now any more than I did then at the eager delight of the men who for seven days in the week swung their picks up in the dark breasts of the mines, or who chopped and sawed among the solitary silences of the great forests. Any break in the long and weary monotony was welcome; what mattered the cost or consequence! To the rudest and least cultured of t

ey were with their bright, brown faces and hearty voices; and in ten minutes the whole street seemed alive with lumbermen-they had a faculty of spreading themselves so. After night fe

in the large store-room of which the ball was to

on, aren't y

'll drop in, though I don't l

n?' asked Graeme cheerily

were home.' And then he added, 'There's Idaho and Sla

gly fingering his instrument, now and then indulging himself in a little snatch of some air that came to him out of his happier past. He looked perfectly delig

e called out. 'You've g

nodded and we

Nixon?'

it. He finds that the safest place on pay-da

chestra sat, at the other was a table with refreshments, where the 'soft drinks' might be ha

in upon their feelings was quite apparent, and it became a question how long it could be maintained. As the trips through the passage-way became more frequent th

were determined that the respectability of the ball should be preserved to the end. Their reputation was at stake, not in Black Rock only, but at the Landing as well, from which most of the ladies had come; and to be shamed in the presence of the Landing people could not be borne. Their difficulties seemed to be inc

hunfortunate! Beauchiful hinstrument

ely, playing all the while for de

night the League was made, and of the bright voice that said, 'You'll sign with me, Billy?' and it seemed

at shouting in the direction of the bar, followed by trampling and scu

nd back! I know

us Campbell, Lachlan's brother, was representing the lumber camps in the contest. Nixon looked on approvingly for a few moments, then with a quick movement he seized the little Highlander, sw

decided to humour the new competitor, especially as they k

he proceeded to execute a clog-dance, garnished with acrobatic feats, the committee interfered. There were cries of 'Put him out!' and 'Let him alone! Go on, Ni

inding his teeth, so that I heard them across the room, he added with savage

the bar, followed by the crowd wildly yelling. The ball was forthwith broken up.

ething of a time, so jus

u going to d

autifully out of tr

headed by Nixon, who was waving a whisky-bott

aeme softly, 'I begin

up?' I

Slavin and their

asty,' he added, 'but I think I'll take a hand in

is barkeeper with their coats off and sleeves rolled up to the shoulder, passing out bottles, and drawing beer and whisky from two kegs hoisted up for that purpose. Nixon was in his glory. It was his night. Every man was t

to me, but admiring the cool assurance with which he made his way through the c

a double-handed front door knocker. You polished off old whisky-soak here, old demijohn,' pointing to Slavin,

Nixon's hornpipe was very popular, and tonight, of course, was in high favour. In the midst of hi

tood Mr. Craig. His face was pallid, and his dark eyes were blazing with fierce light. As Nixon stopped, Cr

here he's weak! Cowards! you'

, and Craig, lifting h

ive you this

ing his arm over his shoulder, he

Nixon! w

ur passed through, Nixon walking as in a dream, with Craig's arm about him. Down the street we went in silence, and on to Craig's shack, where we found old

d man in his easy-chair, took off his boots, brought him his own slippers, and gave him coffee. Then, as his

ld chap,' said

re in silence the door was suddenly pushed open and in walked Abe Baker with the words, 'Where is Nixon?' and we tol

ixon?' he asked. We t

ow they got him?' h

the men stood listening,

shack door and went to bed before nightfall, according to his invariable custom on pay-days. At midnight some of Idaho's men came battering at the door for admission, which Nixon reluctantly granted. For half an hour they used every art of persuasion to induce him to go down to the ball, the glorious success of which was glowingly depicted; but Nixon rem

filled his nostrils. If one drink would get them off, surely that was better than fighting and killing some one or getting killed. He hesitated, yielded, drank his glass. They sat about him amiably drinking, and lauding him as a fine fellow after all. One more glass before they left. Then Nixon rose, dres

but as he heard Craig groan, 'Oh, the beasts! the fiends!' he seemed encouraged to let himself loose, and he began swearing with the coolest and most blood-curdling deliberation. Craig li

rgive us! we must n

in a surprised and slig

er with that? Ain't t

am afraid it was,' he answere

off again into a roll of curses, till Craig, in an agony of entreaty, succeeded in arresting the flow of profanity possible to no o

Craig; 'but that i

to do it; but it just makes me feel good-let out o' school like-to properly do 'em up, the blank, blank,' and off he went aga

be done?'

ng ride from the Landing, and broken with bitter disappointment

Graeme; 'there's

gather up what fragments we could find of the broken League. We had just opened

n. No one replied. So I told Geordie of

in indignant surprise, adding with some c

d Shaw. 'They might h

eemed more than he could bear. We went out, leav