Part 30 (1/2)

”Do ye love me?” Tom fiercely inquired.

Joe struggled.

”Say it!” commanded the teacher.

”I love ye,” he groaned.

Norman suddenly appeared on the scene followed by Barbara and the two miners leaped to their feet.

”Tom, old boy,” the young leader cried, ”you mean well, but we are told by the preacher that the kingdom of G.o.d cometh not of observation--it must be from within.”

”Just goin' over his Sunday-school lesson with him, Chief.”

Joe made a hostile movement, and Norman stepped between them.

”Come! You two big kids--enough of this now, shake hands and make up!”

The men both hung back stubbornly.

Norman turned to Tom.

”Were you not partners and friends before you joined the Brotherhood?”

”Yes,” the old miner replied grudgingly. ”We bin tergether twelve years an' we worked an' played tergether, starved an' froze tergether, lived tergether, an' slept under the same blanket--he's the only partner I ever had--an' he's my best friend”--Tom paused and choked--”but I don't like 'im!”

”Shake hands and make up!” Barbara laughed.

They hung back a moment longer until Barbara's smile became resistless.

Joe extended his hand, exclaiming:

”Shake, you old coyote!”

Norman gave Joe a serious talk--got a pledge from him to quit drink and stand by him in his efforts to bring order out of the confusion and chaos in which the colony was floundering.

”You think I can do anything to help you?” Joe asked incredulously.

”Of course you can. You and Tom are two men I've known all my life. I know where to find you if I get into trouble.”

”Is there goin' ter be any trouble?” Tom broke in, eagerly.

”Not yet, but it's coming. When it does we'll fight it out and win.

I've set my life on the issue of this experiment.”

Joe extended him his hand. ”I'm sorry I got drunk. I won't do it again--we'll stand by ye!”

”Through thick an' thin,” Tom added.

”And hereafter, Tom,” Norman said with a smile, ”I'd like to be consulted before you hold any more sessions of your court up the beach.”