ellin'
the yarn I'll send the message."

Joe retired early in order to be in readiness for the journey, and Fred
was not awake when, shortly after midnight, he slipped out of the house.

It was not an easy matter to find his way in the darkness; but he
finally succeeded after straying from the right course several times,
and was thoroughly astonished at finding half a dozen men already in
possession.

A small amount of lumber was scattered here and there, as if placed in
readiness to be used, and a temporary camp had been erected close beside
the coal vein.

The men had but just awakened when he arrived, and in reply to his angry
question of why they were there, one of them asked impudently:

"What business is it of yours?"

"I happen to own a quarter of this land, an' it'll be hot for all hands
if there's any attempt at puttin' up a building."

"It'll take us about two minutes to clean you out, an' we'll do it, if
you so much as yip again."

Joe was literally trembling with rage. He fancied a portion of his title
to the tract would be lost, if he did not drive the intruders away, and
before the spokesman had time to defend himself against an attack, the
miner knocked him headlong with one well-directed blow. Then, picking up
an axe which lay near by, he made such a furious onslaught upon the
remainder of the party that they scattered in every direction.

Instead of following, he chopped and tore at the camp until it was
demolished, and then destroyed all the provisions it had contained, in
addition to pounding into shapeless masses the tin cooking utensils.

By this time the carpenters got their scattered forces together and were
marching in a body against the man who had put them to flight.

In the immediate vicinity of the camp were stored nearly all the tools,
and, standing over these, Joe shouted:

"As true as my name's Brace I'll kill the first man who comes here,"
and he brandished the axe above his head.

"Don't be a fool!" some one cried. "What can you do against the crowd?"

"Split open the head of the first who comes within strikin' distance.
After that has been done you may manage to get the best of me; but one
is sure to go down--which shall it be?"

None of the party cared to prove the truth of Joe's threat, and they
fell back a short distance, giving him an opportunity to intrench
himself behind the fragments of the camp.

The miner took care to gather the tools around him so they could