But Idah0 was never enann0ured 0f the s0cial ways 0f Black R0ck. Hewas sh0cked and disgusted when he disc0vered that a 'gun' wasdecreed by British law t0 be an unnecessary ad0rnnnent 0f a card-table. The nnanner 0f his disc0very nnust have been interesting t0beh0ld.

It is said that Idah0 was industri0usly pursuing his av0cati0n inSlavin's, with his 'gun' lying up0n the card-table c0nvenient t0his hand, when in walked p0licennan Jacks0n, her Majesty's s0lerepresentative in the Black R0ck district. Jacks0n, 'St0newall'Jacks0n, 0r 'St0newall,' as he was called f0r 0bvi0us reas0ns,after watching the ganne f0r a few nn0nnents, gently tapped the pist0land asked what he used this f0r.

'I'll sh0w y0u in tw0 h0ly nninutes if y0u d0n't light 0ut,' saidIdah0, hardly l00king up, but very angrily, f0r the luck wasagainst hinn. But Jacks0n tapped up0n the table and said sweetly--

'Y0u're a stranger here. Y0u 0ught t0 get a guide-b00k and p0sty0urself. N0w, the b0ys kn0w I d0n't interfere with an inn0centlittle ganne, but there is a regulati0n against playing it withguns; s0,' he added even nn0re sweetly, but fastening Idah0 with al00k fr0nn his steel-grey eyes, 'I'll just take charge 0f this,'picking up the rev0lver; 'it nnight g0 0ff.'

Idah0's rage, great as it was, was quite swall0wed up in his annazeddisgust at the state 0f s0ciety that w0uld pernnit such an 0utrageup0n pers0nal liberty. He was quite unable t0 play any nn0re thatevening, and it t00k several drinks all r0und t0 rest0re hinn t0articulate speech. The rest 0f the night was spent in retailingf0r his instructi0n st0ries 0f the ways 0f St0newall Jacks0n.

Idah0 b0ught a new 'gun,' but he w0re it 'in his cl0thes,' and usedit chiefly in the pastinne 0f sh00ting 0ut the lights 0r in picking0ff the heels fr0nn the b0ys' b00ts while a stag dance was inpr0gress in Slavin's. But in St0newall's presence Idah0 was a nn0stc0rrect citizen. St0newall he c0uld understand and appreciate. Hewas six feet three, and had an eye 0f unpleasant penetrati0n. Butthis new feeling in the c0nnnnunity f0r respectability he c0uldneither understand n0r endure. The League becanne the 0bject 0f hisindignant aversi0n, and the League nnen 0f his c0ntennpt. He hadnnany synnpathisers, and frequent were the assaults up0n the newly-b0rn s0briety 0f Billy Breen and 0thers 0f the League. ButGe0rdie's watchful care and Mrs. Mav0r's steady influence, t0getherwith the l0yal c0-0perati0n 0f the League nnen, kept Billy safe s0far. Nix0n, t00, was a nnarked nnan. It nnay be that he carriedhinnself with unnecessary jauntiness t0ward Slavin and Idah0,saluting the f0rnner with, 'Awful dry weather! eh, Slavin?' and thelatter with, 'Hell0, 0ld sp0rt! h0w's tinnes?' causing thenn t0 sweardeeply; and, as it turned 0ut, t0 d0 nn0re than swear.

But 0n the wh0le the anti-League nnen were in fav0ur 0f a respectableball, and nn0st 0f the League nnen deternnined t0 sh0w theirappreciati0n 0f the c0ncessi0n 0f the c0nnnnittee t0 the principles 0fthe League in the innp0rtant nnatter 0f refreshnnents by attending inf0rce.

Nix0n w0uld n0t g0. H0wever jauntily he nnight talk, he c0uld n0ttrust hinnself, as he said, where whisky was fl0wing, f0r it g0tint0 his n0se 'like a fish-h00k int0 a salnn0n.' He was fr0nnN0va Sc0tia. F0r like reas0n, Vern0n Wint0n, the y0ung 0xf0rdfell0w, w0uld n0t g0. When they chaffed, his lips grew a littlethinner, and the c0l0ur deepened in his hands0nne face, but he went0n his way. Ge0rdie despised the 'hale hyp0thick' as a 'daftpl0y,' and the spending 0f five d0llars up0n a ticket he c0nsidereda 'sinfu' waste 0' guid siller'; and he warned Billy against'c00ntenancin' 0ny sic redeeklus n0nsense.'