Black Rock: A Tale of the Selkirks

to cheer him in my clumsy way by chaffing him about his League. But he did not blaze up as he often d

ve tried for two years to get this, and if it f

hy! the thing will go sure enough: after th

tement they have, and they find it pretty tough to give it up; and a lot

p,' I said. 'Can't

in their shacks. The moderate drinker may have his place in other countries, though I can't see it. I haven't thought that out,

art to be somewhat ill-balanced; but as I listened to Craig, I began to feel that perhaps there was a total abst

victory. Through the past week she had been carefully disposing her forces and winning recruits. And yet she never seemed to urge or persuade the men; but as evening after evening the miners dropped into the co

ich had been fitted up with seats, was crow

was parted in the middle, talking to Mrs. Mavor. She was dressed in some rich soft stuff that became her well. She was looking beautiful as ever, but there was something quite

to be well pleased with himself. 'She'll ge

o men are so truly gentle as are the Westerners in the presence of a good woman. They were evidently of all classes and ranks originally, but now, and in this country of real measurements, they ranked simply according to the 'man' in them.

lack Rock mining camp is som

on Mr. Craig. Queer-looking he was. A little man, with a small head set on heavy square shoulders, lon

valry, and they were too truly gentlemen to fail her. It is hard to make Western men, and especially old-timers, talk. But this gift was hers, and it stirred my admiration to see her draw on a grizzled veteran to tell how, twenty years ago, he had crossed the Great Divide, and had seen and done w

me to speak of the pleasure he and all felt in being together in that room, his words flowed in a stream, warm and full. Then there was a pause, and Mr. Craig was called. B

ut of Black Rock. You all know what it's doing for us-at least for some of us. And it's time to stop it now, or for some of us it'll mighty soon be too late. And the only way to stop its work is to quit drinkin' it and he

talk!' 'Stay with it!' but he waited for the smile and the glance that came

o enable him to go home with some degree of honour. His home held everything that was dear to him. Between him and that home, between him and all that was good and beautiful and honourable, stood whisky. 'I am ashamed to confess,' and the flush deepened on his cheek, and his lips grew

face there was a look of wistful, tender pity, f

was never known to be drunk. He took his drink, for the most part, with bread and cheese in his own shack, or with a friend or two in a sober, respectable way, but never could be induced to join the wild carousals in Slavin's saloon. He made the highest wages, but was far too true

prise. 'I'll no' deny,' he went on in an explanatory tone, 'that I tak ma mornin', an' maybe a nip at noon; an' a wee drap aifter wark in the even

a rich Irish brogue, to the delight of the crowd

awfu'-like place; man!'-and Geordie began to warm up-'ye can juist smell the sulphur when ye gang in. But I dinna care aboot thae Temperance Soceeities, wi' t

use, partly appreciative of Geordie himself

mprovement and social purposes, but without the teetotal pledge; they were ag

n, and would like to see a club formed, with a comfortable club-room, books, magazines, pictures, games, anything, 'dontcheknow, to make the time pass pleasantly'; but it was 'abs

. In the interval the men talked in groups, eagerly, even fiercely, hampered seriously in the forceful expression of their opinion by the presence of Mrs. Mavor, who glided from group to group, dropping a word here and a smile there. She reminded me of a general riding along the ranks, bracing his men for the coming battle. She paused beside Geordie, spoke earnestly for a

look at,' I coul

pearl,' she answered,

enough,' I replied, for

d softly, 'but it is

Mrs. Mavor as she went to speak to Mr. Craig. 'Well,'

lied, in deep scorn. 'An '

l it?' I asked, wis

nk,' he replied, spread

y nice,' I sai

Mrs. Mavor, and gave attent

; and then he added impressively, 'The

red earnestly, 'and I am

ech, how again and again she had taken him in and nursed him, and encouraged him, and sent him out with a new heart for his batt

t 'ave a total habstinence league to-night, and oi want you to 'elp!" and she keeps a-lookin' at me with those heyes o' hern till, if you believe me, sir,' lowering his voice

een listening somewhat indifferently, encouraged me, however, by saying, 'She's just pittin' aff time with thae feckless sangs; man, there's nae grup till them.' But when, after a few minutes' pause, she began 'My Ain Fireside,' Geordie gave a sigh of satisfaction. 'Ay, that's somethin' like,' and when she finished the first verse he gave me a dig in the ribs with his elbow that took my breath away, saying in a whisper, 'Ma

draw in

sy heart

loups s

ken't for

ld always seem empty. I felt the tears in my eyes, and, wondering at myself, I cast a stealthy glance at the men about me;

said, 'That's ma ain sang,' and when I asked him what he meant, he whis

heard Geordie saying to himself,

' I ve

ntly, 'Man, but ye're an inqueesitive bud

ke whisky in moderation; the other, a league of men who were pledged to drink none themselves, and to prevent in every honourable way others from drinking. There was no long argument, but he spoke at white heat; and as he appealed to the men to think, e

ut to the front, and, in a voice shaking with nervousness and emotion

hap oi hain't no right to speak 'ere, but oi got s

pocket, hevery man in this bloomin' camp as meets un at hevery corner says, "'Ello, Billy, wat'll ye 'ave?" And there's wisky at Slavin's, and there's wisky in the shacks, and hevery 'oliday and hevery Sunday there's wisky, and w'en ye feel bad it's wisky, and w'en ye feel good it's wisky, and heverywhere and halways it's wisky, wisky, wisky! And now ye're goin' to stop it, and 'ow? T' manager, 'ee says picters and magazines. 'Ee takes 'is wine and 'is beer like a gentleman, 'ee does, and 'ee don't 'ave no use for Billy Breen. Billy, 'ee's a beast, and t' manager, 'ee kicks un hout. But supposin' Billy wants to stop bein' a beast, and starts a-tryin' to be a man again, and w'en 'ee get

t stumbling past, he pulled him down to a seat beside him, saying, 'Sit doon, lad, sit doon. We'll mak a man

led out Nixon. 'G

-saxpence than ye wull at Slavin's for five dollars. An' it'll no' pit ye mad like yon stuff, but it gangs doon smooth an' saft-like. But' (regretfully) 'ye'll no' can get it here; an' a'm thinkin' a

re was a swift rustle of garments, and Mrs. Mavor was beside him, and, in a

d shook his little, head. She leaned slightly toward hi

fear,' and in a lower v

edge; then they came up, man by man, and signed. But Craig sat with his head down till I touched his sho

e League