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Show 35 most benevolent man in the world, and he is just the opposite. Evil. But in Skagway he is the law and the religion. And his men are everywhere•" We all looked up, "Everywhere except in this house," she said quickly, "and one or two others." "That's heartening," one of the stampeders said, lapping up his soup. I remembered my gold nugget then. But I knew before reaching in my pant pocket that it was gone. I felt sick to my stomach, I felt sick to everything. Mrs. Pullen droned on. "They fleece the greenhorns. Cheechakos, they call them. And they fleece the sourdoughs, those coming back from the gold fields. Everyone gets it both ways- coming and going. And Soapy Smith gets rich." "Then who can a poor girl trust these days?" Violet asked, wide-eyed. "Nobody trusts nobody," Mrs. Pullen answered. "But you can trust a Mountie. Me and the Mounties." "This gangster," I stammered in a high, unnatural voice. "This Soapy Smith. What does he look like?" Now everyone looked at me, "What does he look like?" Mrs. Pullen repeated. "Yes-what does he look like?" |