the Golden Age
Saloon, and so lost no time in directing their steps toward it. A
group in the roadway compelled them to turn out; and they were
hurrying past, when a high, angry voice arrested them.

"And that's what they did to me--me, old Bells Park, who is
sixty-four!"

Dick turned into the crowd, followed by his partner, and began forcing
his way through. Bells was screaming and sobbing now in anger, and
venting a tirade of oaths. "If I'd been younger they couldn't have
done it so easily. If I'd 'a' had my gun, I'd 'a' killed some of 'em,
I would!"

As the partners gained the little opening around him, the light from a
window disclosed the white-headed, little man. Two men were
half-holding him up. His face was a mass of blood, which one of his
supporters was endeavoring to wipe away with a handkerchief, and from
all sides came indignant, sympathetic mutterings.

"Who did that?" roared the heavy, infuriated voice of Bill as he
turned to those around him.

Bells, whose eyes were swollen shut, recognized the voice, and lurched
forward.

"Some fellers backin' up that Denver thug," he wailed. "I was tryin'
to hold 'em till you come. He had the meetin' packed with a lot of
bums I never saw before, and, when I told 'em what I thought of 'em
and him, he ordered me thrown out. I tore my card to pieces and
chucked 'em in his fat face, and then one of the fellers that came
with him hit me. They threw me down the stairs, and might 'a' killed
me if there hadn't been one or two of my friends there. They call
'emselves union miners! The dirty loafers!" And his voice screamed
away again into a line of objurgations and anathemas until Bill
quieted him.

"Here, Dick," he said, "give us a hand. We'll take him over to Lily's
rooms and have her get Doc Mills."

His voice was unusually calm and contained. Dick had heard him use
that tone but once before, when he made a proposition to a man in an
Arizona camp that the road was wide, the day fine, and each well
armed. He had helped bury the other man after that meeting, so now
read the danger note.

"I'll go get The Lily to come up and open the door," one of Bells'
supporters said; "and won't you go for Doc?" He addressed the man on
the other side of the engineer.

"Sure!" replied the other.

Within five minutes they were in Mrs. Meredith's rooms again; and it
seemed to Dick, as he looked around its dainty fittings, that it was
forever to be a place of tragedy; for the m