with you; but what can I do?" "Do?" said the
spokesman, "Why, you can climb a lamp-post at the end of a rope within
one hour of the time that Kinyoun is killed. That's what you can and
will do."

The bland smile disappeared from the Oriental's face. He summoned a
conference of the secret societies, and the reward for Kinyoun's death
was abrogated. Next, the white politicians of Chinatown tried their hand
and organized a lynching bee, but the intrepid doctor fortified his
quarters, armed his men, and was so obviously prepared for trouble that
the mob did nothing more than gather. Arrested twice on trumped-up
charges, threatened for contempt of court, he continued to fulfill his
duties. Governor Gage and the Republican State Committee now inaugurated
a campaign of influence upon President McKinley, which resulted in a
Federal Commission, consisting of Drs. Flexner, Barker, and Novy, all
eminent scientists, being sent to the troubled city; where, instead of
being received with honors, they were abused by the newspapers; insulted
by the Governor; and had the humiliation of seeing the doors of the
University of California slammed in their faces after they had been
invited there. Of course, the Commission found bubonic plague, because
it was there for any one to find.

Thus far the United States Marine Hospital authorities had stood back of
their men. Now they began to weaken. The findings of the Federal
Commission were kept out of the weekly service reports, and data of the
epidemic were edited out of the public health bulletins, in disregard of
the law. Even this subserviency did not satisfy the California
delegation; they wanted Kinyoun out.

And, on April 6, 1901, after a year's brave fight in the face of public
contumely and constant physical danger, Dr. Kinyoun was kicked up-stairs
into a soft berth at Detroit. He resigned. So the M. H. S. lost a brave,
faithful, and able public servant and for once blackened its own fine
record.

There isn't space to give the rest of the plague history; how it cropped
out in other parts of California; how it was shipped to Matanza, Mexico,
and all but ruined that town; how the hated local Health Board, in the
face of the Governor of the State, and the Federal authorities, stuck to
their guns and won the fight, for San Francisco finally admitted the
presence of the plague, and asked for governmental aid. Rupert Blue, one
of the best surgeons in the Marine Hospital Service, was assig