Part 56 (1/2)
”Boys,” he said quaintly, ”San Francisco is a very loneso, and the faithful are very few Mortal flesh is weak; and ht those chickens I bought eighteen dollars'
worth of hope So see around sleepy and lazy and full of sun”
We liked him so much that we turned to at odd tied he confided to us his intention to preach against the ga to consider this
”I shouldn't, if I were you,” said I ”The gamblers own the Plaza; they are respected by the bulk of the community; and they won't stand any nonsense They none of the a man in their places I don't think they will stand for it I ahly handled”
”More likely shot,” put in Johnny bluntly
”Well, well, boys, we'll see,” said Taylor easily
Nor could we move him, in spite of the fact that, as we caainst it
”Well, if you will, you will,” Johnny conceded at last, with a sigh
”We'll see e can do to get you a fair show”
”Now that is just what I don't want you to do,” begged the old man earnestly ”I want no vain contention and strife If the Lord desires that I preach to these sinners, He will protect me”
In the end he extorted frole in the affair
”He's just _looking_ for trouble,” aht on their own doorsteps--and I don't know as I blaivable sin as I see it”
”That's because you're ahead of the game, Johnny,” drawled Yank
”Just the sa,” persisted Johnny, ”and he's as obstinate as a ood old sort, and I'd hate to see him hurt”
The news spread abroad, and there was eneral the sentiment was hostile to the preacher It was considered an unwarrantable interference with freedom for any reed that religion was all right; but by religion they ue utterance of platitudes On the appointed Sunday a very large crowd gathered in the Plaza nobody knew just what the gamblers intended to do about it
Those competent citizens were as close mouthed as ever But it was understood that no nonsense was to be per question must be settled at once and fully As one man expressed it:
”We'll have these fellows caterwauling all over the place if we don't shut down on theht sharp off quick”
Taylor arrived about ten o'clock and proceeded briskly to the pork barrel that had been rolled out to serve as a pulpit He faced a lowering, hostile mob
”Gentlemen,” said he, ”if some means of communication existed by which the United States could thiswas to be atte papers, badly informed as to the temper and disposition of the people of this new country, would feel the riot, if not actual bloodshed Furtherreater dailies would hold their foredy when news of it should come in But we of the West know better than that We know ourselves rough and ready, but we know ourselves also to be lovers of fair play We know that, even though weto afford hi or bloodshed, we can afford to sry at such wide ”
Having in this skilful fashi+on drawn the venos of theboldly on his major thesis He finished in a respectful silence, closed his Bible with a snap, and strode away through the lane the crowd opened for hi, although considered one of the respectable areat deal of harm Men dropped their last cents at the tables I re business man who had sold out his share in his firm for ten thousand dollars in cash and three notes for five thousand each He had every intention of taking this little fortune back to his fa First, he lost his ten thousand dollars in cash This took hi another day, he staked one of the notes, at a discount, of course This he lost A second note followed the first; and everybody confidently expected that the third would disappear in the saood sort, took this -to
”You confounded fool,” said he, ”you're barred froo to your old partners, tell them what an ass you've made of yourself, and ask them to let you have a few thousand on that last note And then you leave on to-day's Panama steamer And, say, if they won't do it, you co fellow took this advice
The Panama steamers were crowded to the rail Indeed, the exodus was alration, just at this ti out had been successful, but the great ed, and hoet back