THE CHALLENGE OF THE NORTH BY JAMES HENDRYX GARDEN CITY --------- NEW YORK DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 1922 COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES AT THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS, GARDEN CITY, N. Y. _First Edition_ The Challenge of the North I Oskar Hedin, head of the fur department of old John McNabb's big store, looked up from his scrutiny of the Russian sable coat spread upon atable before him, and encountered the twinkling eyes of old Johnhimself. "It's a shame to keep this coat here--and that natural black fox piece, too. Who is there in Terrace City that's got thirty thousand dollarsto spend for a fur coat, or twenty thousand for a fox fur?" Old John grinned. "Mrs. Orcutt bought one, didn't she?" "Yes, but she bought it down in New York----" "An' paid thirty-five thousand for a coat that runs half a dozen shadeslighter, an' is topped an' pointed to bring it up to the best it's got. Did I ever tell ye the story of Mrs. Orcutt's coat?" "No. " "It goes back quite a ways--the left-handed love me an' Fred Orcutt hasfor one another. We speak neighborly on the street, an' for yearswe've played on opposite sides of a ball-a-hole foursome at the CountryClub, but either of us would sooner lose a hundred dollars than pay theother a golf ball. "It come about in a business way, an' in a business way it's kept on. Not a dollar of McNabb money passes through the hands of Orcutt'sWolverine Bank--an' he could have had it all, an' he knows it. "As ye know, I started out, a lad, with the Hudson's Bay Company, an'I'd got to be a factor when an old uncle of my mother's in Scotlan'died an' left me a matter of twenty thousand pounds sterling. When Igot the money I quit the Company an' drifted around a bit until finallyI bought up a big tract of Michigan pine. There wasn't any TerraceCity then. I located a sawmill here at the mouth of the river an' itwas known as McNabb's Landin'. "D'ye see those docks? I built 'em, an' I've seen the time when theywas two steamers warped along each side of 'em, an' one acrost the end, an' a half a dozen more anchored in the harbor waitin' to haul McNabb'slumber. The van stood on this spot in the sawmill days, an' when itgot too small I built a wooden store. Folks began driftin' in. Theychanged the name from McNabb's Landin' to Terrace City, an' I turned amany a good dollar for buildin' sites. "The second summer brought Fred Orcutt, an' I practically give him thebest lot of the whole outfit to build his bank on. The town outgrewthe wooden store an' I built this one, addin' the annex later, an' Iripped out the old dam an' put in a concrete dam an' a power plant thatfurnished light an' power for all Terrace City. Money was comin' infast an' I invested it here an' there--Michigan, an' Minnesota, an'Winconsin pine, an' the Lord knows what not. Then come the panic, an'I found out almost over night that I was land poor. I needed cash, orcredit at the bank, or I had to take a big loss. I went to see FredOrcutt--I banked with him, those days, an' he knew the fix I was in. Yes, the bank would be glad to accommodate me all right; if you couldof been there an' heard Fred Orcutt lay down his terms you'd know justhow damn glad they'd of been to accommodate me. It kind of stunned meat first, an' then I saw red--the man I'd befriended in more ways thanone, just layin' back till he had me in his clutches! Well, I lit outan' told him just what I thought of him--an' he got it in log campEnglish. It never fazed him. He just sat there leanin' back in hischair, bringin' the points of his fingers together an' drawin' 'emapart again, an' lookin' me square in the face with them pale bluefishy eyes of his. When I'd used up all the oaths an' epithets incommon use, an' some new ones, an' had to quit, he says, in the samecold, even voice that he'd used in layin' down his terms, he says, 'You're a little excited now, John, and I'll not hold it against you. Just drop in sometime to-morrow or next day and we'll fix up thepapers. '" "I walked out of the bank with a wild scheme in my head of going toDetroit or Chicago for the money. But I knew it was no use--and so didOrcutt. He thought he had me right where he wanted me--an' so did I. Meanwhile, an' about six months previous, a young fellow named CharlieBronson--president of the First National now--had opened up a littleseven-by-nine bank in a tin-covered wooden shack that I'd passed adozen times a day an' hadn't even looked into. I'd met Bronson once ortwice, but hadn't paid no attention to him, an' as I was headin' backfor the store, he stood in his doorway. 'Good mornin' Mr. McNabb, ' hesays. I don't think I'd of took the trouble to answer him, but justthen his bank sign caught my eye. It was painted in black letters an'stuck out over the sidewalk. I stopped an' looked past him through theopen door where his bookkeeper-payin'-an'-receivin'-teller-cashier, an'general factotum was busy behind the cheap grill. Then I looked atBronson an' the only thing I noticed was that his eyes was brown, an'he was smilin'. 'Young man, ' I says, 'have you got any money in thatsardine can?' "'Quite a lot, ' he answers with a grin. 'More than I wish I had. ' "'You got a hundred thousand?' I asks--it was more than I needed, but Ithought I'd make it big enough to scare him. "'More than that, ' he answers, without battin' an eye. 'But--what'sthe matter with the Wolverine?' "'The Wolverine?' I busted out. 'Young man, if I was to tell you whatI think of the Wolverine here on the street, I'd be arrested before I'dgot good an' started. ' "'Better come inside, then, ' he grins, an' I followed him into a littlebox of a private office. 'Of course, ' I says later, when I'd told himwhat I wanted, 'most of my collateral is pine timber, an' I suppose, asOrcutt says, it's depreciated----' "'Depreciated?' he asks. 'Why has it depreciated? It's all standin'on end, ain't it?' he says. An' it ain't gettin' no smaller, is it?An' they're layin' down the pine a damn sight faster than God Almightycan grow it, ain't they?' An' when I admitted that such was the facts, he laughed. 'Well then, we'll just go over your reports an' estimates, an' I don't think we'll have any trouble about doin' business. ' "An we never have had no trouble, an' we've been doin' business everyday since. " "But the coat?" reminded Hedin, after an interval of several minutes. "I'm coming to that. Orcutt ain't human, but his wife is. When hefound out I'd slipped out of his clutches an' swung all my businessover to Bronson's bank he never by so much as a word or a look let onthat he even noticed it. They still have an account at the store; theycan't help it, because no other store in Terrace City keeps the stockwe do. But Mrs. Orcutt does all her real shoppin' in New York orChicago. " II Oskar Hedin loved fur, and the romance of fur. From his earliestrecollection he had loved it as he had curled up and listened to thestories of his father, a great upstanding Viking of a sailor man, whoyear after year had forced his little vessel into the far North wherehe traded with the natives, and who had lost his life in the ice floesof the frozen sea while sailing with Nordenskjold. Furs were to Hedin an obsession; they spoke a language he knew. Hehated the grosser furs, as he loved the finer. He despised the tradetricks and spurious trade names by which the flimsiest of furs arefoisted upon the gullible purchasers of "seal, " "sable, " "black fox, ""ermine, " and "beaver. " He prided himself that no misnamed fur hadever passed over his counter, and in this he was backed up by hisemployer. The cheaper furs were there, but they sold under their truenames and upon their merits. In the social democracy of the town of twenty thousand people OskarHedin had earned a definite place. After graduating from the localhigh school he had entered the employ of McNabb, and within a very fewyears had been promoted to head his department. At the Country Club hecould be depended upon to qualify with the first flight in the annualgolf tournament, and the "dope" was all upset when he did not play inthe finals on the courts. He lived at the city's only "family hotel, "drove his own modest car, and religiously spent his Sundays on thetrout streams. Hedin picked up the coat and reverently deposited it in the fur safe. "It's a coat fit for a queen, " he decided as he closed and locked thedoor. And Jean was the one woman in the world to wear it. Jean withthe red blood coursing through her veins, her glow of health, and thesparkle of her eyes--McNabb's own daughter. "And, yet, I can't suggestit because--" Hedin muttered aloud and scowled at the floor. "I'd haveasked her before this, " he went on, "if that Wentworth hadn't buttedin. Who knows anything about him, anyway? I'll ask her thisafternoon. " He stopped abruptly and smiled into the eyes of the girlwho was hurrying toward him down the aisle. "Oh, Oskar, I've just got a minute. I stopped in to remind you thatthis is Saturday, and we're going tobogganing this afternoon, and I'veasked Mr. Wentworth and some of the crowd, and there'll be four or fivetoboggans, and it will be no end jolly. And this is my birthday, andyou're a dear to think of it and send me all those flowers, and I'mgoing to wear 'em to-night. Listen, Elsie Campbell is giving a dinnerfor me this evening and of course you're not invited because it's justtoo funny the way she has snubbed you lately, and there's a show intown and after dinner we're going. Of course it won't be any good, butshe's making a theatre party of it, and it sounds grand anyway. And Imust hurry along now because I must remind Dad that he promised me afur coat the day I was twenty-one, and I'll be back after a while andyou can help me pick it out. Good-by, see you later!" And she wasgone, leaving Hedin gazing after her with a smile as he strove todigest the jumble of uncorrelated information of which she hadunburdened herself. "Wentworth, and some of the crowd! Oh, it will bejolly, all right--damn Wentworth!" Old John McNabb looked up from his papers as his daughter burst intohis private office and, rushing to his side, planted a kiss squarelyupon the top of his bald head. "I came in to tell you I'm twenty-oneto-day, " she announced. "Well, well, so ye are! Ye come into the world on the first of March, true to the old sayin', an' ye've be'n boisterous ever since. Twenty-one years old, an' tell me now, what have ye ever accomplished?When I was your age I'd be'n livin' in the bush north of 60 for twoyears, an' could do my fifty miles on snowshoes an' carry a pack. " "Maybe I can't do fifty miles a day on snowshoes, and I'm sure it isn'tmy fault I don't live north of 60. But I'm in a hurry; I promised tohelp Mr. Wentworth pick out a toboggan cap. I stopped in to remind youthat you promised me a fur coat on my twenty-first birthday. " The old man regarded her thoughtfully. "So I did, so I did, " herepeated absently. "This Wentworth, now--he's been kickin' around anuncommon lot, lately. Tell me again, who is he? What does he do for alivin'?" "Why, he's a civil engineer--hydraulic work is his specialty. He hasbeen employed by some company that intended to put in a power plant ofsome kind on Nettle River, and either the company broke up, or theyfound the plan was not feasible, or something, and they abandoned it. So Mr. Wentworth isn't doing anything, at present. But he is a finefellow--so jolly, and so good looking, and he has a wonderful warrecord. He was with the engineers in Russia. " "U-m-m, where d'ye get hold of his war record?" "Why--why--he--he has told us about the things they did--his company. " "Um--hum, " Old John was stroking his nose. "But, if he's civil engineer, an' out of a job, you might tell him tostop in a minute--after he gets the right color of a toboggan cappicked out. " III When the door closed behind the girl old John readjusted his noseglasses and leaned back in his chair. "A clever engineer he is, beyonda doubt, " he mused. "For I kept my eye on him while he was layin' outOrcutt's Nettle River project. If he'd made a botch of the job 'twouldhave saved me offerin' my plant to the city. But he has the look of aman ye couldn't trust in the dark--an' 'twould be clever engineerin' tomarry a million. I'll set him a job that'll show the stuff that's inhim. If he's a crook, I'll give him the chance to prove it. " Reachinginto a pigeon-hole of his desk, McNabb withdrew a thick packet ofpapers and removed the rubber band. A few moments later Jean entered, the office followed by a rather wellset up young man, whose tiny mustache was chopped square, like aminiature section of box hedge. "This is Mr. Wentworth, Dad, "introduced the girl. "And now I'll leave you two men, because Oskarhas promised to help me pick out a coat, and it's after ten o'clock. And, by the way, Dad, what kind of a coat shall I get? I want a goodone. " "I'll warrant ye do! Well, just you tell Oskar to let you pick out apony, or a crummer, or a baum marten, or a squirrel. They're all good. " As the door closed behind his daughter, old John McNabb motioned theyounger man to a chair. "My daughter tells me you're an engineer, " hebegan. "Yes, sir, temporarily unemployed. " "Come up here on the Nettle River project, I hear. What's the matter?Couldn't you dam the river?" "Oh, yes. The Nettle River presents no serious engineering problem. Ispent four months on the ground and reported it favorably, and then allof a sudden, I was informed that the project had been abandoned, atleast for the present. The trouble, I presume, was in the financing. It certainly was not because of any physical obstacles. " "What was the idea in building the dam in the first place?" "Why, for power purposes. I believe it was their intention to inducemanufacturing enterprises to locate in Terrace City, and to furnishthem electric power at a low rate----" "An' underbid me on the lightin' contract--an' then unload onto thecity at a big profit. " Wentworth smiled. "I was not advised as to the financial end of it. Isuppose, though, that that would have been the logical procedure. " Old John chuckled. "You're right, it would, with Fred Orcutt mixed upin it. But they didn't catch me nappin', an' I slipped the word to thecity dads that I'd sell out to 'em, lock, stock, an' barrel, at afigure that would have meant a loss to Orcutt's crowd to meet. So I'mthe one that busted the Nettle River bubble, an' seein' I knocked yeout of a job, it's no more than fair I should offer ye another. " "Why, thank you----" "Don't thank me yet, " interrupted McNabb. "Ye may not care to tackleit. It's a man's size job, in a man's country. Part of it's the samekind of work you've been doin' here--locatin' a dam to furnish power torun a pulp mill. Then you'll have to check up the land covered by thatbatch of options, an' explore a couple of rivers, an' locate morepulpwood, an' get options on it. An' lay out a road to the railway. It's in Canada, in the Gods Lake Country, three hundred miles north ofthe railhead. " "How soon would you expect me to start?" "Monday wouldn't be none too soon; to-morrow would be better. It'sthis way. I've got options on better than half a million acres ofpulpwood lyin' between Hayes River an' the Shamattawa. Ten years ago Icut the last of my pine, an' I got out my pencil an' begun to figurehow I could keep in the woods. I pig-ironed a little--got out hardwoodfor the wooden specialty factories to cut up into spools, an'clothes-pins, an' oval dishes an' whatnot--an' then I turned myattention to the pulpwood. I figured it wouldn't be long before thepapermills would be hollerin' for raw materials the way they wasturnin' out the paper, so I nosed around a bit an' bought options onpulpwood land here an' there. An' now's the time to get busy, with thebig newspapers an' the magazines all howlin' for paper, an' all themills workin' overtime. " "Do you mean that you're going to manufacture paper yourself--way upthere? How do you expect to get your product to market?" "Easy enough. Make the paper in the woods, an' float it a littlebetter than a hundred miles to Hudson Bay in barges, or scows. Yousee, the Shamattawa runs into Hayes River, an' Hayes River empties intothe Bay just across a spit of land from Port Nelson. And the railwayfrom The Pas to Port Nelson is being pushed to completion. With thepaper on the Bay, I can ship by rail or boat to the market. " "And you want to locate the mill on the Hayes River?" "No; the Hayes runs too flat. Either on the upper Shamattawa, or onGods River, which lies between the two, an' flows into the Shamattawa. There's plenty of water in either one, an' I think both or 'em have gotfall enough. I want the mill where it will be easy to get the wood toit, an' at the same time, where we'll have a good head of water--an'it's got to be done quick. The options expire the first of August, an'I've nosed around an' found out there's no chance to renew 'em ondecent terms. When you get the mill located, then you've got to slipdown the river an' find out what kind of scows we'll need, an' lay outa road to the new Hudson Bay Railway that's headed for Port Nelson. We'll haul in the material an' save time. An' when you've finishedthat, you can make a survey of the pulpwood available outside ourpresent holdin's. " "Quite a job, take it all in all. " "Yes--an' takin' it all in all, it'll take quite a man to fill it, "retorted McNabb brusquely. "The man that puts this through won't neverneed to hunt another job, because this is only the beginnin' of thepulpwood game for me----" The telephone on the desk rang, and after amoment's conversation, McNabb arose and tossed the packet of papersinto Wentworth's lap. "I've got to step out for a matter of ten orfifteen minutes, " he said. "Here's the papers, an' a map of thecountry. Look 'em over, an' if you care to tackle it, let me know whenI come back. " Alone in the office, Wentworth studied the map fully five minutes; thenhe read over the option contract. Suddenly, he straightened in hischair, and read the last clause of the contract carefully: Be it further agreed that if the said John McNabb, or his authorizedrepresentative, does not demand fulfillment of the terms of thisagreement, and accompany the said demand by tender of at least tenpercent of the purchase price named herein, on or before noon of thefirst day of July, nineteen hundred and twenty-one, this agreementshall automatically become null and void in its entirety. Be it further agreed between the said John McNabb, and the saidCanadian Wild Lands Company, Ltd. , that aforementioned demand andtender of payment shall be made at and in the store of that tradingpost of the Hudson's Bay Company, situated upon the north shore of GodsLake, and known as Gods Lake Post. Swiftly Wentworth stepped to the desk and, lifting the receiver fromits hook, called a number. "Hello! Wolverine Bank? I want to speakwith Mr. Orcutt. Hello, Mr. Orcutt? This is Wentworth--No, I don'twant any money. Listen, I must see you at once. I'm on the trail ofsomething big, and I need you to help swing it. There's a million init--can't say more now. What? One o'clock at the bank? Right, I'llbe there. Good-by. " A few moments later McNabb entered the office. "Well, did you look theproposition over? Ye see by the map how we can get the paper to theBay. What d'ye say? Take it, or leave it?" "I'll take it, " answered Wentworth. "An' ye'll start to-morrow?" "Why--it's pretty short notice--but--yes, I'll start to-morrow. " Old John McNabb drew a check which he handed to Wentworth. "Expenses, an' a month's advance salary, " grunted the older man. "And when do you want a report on the mill site?" "As soon after the ice goes out as you can make it. " "And you will be up during the summer?" "Some time in July--I've got to be there on the first of August toclose that option. Take those location papers with ye. Ye'll needthem, an' the map--I have another copy in the vault at the bank. I'llbring 'em up when I come, so if somethin' comes up so you couldn't beat the post on the first of August, it won't hold up the deal. Runalong now, I must catch the 11:45 train for Grand Rapids--see you inJuly. " IV Upstairs in the fur department Oskar Hedin paused in the act ofreturning some fox pieces to their place, and greeted the girl who hadhalted before the tall pier glass to readjust her hat and push arefractory strand of hair into place. "Back again?" he smiled. "Andnow for the coat!" "Now for the coat, " she repeated. "What kind of a coat do I want, Oskar? I want to try on lots of them. I don't know a thing in theworld about furs. All I know is that I've seen some I liked, and somethat I didn't care much for. " For half an hour Jean tried on coats, until her choice had narroweddown to a handsome dark baum marten, and a shimmery gray squirrel. "I think they're both lovely, and I can't quite make up my mind, " shesaid at last, in a tone of mock despair. "It's worse than picking outtoboggan caps. I just helped Mr. Wentworth select one--and, oh, by theway, I believe dad is going to find a place for him. " "For who?" asked Hedin, and Jean noticed tiny wrinkles gather betweenhis eyes. "Why, for Mr. Wentworth, of course. You see, I told dad that he'd justlost his position with that old Nettle River thing they were trying toput through, and Dad said if he was a civil engineer, and out of a job, to tell him to drop in and see him, so I took him in and introduced himand I guess they're still talking. " "Humph, " grunted Hedin. "You don't need to be so grumpy about it. Mr. Wentworth is awfullynice, and all the girls are crazy about him. " "I don't think that gives you any call to rave much over him when itwas Fred Orcutt that brought him here, and he brought him for no otherpurpose than to knife your father, " replied Hedin dryly. Jean laughed. "You take Dad too seriously. He really believes Mr. Orcutt has it in for him, and he sees an ulterior motive in everythinghe does in a business way. But, really, the Orcutts are all right. There was some business deal, years and years ago, in which Dad fanciedMr. Orcutt tried to get the best of him, and he has never forgotten it. You see, Dad is the dearest thing that ever lived, but he is sort ofcrusty, and it isn't everybody that knows how to take him. Why, Mr. And Mrs. Orcutt are going to be at dinner this evening, and are goingto the theatre, too. They know it is my birthday party, so thatdoesn't look as though they were such fierce enemies of the McNabbs, does it? "Let's get back to the subject of coats. This squirrel is beautiful, but I believe I like the dark fur the better. I think I'll try thatmarten again. " Hedin was thinking rapidly. He had known from the first that thedarker fur was the fur for her, yet he had refrained from making anydirect suggestion. "Just a moment, please, " he said. "Won't you button that coat oncemore, I want to get an artificial light effect. " As he spoke, he movedtoward the windows and drew the shades. Returning in the gloom, hereached swiftly into the fur safe and withdrew the Russian sable coatwhich he deftly deposited on top of the marten coat that lay withseveral others upon a nearby table. As the girl turned from the glass, he switched on the light. "All right, " he said, a moment later. "If you care to try on themarten again, we'll see how that shows up under the artificial. "Deftly he lifted the squirrel from her shoulders, and, picking up theRussian sable, held it while she slipped her arms into the sleeves. Asshe buttoned it, he stepped back, and viewed the result throughcritically puckered eyes. With an effort he refrained from voicing hisenchantment with the living picture before him. Old John was right--itwas a coat fit for a queen! "I like this one best. I'll take it. " Hedin agreed. "I think you have chosen wisely, " he answered, adding, as she started to loosen the garment at the throat, "Just a minute--theset of the collar in the back----" He stepped behind her, raised thecollar a trifle with his fingers, smoothed it into place, and steppedaside to note the effect. "Just a trifle low, " he said, "but it's toolate to have it altered to-day. " "Oh, bother! I think the set is all right. Who would ever notice it?Let it go. " Hedin smiled. "You can wear it to-night, all right, but you mustpromise me to send it down the first thing Monday morning for thealteration. "I will bring it to the house this afternoon. " A sudden caprice seized her. "Why, I think I'll wear it!" sheanswered. "Just help me on with it, Oskar. And thank you so much forhelping me select it. Here comes Mr. Wentworth, now. I wonder whetherhe will like it. I'm crazy about it. What kind of a marten did yousay it is? Everybody will be asking me, and I want to be able to tellthem what my own coat is. " "Baum marten, " answered Hedin stiffly, heartily wishing the coat safein its accustomed place. In vain he regretted the wild impulse thathad led him to substitute the sable coat for the marten. The impulsehad come when the girl told him that Mrs. Orcutt was to be one of thetheatre party. The plan had flashed upon him with overwhelmingbrilliance. He knew that Jean would in all probability never noticethat the coat was not a marten. And he knew that Mrs. Orcutt mostcertainly would, for McNabb had once publicly compared it with hercoat, much to the New York coat's detriment and Mrs. Orcutt'shumiliation. It was not altogether loyalty for his employer that ledhim to plot the woman an uncomfortable evening, for he owed her agrudge on his own account. Ever since the coming of Wentworth, whomshe had taken under her special patronage, Hedin had been studiouslyomitted from her scheme of social activities--and Jean McNabb had beenas studiously included. He knew that McNabb was leaving town to begone until the following evening, and that the chance of his seeing thegarment was exceedingly small, and he had invented the fiction of thelow collar in order to get the coat back on Monday morning when hewould, of course, substitute the baum marten and return the sable toits safe. But now he felt vaguely uneasy. Hedin saw that Wentworth was staring at the coat with a swiftlyappraising eye. "It's a baum marten, " Jean went on. "It took me along time to choose between this and a squirrel. There was one thatwas a luscious gray, but I like this better--don't you?" Wentworth nodded. "I certainly do, " he agreed. "And I do not believeit would have taken me long to decide between that and a squirrel. " Heturned to Hedin. "What do you think, Mr. --ah--Haywood? That thechoice was a wise one? This is certainly a handsome--er--what did yousay it is?" "Baum marten, " snapped Hedin, with scarcely a glance at the questioner, as he turned and began to replace the coats that lay upon the table. Wentworth watched Hedin return the baum marten to its place, and Jeanstepped swiftly to Hedin's side. As she spoke, he saw that her eyes were flashing angrily. "If your surly mood doesn't change, " she whispered, "you will not addmuch to the enjoyment of our coasting party. " "I shall neither add to, nor detract from it, " answered Hedin, meetingher gaze squarely. "Please don't wait for me. I find that I shall notbe able to attend. " V The United States Government formally entered the world war in April, and the following month Ross Wentworth had been graduated from atechnical college, and through the auspices of an influential relativewas commissioned a captain of engineers, and assigned to duty in one ofthe larger cantonments. In due course of events he was sent overseas, and was attached to the forces operating in northern Russia. Duringthe sixteen months of his service in the land of the erstwhile Czar, heacquired a fund of military terms, both official and slang. Also hebuilt and maintained in a state of inutility, nine and one-half milesof military swamp road, over which no gun nor detachment of troops everpassed. The abrupt termination of hostilities caught him with aformidable and inexplicable discrepancy of company funds--whichdiscrepancy was promptly and liberally met by the aforementionedrelative. Whereupon, Captain Wentworth was honorably discharged fromthe service of his country. For many months after his discharge he lived by his wits and looks, butwhen this grew unproductive of ready cash, he decided to seekemployment in his accredited vocation. This decision he arrived at while sojourning in the home of a wealthyfruit-grower who was interested in the Nettle River project, and whofurnished him a letter of recommendation to Orcutt, who promptlyemployed him. Thereafter all went well until McNabb's ultimatumbrought the Nettle River project to as sudden a termination as thearmistice had brought the war. Whereupon Wentworth found himself inthe uncomfortable predicament of having no available assets and manypressing liabilities, incurred in the course of his endeavor to win thegood graces of the wealthy Jean McNabb. While scarcely knowing Hedin, Wentworth recognized him as a possiblerival. He, himself, was no connoisseur of fur, but at least he knew aRussian sable when he saw one, and as he preceded Jean down the aisle, his brain worked rapidly. By the time he reached the street, a daring scheme was half-formed inhis brain--a scheme which, if successful, would work the utter ruin ofHedin, and leave him a clear field with the girl. At the first cornerhe excused himself. Hardly was the girl's back turned when Wentworth dodged around thecorner and entered McNabb's store by another door just in time to seeold John rush from the building, bag in hand, and hurry down the streetin the direction of the station. McNabb's was the only big store in Terrace City, and being a departmentstore, it kept city hours, so while on Saturday evenings all the otherstores remained open for business until a late hour, McNabb's closed atnoon. Passing unnoticed down the aisle, Wentworth's eyes darted hereand there in search of a place of concealment, until at length he tookup a position close beside McNabb's private office, the door of which, he noted with satisfaction, stood slightly ajar. Watching his opportunity, Wentworth slipped unnoticed into the privateoffice, closed the door softly behind him, and sank comfortably intoMcNabb's desk chair. A gong sounded, and was repeated, dimly, upon the floors above. Wentworth could hear the tramp of feet in the aisles as the clerkspoured from the building through a door that gave on to a side street. In a few minutes the rush was over, and then they came scatteringly, singly, and by twos and threes. He could hear the opening of the door, and the click of the lock as it closed behind them. The footstepsceased. He drew his watch and waited. Noises from the street reachedhim, sounding far off and muffled, but the store was silent as a tomb. Twelve minutes ticked away. A footstep sounded. Wentworth could traceit descending the stairs, and walking the length of an aisle. Followedthe sound of the opening door, and the click of the latch. Somebelated department head, he thought. Possibly Hedin, himself--and hegrinned at the thought. In the silence of the great building Wentworth suddenly realized thathe was nervous. It was all well enough to plan a thing, but thecarrying out of the plan was quite another matter. He took a silentturn or two the length of the office, his footsteps making no soundupon the soft carpet. He waited twenty minutes and, hearing no sound, closed his watch and dabbed at his forehead with the handkerchief whichhe drew from his sleeve. Turning the knob, he stepped out upon theuncarpeted floor. The sound of his footsteps upon the hardwood seemedto reverberate through the whole building. He walked a few steps ontiptoe, and then decided that in case anyone should see him, thetiptoeing would look furtive. So he walked to the foot of thestairway, his footsteps sounding in his ears like the ring of a hammeron an anvil. As he ascended the stairs he called out, "Hey, isn'tthere any one here? I am locked in, and can't get out! Hello!Someone show me the way out!" Swiftly he ascended to the third floor and crossed to the fur case. Silently he slid back the door and lifted the baum marten coat from itsplace, and stepping to a counter upon which was fixed a huge roll ofwrapping paper, he proceeded to make the coat into a package. Thisdone, he hastened toward the stairway with the package under his arm. Down the stairs he flew, taking them two and three at a time, down thenext flight, and across the floor, until he brought up panting at thedoor with the spring lock by which the employees had left the building. Thought of material gain had not until this point entered into thescheme. He had merely plotted the undoing of a rival, but at thesudden realization of his status in the eyes of the world, a newthought struck him. "If I can get away with it--why not? A Russiansable! Why, it's worth _thousands_!" It took a concentrated effort to open the door a tiny crack and peerthrough. Swiftly opening the door, Wentworth stepped onto thesidewalk, closed the door behind him, and clutching his packagetightly, hurried down the street. He had entirely gained his composureby the time he reached his hotel, and hastening to his room, placed thepackage in his trunk and turned the key. He glanced at his watch. Itlacked three minutes of one, and remembering his appointment withOrcutt, he hastened to the Wolverine Bank. VI Orcutt greeted his caller without enthusiasm. For despite theassurance over the telephone that Wentworth wanted no money, he feltthat he was in for a touch. The younger man was quick to note the attitude, and hastened to dispelit. "In the first place, Mr. Orcutt, I am going to ask you to cash acheck for three thousand dollars, but----" "Three thousand!" exclaimed Orcutt, his eyes narrowing. "Whose checkis it?" "John McNabb's. " "John McNabb's!" A look of suspicion flashed into his eyes. "Yes--isn't it good?" "Good! Hell--yes, of course it's good! But what are you doing withMcNabb's check for three thousand?" Reaching into his pocket, Wentworth drew out the packet of papers andheld it in his hand. "Eight or ten years ago McNabb bought options ona half million acres of pulp-wood lying between two certain rivers. Hesent for me--said he heard I was out of a job, and that as he was theone that was responsible for my losing out, it was only fair that heshould offer me another. Then he went on to outline the wholeproposition, told me the options expired on August first; then he wascalled out of the office for a minute and asked me to look over themaps and papers and let him know if I wanted to tackle it or not. "In going over the contract, I found that the options expire on Julyfirst, instead of August first, as he said. It was then I called youup, for the whole scheme hit me like a flash. Don't you see it? If Iworked for him, I'd draw a salary, and a good one--and nothing more. But if I should interest sufficient capital to step in on the first dayof July when those options expire, and buy up the whole tract, wherewould McNabb be?" Orcutt tapped thoughtfully upon his desk pad with the tip of hispencil. "I wonder, " he muttered aloud, more to himself than toWentworth, "I wonder if John has made a slip at last?" "That is just what he has done! And he is so cocksure of his groundthat he didn't even glance at the papers to refresh his memory--I doubtif he has looked at them since he made the deal. " The banker eyed the younger man shrewdly. "And in case I shouldinterest myself in the proposition to the extent of organizing thecapital to swing the deal, what would you expect out of it?" "A share in the business, and a salary of ten thousand a year. " "You don't want much!" exclaimed Orcutt. "Not any more than you could well afford to give me. You don't realizewhat a big thing this is--it's going to take a lot of capital to swingit. " "About how much?" "You'll have to get your figures on the paper mill from someone thatknows more about it than I do. The pulp-wood will cost, I imagine, somewhere between six and ten dollars an acre. McNabb's options callfor purchase at five dollars, and he told me he could not renew at thatfigure. But even at ten dollars, there is a mint in it. You will haveto pay down ten percent of the purchase price in cash. " Orcutt whistled. "Ten percent of the purchase price, at say, tendollars, would be half a million. Besides the cost of the mill and theinterest on four million and a half!" "It is a big proposition, " agreed Wentworth. "If it is too big for youto handle, I can find someone who will. I have a friend in Detroitwhose father will jump at the chance. It isn't too big for McNabb. " "Who said anything about it being too big?" snapped Orcutt. "If McNabbcould find the money, I can. But, mind you, I'm not going to spend adamned cent on the proposition until after McNabb's options haveexpired and we've got our hands on the pulp-wood. Mind you; you don'tdraw any advance money. " "Not a cent, " agreed Wentworth. "But you'd better have the money righton hand on the first day of July; those options expire at noon, and wedon't want any delay about getting hold of the property. And, by theway, I want a written contract--make my share a ten percent interest inthe business. " After some demurring on the part of Orcutt, he called a stenographerand drew a contract, which he duly signed and handed to Wentworth, whothrust it into his pocket with the packet of papers. "Let's see those papers of McNabb's, " said Orcutt. Wentworth smiled. "That is hardly necessary, do you think? I willvouch for the date--and the location need not concern you at present. All you need to know is that at noon on the first day of July, you, oryour legal representative, must be at the Gods Lake post of theHudson's Bay Company, with a half million dollars in cash, or itsequivalent--and you'd better have all your arrangements made inadvance, and allow plenty of time to get there. " VII On the whole the afternoon was a disappointing one for Jean McNabb. She had been deeply hurt by Hedin's curt refusal to attend the coastingparty, and Wentworth had proved a very luke-warm cavalier. She hadstarted out to be extremely vivacious so all might see that the absenceof Hedin was a matter of no concern, but Wentworth's preoccupied mannersoon dampened her ardor, until for her the coasting party became amonotonous affair. She breathed a sigh of relief when it was over, and after a walk, during which neither ventured a word, she parted from Wentworth at thegate and rushed to her room. She was furious with Hedin, furious withWentworth, and furious with herself for being furious. When he parted from Jean McNabb after the coasting party, Wentworthproceeded to the railway station, where he purchased his ticket andarranged with a truckman to call for his trunk at exactly eighto'clock. Hastening to the hotel, he dressed for dinner. This accomplished, he carefully locked his door, removed the coat fromhis trunk, concealed it within the folds of his own overcoat, and satdown to smoke a cigarette as he went over, step by step, his hastilyconceived plan. When the hands of his watch indicated that he would beprecisely fifteen minutes late, he left the hotel, carrying theovercoat upon his arm. The street into which he turned was deserted, and proceeding to a pointopposite the Campbell residence, he stepped behind a huge maple treeand surveyed the brilliantly lighted house across the way. "They're late getting started. I hope they are not waiting on myaccount, " he grinned, and drew closer into the shadow of the trees as alone pedestrian passed along the opposite sidewalk. Faintly to hisears came the sound of laughter, and then there was a general exodustoward the dining room. With a sigh of relief, Wentworth crossed thestreet, rang the doorbell, and was admitted. "That you, Captain Wentworth?" called his hostess. "We waited for youuntil just this minute. " "Awfully sorry to be late--detestable thing to do--going away in themorning--thousand-and-one things to attend to--be down in a moment tooffer humble apology. " Swiftly and silently Wentworth removed the coat from within his own, crossed the hall, substituted the baum marten for the Russian sable, and reentered the gentlemen's dressing room, where it was but the workof a moment to conceal the garment within the folds of his coat. Thenhe descended the stairs, entered the dining room, and seated himself inthe vacant chair beside Jean McNabb. The dinner went as dinners do and was brought to a rather abrupttermination by someone's discovery that it lacked but five minutes toeight. As the guests rose from the table Wentworth gave a startledexclamation. "In my haste in dressing I forgot my pocketbook. I distinctlyrecollect removing it from my pocket and tossing it upon the bed, andthere I must have left it. " He turned to Elsie Campbell. "I hope youwill pardon me if I hurry away but really, that pocketbook contains arather large sum--expense money you know--and, I am almost certain thatI neglected to lock my room. I will join you at the door of thetheatre; I can easily reach there before you, if I hurry. " A moment later he rushed from the house with his overcoat upon his arm, and hurried to the hotel where, lifting the tray of his trunk, hedeposited the sable coat, replaced the tray, locked and strapped thetrunk, and finished just in time to respond to the knock of thetruckman. Five minutes later he was waiting at the theatre for theothers, who appeared just before the rise of the curtain on the firstact. VIII When Oskar Hedin left the store at the closing hour, he went directlyto his hotel, bolted a hasty luncheon, slipped into outdoor togs and ahalf hour later was silently threading an old log-trail that bit deepinto the jack-pines. Mile after mile he glided smoothly along thatsilent winding white lane, his skis making no sound in the soft, deepsnow. Just beyond a swamp, in the centre of a wide clearing, surrounded uponthree sides by the encroaching jack-pines and poplars, and upon thefourth by a broad bend of the river, Hedin removed his skis and seatedhimself upon a rotting log of a tumbled-down cabin, there to think. So, that's why she wanted a new coat? She was going out for theevening with Wentworth. And she invited Wentworth to go tobogganing, on this particular afternoon of all others, when he had intended towhisper in her ear, as the toboggan flew down the steep grade, thething that had been uppermost in his mind for a year. And she hadasked her father to give him a job. Of course, what could be simpler?A man can manage to exist, somehow, without a job--but with two a jobis essential. He laughed, a short, hard laugh that ended in a sneer. Well, he hadbeen a fool--that's all. He had served her purpose, had been the poordupe upon whom she had practised her wiles, a plaything, to be lightlytossed aside for a new toy. Some day, too late perhaps, she would seeher mistake, and then she would suffer, even as he was sufferingnow--but, no, to suffer one must first love, and woman had not thecapacity to love. "To hell with them!" he cried aloud. "To hell withmy tame job! And to hell with Terrace City, and with the civilizationthat calls a man from the wild places and sets him to selling womenbaubles to deck themselves out in. " The jack-pine shadows reached far into the clearing as Oskar fastenedon his skis and headed back along the tote-road. It was not toolate--he was only twenty-five. He, too, would live like a man, wouldgo into the North, and henceforth only the outlands should know him. He would resign Monday morning. The thought caused a pang of regret atparting with McNabb. Darkness found him still upon the tote-road. He emerged from thejack-pines and paused at the long smooth hill, as was his wont, to lookdown upon the brilliant lights of Terrace City. His momentum carriedhim skimming across a flat meadow, and he slowed to a stand at the veryend of the main street where, in the white glare of an arc light heremoved his skis, and stepped onto the sidewalk. Well, he would see her once more, arrayed in the coat of matchedsable--and he would carry the picture with him to far places where thestars winked cold in the night sky. Fully twenty minutes before time for the curtain Hedin was in hisplace, tenth row on the middle aisle, eagerly scanning the patrons asthey were ushered to their seats. The theatre boasted only two boxes, set just above the stage level, and Elsie Campbell had engaged themboth. As time for the curtain to rise drew near, Hedin found himselffidgeting nervously. Had the theatre party been called off? The housewas already well filled; surely there was no block of vacant seats thatwould accommodate a dinner party. Then, as he had about given up hope, he raised his eyes to a box just as Jean McNabb entered, followedclosely by Wentworth. Hedin stared as if petrified, brushed his handacross his eyes as though to clear his vision of distorting film, andstared again. For Wentworth was lifting a coat from Jean's shoulders, but it was not a sable one. Seizing his hat and coat, Hedin rushedfrom the building, narrowly avoiding collision with an usher. Without pausing to put on his coat, he dashed for the store and lettinghimself in, took the stairs three at a time. Upon the second flight, he met the night watchman who, recognizing him, allowed him to pass, but noting his evident agitation and unaccountable haste, silently anddiscreetly followed and took up a position where he could watch everymove of the excited department head. Hastening to the fur safe, Hedinunlocked and threw it open. He switched on the light, and peered intothe interior. The Russian sable coat was not in its accustomed place. And a hurried search of the safe showed that it was in no other place. Closing the door, he inspected the case that contained the lessvaluable furs, and it was but the work of a moment to discover that thebaum marten coat was missing. Dumbfounded, he stared at the emptyspace where the coat should have been. His brief inspection in thetheatre had told him this was the coat Jean McNabb was wearing--butwhere was the sable? He distinctly remembered replacing the martenwith his own hands, and of seeing the girl pass down the aisle wearingthe sable. He sank into his chair and, leaning forward, buried his face in hisarms upon his desk. He tried to think clearly, but found himselfentirely incapable of thought. How did it happen? Where was the sable? Calling the watchman, Hedin questioned him for half an hour, butlearned nothing. He even made a personal inspection of every door andwindow in the store, and sent the watchman to the basement on a tour ofsimilar inspection. When the man returned and reported nothingdisturbed, Hedin left the store and proceeded directly to his room, where he spent a sleepless night in trying to solve the mystery. After breakfast the following morning Jean McNabb sat before the littledressing table in her room when the doorbell rang, and the maidannounced Mr. Hedin. "Tell Mr. Hedin I can't see anyone this morning, " she said, withoutlooking up. Again the maid tapped at the door, and entering, handed the girl ahastily scribbled leaf torn from a notebook. Jean read it at a glance, and her face flushed with swift anger. No salutation, only a fewscrawled words: "Must see you at once. Purely matter of business--veryimportant--about the coat. " Crossing to her desk the girl scribbled upon the reverse side of thepaper. "Never talk business on Sunday. Coat will be at store as peragreement. " IX On Monday morning old John McNabb entered his private office to findHedin awaiting him. He glanced at the younger man inquiringly--"Whatails ye, lad? Ye look like ye hadn't slept for a week. " "I haven't slept for two nights, " answered Hedin. "There is no usebeating around the bush. As a matter of fact, the Russian sable coatis missing, and I am to blame for it. " The old man stared incredulously. "Missin'!" he exclaimed. "An'you're to blame! What d'ye mean?" Hastily, in as few words as possible, Hedin recited the facts as heknew them, while an angry flush mounted to the old man's face. McNabb reached for the telephone and called a number. "Hello! Is thatyou, Jean? Come to the store at once, and bring your new fur coat--tomy office. . . . What? No, that won't do, at all. Bring ityourself--I'm waitin'. " "I'll step outside while Jean--while Miss McNabb----" "Ye'll stay where ye are!" snapped McNabb. The older man turned to his desk, where for ten minutes he opened andclosed drawers and rustled papers viciously. Then the door opened andJean herself stepped into the room with the fur coat over her arm. "Well, Dad, here's the coat. " She paused abruptly, glanced inquiringlyat Hedin, nodded coolly, and continued, "Oskar said it needed a littletailoring, and that I was to bring it down this morning, but I didn'tthink there was any tearing hurry about it. " Her father took the garment, smoothed the fur with his hand, and askedcasually, "Is this the coat ye wore from the store?" "Why, of course it is. " "An' the one ye wore to the show?" "Yes, yes, " answered the girl impatiently. "I haven't so many furcoats that I would be apt to get them mixed. " McNabb ignored the impatience. "Ye've had no other coat in yourpossession since you selected this one?" "No, I haven't. What's all this about?" "Did Oskar tell you what kind of a coat you were gettin'?" "Yes, a baum marten. Why, isn't it a baum marten?" McNabb nodded. "Yes, it's a baum marten. Run along now. I justwanted to see which coat ye'd got. Here, take it along with ye. Thetailor can wait. " With a puzzled glance at the two men, Jean took the coat, and with atoss of the head left the office. McNabb turned to Hedin. "What have ye got to say now? Did the girltell the truth?" "Absolutely. " "Then that was the coat she wore from the store?" "No--but she thinks it was. She doesn't know the difference. " For a long time John McNabb spoke no word but sat staring at his desk, pecking at the blotter with his pencil. He prided himself upon hisability to pick men. He knew men, and in no small measure was thisknowledge responsible for his success in dealing with men. He had beencertain that Jean and Hedin would eventually marry, and secretly helonged for the day. He had watched Hedin for years and now, despitethe improbability of the story, he believed it implicitly. And it waswith a heavy heart that he had watched the studied coldness of eachtoward the other. McNabb was a man of snap decisions. He would teachthese young fools a lesson, and at the same time find out which way thewind blew. With a clenching of his fists, he whirled abruptly uponHedin. "What did ye do with the coat?" he roared. "It'll go easier with ye ifye tell me!" "What do you mean?" cried Hedin, white to the lips, meeting McNabb'sgaze with a look of mingled surprise, pain, and anger. "I mean just what I say. Ye've got the coat--where is it?" Hedin felt suddenly weak and sick. He had expected McNabb's anger athis foolish whim, and knew that he deserved it--but that McNabb shouldaccuse him of theft! Sick at heart, he faltered his answer, and in hisown ears his voice sounded strange, and dull, and unconvincing. "Youthink I--I stole it?" "What else am I to think? What will the police think? What will thejury think when they hear your flimsy yarn--an' the straightforwardevidence of my daughter? They'll think that the coat she wore to theshow, an' that she still has, is the coat she wore from the store, an'that you've got the other. An' when Kranz tells of your midnight visitto the store, what'll they think then?" McNabb finished and, reachingfor the telephone, called the police headquarters. A few minutes laterthe chief himself appeared, accompanied by the night watchman, Kranz, whose story of the nervous and agitated appearance of Hedin on hismidnight visit to the store forged the strongest link in the chain ofcircumstantial evidence. After the watchman had been dismissed, Hedin was subjected to abullying at the hands of the burly officer that stopped just short ofpersonal violence, and through it all he stubbornly maintained hisinnocence. After another brief telephone conversation, the three visited theprivate room of the judge where, waiving a preliminary hearing, theprisoner was bound over to await the action of the grand jury, and hisbail fixed at ten thousand dollars. X At the mouth of the alley that led from a side street to the rear ofthe jail, the policeman plucked at Hedin's sleeve, and turned in. Mechanically Hedin fell in beside him. Someone passed upon the street. "See who that was?" asked the officer maliciously, for he knew all thetown gossip. Hedin scarcely heard the question. "It was McNabb's gal. Her throwin' you over fer this here Wentworth didn't give you nolicense to steal her old man's fur coat, all right--but maybe you ain'tso onlucky, at that. Folks says she's all right--a little gay an' thelike of that--but runnin' the streets at midnight, like she was aSaturday, with a guy that goes after 'em like Wentworth! Call it gayif they want to, but if it was anyone but old McNabb's daughter, they'dbe callin' it somethin' else. " Smash! Hedin's fist drove with terrific force into the flappy jaw, andthe big officer reeled, and crashed into the snow between a row of ashbarrels, and a dilapidated board fence. The young man stared insurprise as he waited for the other to regain his feet. The officer'swords had roused a sudden flash of fury, and with nerves alreadystrained to the breaking point, he had struck. But the man, grotesquely sprawled behind the barrels, made no move. Hedin glanced up and down the alley. It was empty. He was free!Swiftly he proceeded down the alley, passed the jail, and turned intothe street. Here he slackened his pace, and walking leisurely to hishotel, hastily made up a light pack. Passing around to the rear, hetook his skis from their place, walking to the edge of town, fastenedthem on, and was soon swallowed up in the jack-pines. For an hour heglided smoothly over the snow, and upon the edge of a balsam thicketsat down on a log to rest. There were two courses open. Either he could return to Terrace Cityand face the charge against him as best he could, or he could keepgoing. It was only a few miles across country to Pipe Lake, where hecould catch the P. M. For Detroit. His thoughts turned abruptly from the problem of flight, and plungedinto the problem of the missing coat. It was not conceivable that thegarment had been destroyed; therefore it was still in existence. If inexistence, somebody had it. Who? One by one, Hedin considered thepersonnel of the theatre party, and one by one he eliminated them untilonly Wentworth was left. Wentworth! If he could only prove it! Heremembered that someone had casually remarked that morning at breakfastthat Wentworth had gone North for old John McNabb. He had heard McNabbmention some pulp-wood lands in the North. Gods Lake, wasn't it? Why, Gods Lake post was old Dugald Murchison's post! Hedin rememberedMurchison well. It was only last year he had spent a week as the guestof his old friend McNabb, and nearly every evening at dinner Hedin hadsat at meat with them, and listened in fascination to the talk of thefar outlands. He remembered the shrewd gray eyes of Murchison--eyesthat bespoke wisdom, and justice tempered with mercy. He smote his leg with his mittened fist. He would go North, straightto old Dugald Murchison, and he would tell him the whole story. Murchison would help him, and if Wentworth were innocent, then he, Hedin would return to Terrace City and give himself up. He would notbe a fugitive from justice, for justice owed him the chance to provehis innocence. Once his mind was made up, Hedin rose to his feet and slung the lightpack to his back. Then he lowered the pack, and stood thinking. Hewould hit for Pipe Lake, but Hanson, the storekeeper at Pipe Lake, would recognize him. Tossing his pack aside, he scooped a hole in thesnow, built a tiny fire of balsam twigs, and melted some water in hisdrinking cup. Then, setting a small hand mirror upon the log, heproduced his razor and proceeded to shave off his mustache. This done, he grinned at himself in the mirror, as he reflected that Hanson hadnever seen him except in conventional clothing, and that he would neverrecognize him in mackinaw and larrigans, with his mustache gone. Once more he stood up, kicked snow over his fire, swung the pack to hisback, and started to skirt the swamp. Then suddenly he halted in histracks. There was a mighty crackling of dry twigs close at hand, and avoice commanded gruffly, "Hands up!" Instinctively Hedin elevated his hands as he stared into the muzzle ofa revolver. Beyond the revolver he saw the grinning face of MikeDuffy, erstwhile lumberjack, then bootlegger, and now policeman; underthe Hicks regime. "Shaved her off, eh?" taunted the man. "Well, mebbe you'd 'a' fooledmost folks, but you hain't fooled me none, special' as I be'n layin' inthe brush watchin' you fer half an hour. You'd of got away from therest of 'em too. " XI Old John McNabb had not been long at his desk when the telephone bellrang and he picked up the receiver. "Hello--who? Hicks? He--what? Where is he now? Got away! Well, youget him! Get him, or I'll get you! If he ain't back in jail to-day, off comes your buttons to-morrow--do you get that?" Old John bangedthe receiver onto the hook, and launched what would undoubtedly havebeen a classic of denunciatory profanity, had it not been interruptedin its inception by Jean, who had slipped into the office unnoticed atthe beginning of the telephone conversation. "Why, Dad!" exclaimed the girl laughing, as the red-faced man whirledupon her in surprise. "What a beastly temper you are in this morning!Who got away, and why are you so anxious to have him caught?" "Oskar got away, " he growled, apparently somewhat mollified by hisdaughter's tone. "Hicks started for jail with him an' Oskar knockedhim down in the alley an' got away. " "Oskar! Jail! What do you mean?" "I mean just what I say, " answered McNabb, meeting the girl's startledgaze squarely. "A thirty thousand dollar sable coat is missing fromthe store, and no one except Oskar and I had access to the fur safe. He made up a cock-an'-bull story about letting you wear it Saturday toshow up Mrs. Orcutt. He claims he went to the theatre to enjoy theeffect on Mrs. Orcutt, when he discovered that you were wearing, notthe Russian sable that you had worn from the store, but a baum martencoat. He hurried to the store to find that both the sable and themarten coats were gone----" Old John noticed that as he talked the color receded slowly from thegirl's face, leaving it almost chalk white, and then suddenly the colorreturned with a rush that flamed red to her hair roots. But he wastotally unprepared for the sudden fury with which she faced him. "And you had him arrested! Oskar arrested like a common thief! Areyou crazy? You know as well as I do that he never stole a pin----" "No, he never stole a pin, but there's some little difference in valuebetween a pin and a thirty thousand dollar coat. They say every man'sgot his price. " "It's a lie!" cried the girl, stamping her foot. "But even if it weretrue, his price would be so big that there isn't money enough in thisworld to even tempt him! You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Thinkwhat people will say!" "I don't care what they say. He's got that coat, an' I'm right here tosee that he gets just what's comin' to him. " "Well, what people will say won't hurt Oskar!" cried the girl. "They'll all know he didn't steal your coat! They'll say you're afool! That's what they'll say--and they'll be right, too! It won'ttake him long to prove his innocence, and then what will people thinkof you?" "He ain't got a show to prove his innocence, " retorted McNabb. "Yourown testimony will convict him. Didn't ye tell me right here in thisroom within the hour that the coat ye brought in was the one ye worefrom the store, an' the one ye wore to the theatre?" "And I thought it was, " flared the girl. "But if Oskar says it wasn'tthen it wasn't. And let me tell you this--if you're depending on mytestimony to convict him, you might as well have him turned loose rightthis minute! Because I won't say a word at their old trial. They canput me in jail, too, but they can't make me talk. The whole thing isan outrage, and I'm going right straight down to the jail and tell themto let him out this minute----" "He's out all right, " retorted McNabb. "He knocked Hicks down andescaped on the way to jail. " "I'm glad of it! I hope he broke that nasty old Hicks's head! And ifthey catch Oskar you had better see that they let him go atonce--unless you want to see your own daughter married to a jailbird!" XII It was nine o'clock that evening when, growling and grumbling, Hickshimself moved heavily down the short corridor of the jail, and unlockedthe door of the cell that held Oskar Hedin. "Come on out!" hecommanded. Hedin stepped in the corridor, and looked inquiringly into theofficer's face. "What's up?" he asked. "Bailed out, " growled Hicks. "Bailed out! Why, who----?" "I don't know, an' don't give a damn. Someone that's got more moneythan brains. I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw a bull bythe tail, an' you needn't think I've forgot the poke in the jaw yougive me. I'll git you yet. " Hedin paused upon the steps of the police station and glanced acrossthe street where a light burned in the office of Hiram P. Buckner, attorney-at-law. Buckner held the reputation of being by far the mostable lawyer in the vicinity, and Hedin's first impulse was to retainhim. He crossed the sidewalk and paused abruptly as he remembered thatBuckner was McNabb's attorney. Of course, the prosecution of his casewould be in the hands of the state, but--why jeopardize his own case byemploying a man who stood at the beck and call of the very man who waspushing his prosecution? He turned and proceeded slowly toward hishotel, and as he passed down the street a man stepped from the officeof the attorney and followed. He was a large man, muffled to the earsin a fur coat. He followed unnoticed, into the hotel and up thestairs, and when Hedin entered his room and switched on the light theman stepped across the threshold and closed the door behind him. Heturned and faced Hedin, throwing back the collar of his coat. Hedingasped in amazement. The man was old John McNabb, and to his utterbewilderment, Hedin caught a twinkle in the old Scot's eye. XIII "'Tis the truth, I'd never ha' know'd ye, an' ye hadn't told me who yewas, " welcomed old Dugald Murchison, as he gripped Hedin's hand in thedoor of the little trading post on the shore of Gods Lake. "Knock thesnow from your clothes an' come in to the stove. You're just in time, for by the signs, the storm that's on us will be a three days'nor'easter straight off the Bay. Ye'd of had a nasty camp of it ifye'd of been a day later. " "The guide saw it coming, and we did double time yesterday, and to-daywe didn't stop to eat. " Murchison nodded. "Ye come in up the chain of lakes from the south. 'Tis a man's job ye've done--this time o' year. Ye come up from LacSeul, an' by the guide ye've got, I see the hand of John McNabb in yourvisit. For old Missinabbee won't go into the woods with everyone, though he'd go through hell itself for John McNabb. But come on in an'get thawed out while the Injun 'tends to the dogs, an' then we'll eat. " "Has Wentworth arrived yet?" asked Hedin, as he followed the factortoward the stove at the rear of the trading room. Murchison shook his head. "Ye're the first this winter. But who'sWentworth? An' what'll he be doin' here? An' what are ye doin' hereyourself? I suppose it had to do with John's pulp-wood, but theoptions don't expire till sometime in the summer. Why didn't he comehimself?" It was a long story Hedin unfolded as he and Murchison sat late overtheir pipes beside the roaring stove in the long, low trading room. The factor puffed in silence without once interrupting until theyounger man had finished. "So John is really goin' to build a paper mill up here? But why didJohn hire this Wentworth if he figured he couldn't trust him, an' whydid he have ye under arrest an' bail ye out? Unless----" The old factor paused and puffed at his pipe the while his eyes werefixed upon the deep shadows at the far corner. "Unless what?" asked Hedin eagerly. "I thought, at first, that hebelieved me guilty of stealing the coat, " he went on when Murchisondidn't answer. "I know now that he didn't, but when I asked him thereason for my arrest, he only laughed and said that it was all part ofthe game. " Then the younger man's voice dropped, and Murchison notedthat the look of eagerness had faded from his face. "As to the hiringof Wentworth, " continued Hedin, "that is another matter. " The factor rose slowly and, crossing to the door, opened it and hastilyclosed it again as a swirl of fine snow-powder enveloped him. Hedincaught the muffled roar of the wind, and in the draught of cold airthat swept the room, the big swinging lamp flared smokily. Murchisonreturned to his chair and filled his pipe. "How's John's daughtercomin' along?" he asked between puffs of blue smoke. "Why, Miss McNabb is very well, I believe, " answered Hedin, a bitawkwardly. "You were right about that storm, " Hedin hastened to changethe subject. "I'm mighty glad we made Gods Lake to-day, or we wouldhave been held up for the Lord knows how long. " Murchison suppressed a smile, and hunched his chair a bit nearer thestove. "When all's said an' done then, the case stands about likethis. This engineer will be along in a few days to begin work locatin'the power dam, an' lookin' up more pulpwood. John believes thatWentworth will let the options expire, an' then swing the stuff over tothis man Orcutt an' his crowd--an he's sent you up to block the game. " Hedin nodded. "That's it. " "You're my clerk, an' your name's Sven Larson--that's a goodScandinavian name--an' you don't know nothin' about pulp-wood, noroptions. I guess it would be best if we could put him up right here. We could be watchin' him all the while without seemin' to. " "I wonder when Wentworth will be here?" speculated Hedin. "There's no tellin'. It's accordin' to the outfit he packs an' theguide he's got. They'll have to camp for the storm, an' the snow willslow them up one-half. The storm will last three days or four, an'after that, a day, mebbe a week. Anyways, 'twill give ye time to learnthe duties of a factor's clerk, which is a thing the Company has neverfurnished at Gods Lake, but if John McNabb foots the bill, they'll notworry. 'Twould be better an' ye could play the dolt--not an eediot, oran addlepate--but just a dull fellow, slow of wit, an' knowin' noughtexcept of fur. " Hedin laughed. "That won't bother me in the least. " Murchison shook his head. "'Twill not be so easy as ye think. Askin'foolish questions here an' there, forgettin' to do things ye're told todo, ponderin' deep over simple matters, an' above all ye're to neitherlaugh nor take offense when I berate ye for a dullard. Ye get theidea--your knowledge of fur is your only excuse for livin'?" "I get it, " smiled Hedin. Murchison studied the younger man intently. "This Wentworth--how welldid ye know him? Or, rather, how well did he know you?" "You are wondering whether he will recognize me?" The factor nodded. "Yes, I would not have known ye, for as I rememberye wore a mustache, an' were smooth of chin an' jaw, an' of course, yewore city clothes. But one who had known ye well wouldn't be so easyfooled. " "He won't recognize me. We have met only a few times. But even if hehad known me much better I wouldn't be afraid, because when I leftTerrace City dressed in these togs, and carrying a lumberjacks' turkeyon my back, I stopped into a cigar store and inquired the way to thestation. The clerk who has seen me every day for years pointed out theway without a flicker of recognition in his eyes--and I didn't havethis stubby beard then either. " Murchison seemed satisfied, and after showing his new clerk to his bed, he returned to the stove and knocked the ash from his pipe. "John iscanny, " he grinned. "As canny in the handlin' of women, as of men. He'll have the son-in-law he wants, an' careful he'll be that he's theman of the lass's own choosin'. " XIV On the day after the big storm old Missinabbee returned to thesouthward, and the following day Wentworth arrived at the post, cursinghis guide, and the storm, and the snow that lay deep in the forest. The half-breed refused to stop over and rest, but accepted his pay andturned his dogs on the back-trail. And as Murchison accepted McNabb'sletter of introduction from Wentworth's hand in the door of the posttrading room, his eyes followed the retreating form of the guide. Forhe had caught a malevolent gleam of hate that flashed from the narrowedblack eyes as the man had accepted his pay. "Ye have not seen the last of yon, " he said, turning to Wentworth witha nod of his head toward the breed. "Alex Thumb is counted a bad manin the North. I would not rest so easy, an' he was camped on my trail. " Wentworth scowled. "Worthless devil! Kicked on my bringing my trunk. Wanted me to transfer my stuff into duffle bags and carry a pack toease up on his dogs; and then to top it off with, he wasn't going tolet me ride on the sled. But I showed him who was boss. I hired theoutfit and believe me, I rode whenever I felt like it. He may have youfellows up here bluffed, but not me. " "Well, 'tis none of my business. I was only givin' ye a friendlywarnin'. Come on now till I get my glasses on, an' we'll see whatye've got here. " Presently he folded and returned the brief note. "An' now what can Ido for ye? Will ye be makin' your headquarters here, or will ye have acamp of your own down on the river?" "I think I'll stay here if there's room. When I'm exploring the riverI can take a light outfit along. " "There's plenty of room. There's an empty cabin beside the storehouse, an' I'll have a stove set up, an' your things moved in. Ye'll takeyour meals with me. There's only a couple of Company Injuns, an' myclerk. " Murchison paused. "Sven!" he called. "Sven Larson! Whereare ye? Come down out of that fur loft! I've a job for ye. " Slow, heavy footsteps sounded upon the floor above, and a moment latertwo feet appeared upon the ladder, and very deliberately the clerknegotiated the descent. "Sven Larson, this is Mr. Wentworth. He's from the States, an' he'sgoin' to live in the cabin. Take Wawake an' Joe Irish an' set up astove in there, an' move the stuff in that lays outside. " Hedin acknowledged the introduction with a solemn bob of the head, andas he stared straight into Wentworth's face he blinked owlishly. "This stove?" he asked, indicating the huge cannon stove in which thefire roared noisily. "No! No! Ye numbskull! One of them Yukon stoves. An' be quick aboutit. " "What stuff?" "The stuff that lays outside the door--Wentworth's stuff, of course!' "In the cabin?" "Yes, in the cabin!" cried the factor impatiently. "Ye didn't think yewas to put it in the stove, did ye?" Hedin moved slowly away in search of the Company Indians, and Wentworthlaughed. "Hasn't got quite all his buttons, has he?" he inquired. "Ishould say the Company had treated you shabbily in the matter of aclerk. " "Well, I don't know, " replied Murchison. "I could have had worse. 'Tis not to be gainsaid that he's slow an' heavy of wit in the matterof most things, but the lad knows fur. More than forty years I'vehandled fur, an' yet to-day the striplin' knows more about fur, an' thevalue of fur, than I ever will know. An' then there's theclose-mouthedness of him. Ye tell him a thing, an' caution him to saynaught about it, an' no bribe nor threat could drag a word of it fromhis lips. So, ye see, for the job he's got, I could scarce hope forbetter. " "I presume he knows only raw furs, " said Wentworth casually. "Hecould, of course, have no knowledge of the finished product. " "An' there ye're wrong. Of his early life I know nothing except thathe's a foreigner, raised in the fur trade. He can spot topped orpointed furs as far as he can see them, an' as for appraisin' them, hecan tell almost to a dollar the value of any piece ye could show him. But----" The door opened and Murchison turned to greet a newcomer. "Hello, Downey!" he called. "'Tis a long time since ye've favored Gods Lakewith a visit. Come up to the stove, lad, an' meet Mr. Wentworth. "Mr. Wentworth, this is Corporal Downey, of the Royal Northwest MountedPolice. " At the word police Wentworth started ever so slightly, butcaught himself on the instant. He searched the keen gray eyes of theofficer as he extended his hand, but if Downey noticed the momentarytrepidation he gave no sign. "So you're Wentworth, " he remarked casually, as he swung the light packfrom his shoulders. "_Captain_ Wentworth. " "Oh, " Downey accorded him a slanting glance, and entered intoconversation with Murchison. "You knew my name, do you want to see me?" Wentworth interrupted aftera wait of several minutes. "No, not in particular. Only if I was you I'd beware of a dark-hairedman, as the fortune-tellers say. " "What do you mean?" "I met Alex Thumb a piece back on the trail. " "Well, what of it? What has that got to do with me?" "I don't know. He mentioned your name, that's all. An' I just kind ofsurmised from the way he done it that you an' him didn't part the bestof friends. " "I hired him for a guide, and he undertook to give me my orders on thetrail. But I soon showed him where he stood. " Downey nodded. "He's counted bad medicine up here. " "I guess he won't bother me any; I'm here to stay. " "No, he won't be apt to _bother_ you any. Probably kill you, though, if you don't keep your eyes open. But don't worry about that, becauseif he does I'll get him. " "He can't bluff me. I served with the engineers in Russia. " "You'll be servin' with the devils in hell, too, if you don't quitmakin' enemies of men like Alex Thumb. " "They didn't use up _all_ the brains, when they made the Mounted, Captain. " "_Corporal_'ll do me, " corrected the officer. "I wasn't with theengineers--in Russia. I was only in the trenches--in France. " As Downey slung his pack to his shoulders the following morning hestepped close to Murchison. The trading room was deserted save forthose two, but the officer lowered his voice. "Wentworth ain't theonly one around here that needs watchin', " he said warningly. "What do ye mean?" "I mean your clerk ain't the fool he lets on he is. That room you putme in was next to his. The chinkin's fallen out in spots, an' hislight was lit late, so I just laid in my bunk an' glued my eye to thecrack. He was readin'--an' enjoyin' what he read. He'd lay down thebook now an' then an' light a good briar pipe. I'd get a good lookinto his face then, an' he's no more a fool than you or I. He's damnedsmart lookin'. An' the books he had laid out on the table wasn't booksa fool would be readin'. He was careful to hide 'em away when herolled in--an' he cleaned his fingernails with a white handled dingus, an' brushed his teeth, an' put the tools back in a black leather casethat had silver trimmin's. Believe me, there's somethin' comin' offhere between now an' summer, an' I'm goin' to ask for the detail!" Murchison laughed. "Come on back, Downey, and you'll see the fun. An'I ain't so sure you won't be needed in your official capacity. Butdon't bother your head over Sven Larson. Remember this: it takes asmart man to play the fool, an' play it right. That's why John McNabbsent him up here. An' his name ain't Larson; it's Hedin. He's John'sright-hand man--an' if I mistake not someday he'll be his son-in-law. " "Oh, I'll be back all right, " grinned Downey. "I've got a hunch thatmaybe I'll be needed. " "Ye wouldn't be sorry to have to arrest Wentworth for some kind ofthievery, would ye, Downey? I could see ye distrusted him from themoment ye laid eyes on him. " "U-m-m-m, " answered Downey. "I was thinkin' more of, maybe, bringin'in Alex Thumb--for murder. " A week later Murchison accompanied Wentworth upon a ten-day trip, during the course of which they visited the proposed mill site, theMcNabb holdings, and a great part of the available pulp-wood territoryadjoining. With Murchison's help, Wentworth sketched a map of thedistrict that showed with workable accuracy the location of lakes andstreams, together with the location of Government and Hudson's BayCompany lands. This done, he secured an Indian guide and proceeded tolay out and blaze the route of the wagon road to the railway. By the middle of May the snow had nearly disappeared, and the first ofJune saw the rivers running free of ice. It was then that Wentworth"borrowed" Sven Larson from the factor and dropped down Gods River in acanoe to its confluence with the Shamattawa. Camp was made at the headof the rapids. Thereafter for five days Hedin worked under Wentworth'sdirection, while the engineer ran his levels and established hiscontour. In the evenings as they sat by the campfire smoking, Hedinpreserved the same stolid silence that he had studiously observed sincethe coming of Wentworth. "Murchison says you know all about fur, " Wentworth suggested oneevening. "And the finished fur? Do you know that, too--about, well, for instance kolinsky, and nutria, and Russian sable?" "Kolinsky and nutria are no good. We do not have them here. Russiansable, and sea otter, and black fox, they are the best furs in theworld. We do not have them here, either, except once in a while ablack, or a silver fox. " "A coat of Russian sable would be very valuable?" "Yes. Real Russian sable, dark, and well silvered, would be veryvaluable. " "How much would one be worth?" "Nobody can tell unless they can see it. It is all in the matching. " For a full minute Wentworth studied the face across the little fire, the face with the unkempt beard, and the far-off, pondering eyes. "I have a Russian sable coat, " ventured Wentworth. The factor's clerk gazed at him with unwinking blue eyes, and the headwagged slowly. "No. Russian sable is woman's fur. They do not makemen's coats of Russian sable. " "But this is a woman's coat, " explained Wentworth. "I got it in Russiawhen I was in the Army. She was a Russian princess and I helped herescape from the country at great risk to myself. It was in the winter, in the dead of night, and a terrible blizzard was raging. When shesafely crossed the border she thanked me with tears in her eyes andbegged me to take her coat in payment, as she had no money. I refused, but she tossed it into my arms, and disappeared into the night. " "Maybe she died in the storm without her coat. " "Why, no--you see, she had--that is, I had arranged for a car--asleigh, I mean, to meet her there with plenty of robes. But what Iwant to get at, is this. If I show you this coat will you promise notto say a word to Murchison about it? I do not want him to know I haveit. He would want to buy it, and he is my friend and I do not want torefuse him. But I do not want to sell the coat, because sometime I amgoing to return it to its original owner. But first I should like youto tell me what it is worth. Can you tell me that? And can youremember never to tell Murchison that I have the coat?" Hedin nodded. "Yes, I can tell you how much the coat is worth when Isee it and feel it. And I will not tell Murchison. That is why I amsmart, and others are foolish. Because they tell me what they know, and I listen, and pretty soon I know that, too. But I do not tell whatI know, and they cannot listen. So I know what they know, and they donot know what I know, and that is why I am wise and they don't knowhardly anything at all. " "Everything coming in, and nothing going out, " laughed Wentworth. "That's right, Sven; you've got the system. We will finish hereto-morrow, and then we will return to the post, and you can come to mycabin, and I'll show you the fur. " XV Ever since the evening in camp when Wentworth had confided in him thathe had the coat, Hedin had been debating his course of procedure. Hisfirst impulse had been to denounce Wentworth to his face, to seize thecoat and obtain the engineer's arrest. He knew that Downey expected toreturn to the post--but there was Jean to consider. Jean--the girl ofhis fondest dreams, who had forsaken him and fallen under the spell ofthe courtly manners of the suave soldier-engineer. What would Jeanthink? If she loved the man she would never believe in his guilt. Shewould believe, with a woman's irrational loyalty, that he, Hedin, hadin some manner contrived to place the coat in Wentworth's possession, and he knew that the engineer would never cease to proclaim that he hadbeen made the dupe of a scheming lover. The case against the man mustbe plain. When Jean could be shown that Wentworth deliberatelyendeavored to cheat her father, she would then believe that he stolethe coat. She would be saved from throwing herself away, andhe--Hedin's lips moved, "I will hire out to the Company, and ask to besent to the northern-most post they've got. " Upon his arrival at the post, Wentworth made out two reports, one toMcNabb and the other to Orcutt, which he dispatched to the railway by aCompany Indian. Late in the afternoon, as he was polishing hisinstruments in the little cabin, the figure of Sven Larson appeared inthe doorway. The engineer motioned him to enter and close the doorbehind him. "Where is Murchison?" he asked, glancing through thewindow toward the post. "He has gone in a boat with Wawake to set the fish nets. " Without a word Wentworth stepped across the room, unlocked his trunk, and from its depths drew the sable coat that Hedin had last seen uponthe shoulders of Jean McNabb as she walked from the store upon thatmemorable Saturday. With a conscious effort he controlled himself, andreaching out his hand took the coat and carried it to the window. Hewas conscious that the engineer's eyes were fastened intently upon himas, inch by inch, he carefully examined the garment whose everyskin--every hair, almost--was familiar to him. Still holding the coat, he spoke more to himself than to Wentworth. "A fine piece. All gooddark Yakutsk skins. And the matching is good. Only one skin a shadeoff----" "What's it worth?" asked Wentworth abruptly. "I don't care a damnabout the specifications. They don't mean anything to me. I knew itwas a fine garment the minute I spotted it, and I knew Hedin was lyingwhen he said it was a marten. " "Hedin?" queried the clerk. "Was that the name of the princess? Shemust be a fool to say this is a marten. " "No, no! Hedin is a man. And he is a fool, all right. Fool enough tolet a damn fool girl make a fool of him----" Wentworth suddenly saw a blinding flash of light. He felt himselffalling; then he lay very still as a shower of little star-like sparksflowed upward from a black abyss. The instant he struck, Hedin realized the folly of his act. He wouldhave given all he possessed to have recalled the blow. McNabb hadtrusted him to carry out a carefully laid plan--and he had failed. Heremembered how the old Scot had told him frankly that Jean had fallenin love with Wentworth, and personally, while he believed him to be agood engineer, he wouldn't trust him out of his sight. And then he hadoutlined the scheme he had laid for showing him up so that Jean wouldbe convinced of his crookedness. And now he had spoiled it all. The man on the floor stirred restlessly. The thought flashed intoHedin's brain that there might still be a chance. If he played hispart well, it was possible. The next thing Wentworth knew, Sven Larson was bending over him, bathing his face with a large red handkerchief saturated with coldwater. "What in hell happened?" muttered the man, as he brushedclumsily at his fast discoloring eye with his hand. With the help ofthe factor's clerk he sat up. "You hit me! Damn you! What did youhit me for?" "I am sorry I hit you, " answered Hedin heavily. "It is in here--thething that makes me strike. " He rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "It is like many worms crawling inside my head, when one speaks ill ofwomen. My eyes get hot, and the red streaks come, and then I strike. It was such a thing that made me strike Pollak. But I had a hammer inmy hand and I looked and saw that Pollak was dead, so I ran away fromthere and climbed onto the ship. I am glad I did not have a hammer inmy hand to-day. " Wentworth regained his feet and glanced at his fast closing eye in thebit of mirror that hung above his wash bench. "So am I, " he seconded, forcing a smile. "Where did all this happen? Who was Pollak, andwhere did the ship take you?" "It was in London in the place of Levinski, the furrier. Pollak and Iworked for him in the sorting of skins. The ship took me to PortNelson. It was a Hudson's Bay Company ship, and I hired out to theCompany and they sent me here to Gods Lake. I like it here. " "So that's it, is it? Well, now you listen to me. We'll just forgetthe black eye and make a little trade. You keep still about the sablecoat, and about hitting me, and I'll keep still about your killingPollak. Mind you, if I should tell Murchison you had killed a man hewould send you back to London, and they would hang you. " "Yes, they would hang me because I killed Pollak. But I do not tellMurchison things that I know. If you do not tell him I killed Pollak, he will not send me back to get hung. " XVI When John McNabb read Wentworth's report, he reached for his telephoneand called Detroit. "That you, Beekman?" he asked, recognizing thevoice of the senior partner of one of the foremost engineering firms inthe country. "How about you--all set for that Gods Lake job? Just gotthe preliminary report. Everything O. K. Plenty of water, plenty ofhead, and we can get it without spreading the reservoir over the wholecountry. Hustle that road through as fast as you can. Hundred milesof it--only about eight or ten miles of swamp. We can truck thematerial in quicker than by shipping it clear around through the Bayand track-lining it up the river. Few small bridges, and one motorferry. Make it good for heavy work. Put on men enough to complete theroad in a month at the outside. Most if it will only be clearing outtimber and stumps. As soon as the road is done we'll begin to shoot inthe cement. Get at it on the jump now, an' I'll see you in a day ortwo. " The days following the return of Wentworth and Hedin from the survey ofthe rapids were busy ones at the little post on Gods Lake. For it wasthe time of the spring trading, and from far and near came the men ofthe outlands, bringing in their harvest of fur. The post flag floated gaily at the staff head, and in the broadclearing about its base were pitched the tepees of the fur bringers. Each rising sun brought additional wilderness gleaners from afar, andadditional children, and many additional starving dogs. For these dayswere the gala days of the Northland; days of high feast and plenty, ofboastings, and recountings, and the chanting of weird chants. The crudity, the primitive savagery of the scene gripped Hedin asnothing had gripped him before. He was astonished that the settingheld for him so little of surprise. He fitted into the life naturallyand perfectly as though to the manner born. But his own astonishmentwas as nothing as compared to the astonishment of Murchison, who stoodclose as Hedin broke open and sorted the packs of fur. Time and againhis swift appraisal of a skin won a nod of approval from the factor, who received the skins from his hands and paid for them in tokens ofmade beaver. "I do not understand it, " said Murchison, between puffs of his pipe, asat the end of a day he and Hedin sat in the doorway of the trading roomand watched the yellow flames from a hundred campfires stab the blackdarkness of the night, and send wavering shadows playing in grotesquepatterns upon the walls of the tepees. The harsh din of the encampmentall but drowned the factor's words, and Hedin smiled. "Do not understand what?" he asked. "'Tis yourself I do not understand. Ye've never handled raw fur, yetin the handling of thirty packs I have not changed the rating of askin. By your own word, 'tis your first venture into the North, yetsince the day of your coming ye have behaved like a man of the North. The Indians distrust a new-comer. They are slow to place confidence inany white man. An' yet, they have accepted your judgment of furwithout question. An' a good half of them ye call by name. 'Tis acombination unheard of, an' to be believed only when one sees it. " "And yet it is very simple, " explained Hedin. "For years I havestudied fur--finished fur--and in the study I have read everything Icould find about fur, from the habits of the animals up through theirtrapping, and the handling of the skins in every step of theirpreparation. And as for the Indians themselves, I have merely movedabout among them and got acquainted, as I would do in a city of whitemen. " Murchison interrupted him with a snort. "An' a thousand would try it, an' one succeed! 'Tis no explanation ye've given at all. Ye cannotexplain it. 'Tis a something ye have that's bred in the bone. Ye're aborn man of the North--an' God pity ye for the job ye've got! Coopedup in a store all day with the fanfare of a city dingin' your ears fromdawn till midnight, an' beyond! An' what's the good of it? When yemight be living up here in the land that still lays as God made it. The Company can use men like you. You could have a post of your own ina year's time. " For many minutes Hedin puffed at his pipe. "I am glad to hear that, "he said at length, "for I am not going back. " "Not going back!" cried Murchison. "D'ye mean it? An' what about thatlass of John McNabb's?" "That lass of John McNabb's has chosen another, " answered Hedin in adull tone. It was the seventh of June when Wentworth had dispatched the Indianwith the reports to McNabb and to Orcutt, and thereafter he settledhimself for three weeks of waiting. The activity at the post bored andannoyed him. He complained of the noisy yapping of the night-prowlingdogs, cursed the children that ran against his legs in their play, andwhen necessity compelled him to cross the encampment, he passed amongthe tepees, obviously avoiding and despising their occupants. Upon the fifth or sixth day, to rid himself of annoyance, Wentworthessayed a journey to the rapids, and because no one could be sparedfrom the post, he ventured forth alone. When not more than ten milesfrom the post, he turned his head, as he topped a rock-ribbed ridge fora casual survey of the broad _brule_ he had just crossed. The nextinstant he brought up rigidly erect as his eye caught a swift blur ofmotion far back on his trail at the opposite edge of the _brule_. Helooked again but could make out only an army of blackened stumps. Entering the scrub with a vague sense of uneasiness, he circled amongthe stunted trees and took up a position under cover of a graniteoutcropping that gave him a view of his back trail. He had hardlysettled himself before a man stepped from behind a stump and struck outrapidly upon his trail. The man was traveling light, apparentlystudying the ground as he walked. Wentworth glanced about him andnoted that the rocky ridge would give the man scant opportunity fortrailing him to his position. The figure was coming up the ridge now. As it passed a twisted pine, Wentworth got a good look into his face, and the sight of it sent cold shivers up his spine that prickleduncomfortably at the roots of his hair. For the face was that of AlexThumb, and at close range Wentworth could see that the black eyesglittered evilly. Icy fingers gripped the engineer's heart. He feltsuddenly weak and cold. Raising a shaking hand to his forehead, Wentworth withdrew it wet andglistening with sweat. His brain conjured fantastic stories of thepowers of the Indian tracker, and fearfully he scanned the rocks overwhich he had come. Suddenly it occurred to him that if the man werestill upon his trail, he would have come up with him before this. Evidently the tracker was wasting no time on the broad rocky ridge, buttaking it for granted that his quarry would proceed on his way, figuredon picking up the trail again in the softer ground of the next valley;in which case he would soon discover his error and circle to correctit. Discarding his pack, the terrified man swiftly descended the ridgeand crossed the _brule_ at a run. Gaining the shelter of the forest hepaused and looked back. The wide clearing was tenantless, andregaining his breath, he resumed his flight, crashing through patchesof underbrush, and splashing through streams until, just at dusk, thelights of the Gods Lake campfires came into view. Completely done up, he staggered into his cabin and, closing the door, fell sprawling upon his bunk, where for an hour he lay while hisovertaxed muscles slowly regained their strength. Then he stood up, lighted his candle, and proceeded to remove the record of his madflight from his scratched skin and torn clothing. That evening at supper he was surprised to find that Downey hadreturned to the post. And he wondered if he only fancied that theofficer eyed him meaningly. He said nothing of his experience, but thereafter he was content toremain at the post, never venturing alone beyond the boundaries of theclearing. He became more and more nervous with the passing of thedays. One by one, he checked them off, and during the latter days ofJune he spent hours pacing restlessly up and down, or making the roundof the clearing, shunned by Indian dogs and Indian children, andignored by their elders. And always three questions were uppermost inhis mind: Would Orcutt come? Would McNabb come? Would they both come?And finding no answer, he would continue his restless pacing, or raisethe imaginary stakes in his game of solitaire to stupendous proportions. He became more and more irritable as the tension increased. Thebreaking of a shoe lace called forth a flow of profanity, and when themainspring of his watch snapped, he hurled the instrument against thelog wall in his senseless rage. XVII The morning of June 29th brought Cameron, armed with credentials whichempowered him to transact any and all business connected with thepulp-wood holdings of the Canadian Wild Lands Company, Ltd. Murchisonintroduced him to Wentworth, who insisted that the man share his cabin. "So you are McNabb's man?" queried Cameron with a smile, as he swunghis pack to the floor and seated himself upon the edge of a bunk. "Doyou know, we rather hoped I would not find you here. " "Why?" asked Wentworth, returning the smile. "Pulp-wood has gone up since that contract was made. If the stuff wereto revert to us we could do much better with it. " "How much better?" Cameron shot a keen glance at his questioner. "Well, considerably, " heanswered non-committally. "A dollar an acre?" "Two of them. " A brief silence ensued, during which Wentworth was conscious that theeyes of the other were upon him. "Seven dollars an acre, " he said. "Pretty high, isn't it, when you consider the inaccessibility to yourmarkets?" Cameron laughed. "Inaccessibility to markets don't seem to be worryingMcNabb any. Bringing his paper mills into the woods seems to havesolved that problem. I was talking to the engineer in charge of hisroad construction day before yesterday----" "Engineer in charge of road construction!" exclaimed Wentworth. "Whatroad construction--where?" "Why, north of here. You knew he was building a tote-road, didn't you?I followed the blazed trail clear down to the rapids of the Shamattawa. And he's pushing it, too--got twenty-five or thirty miles of it readyfor traffic. " "No--I didn't know he had begun construction, " admitted Wentworth. "Iknew there was to be a road--laid it out myself. But I did not knowthat the work had started. " "Well, it has, and we may as well conclude out business. " "But the options do not expire until noon of July first. " "No, but what is to be gained by waiting here until the last minute?He intends to close the deal, so why not get at it? I suppose you wereprovided with the necessary funds to make the initial payment?" Wentworth shook his head. "No, " he answered. "In fact I have nothingwhatever to do with the transaction. I am an engineer sent up here tolocate the mill site, lay out the tote-road, and incidentally, to makea survey of additional pulp-wood holdings. I am surprised to hear thatMcNabb has begun construction of the road. " Cameron stared at the man in astonishment. "What do you mean?" heasked, "that McNabb has added the expense of road construction to themoney he put into the options, without making provision for acquiringtitle to the property? That does not sound like McNabb--what I'veheard of him. " "He has until noon of the first, " reminded Wentworth. "Yes, but where is he? He knows the North, and the hundred-an'-onethings that can happen to upset a schedule. If I had as much investedin this thing as he has, you may believe I would have been here withplenty of time to spare. " Wentworth nodded. "So would I. But in case he does not show up, whatthen? The first man that offers seven dollars an acre, and is preparedto make a substantial payment takes the property?" "Just so. If McNabb, or his representative, is not here on the strokeof twelve, the day after to-morrow, with tender of a cash payment often percent. Of the purchase price as stipulated in his contract, thenhe is out of the reckoning altogether. But why do you ask? You speakas though there were some doubt in your mind as to McNabb's appearance?" "You can never tell, " answered Wentworth. "He told me he would be herehimself to close the deal at the proper time. If he does not come, itis no affair of mine, except that I should be out of a job. I need thejob, so I tipped off his chief rival capitalist as to the date ofexpiration, and told him that in case for any reason McNabb fell downon the proposition, he had better show up here at the post on the firstday of July with a big bunch of coin. " He paused and grinned atCameron. "I was merely playing safe. If McNabb shows up, well andgood. If he don't, well and good again--I still have a job, and youget seven dollars an acre, instead of five. " "But will the other be here?" Wentworth shrugged. "That is what I have been asking myself for aweek. Will McNabb come? Will Orcutt come? Or will they both come?In the latter case I may have let myself in for some unpleasantcomplications. But I had to take a chance--to avoid taking a chance. " Cameron laughed. "Let us hope for your sake that only one of theparties arrives, and for my sake, that it is the rival, for theadditional two dollars an acre will mean an additional million for mycompany. " XVIII Along toward the middle of the following afternoon Orcutt appeared atthe post, accompanied by two guides and two operatives of a detectiveagency, who were ostensibly merely members of a party of three, but whoin reality were the guardians of a certain thick packet of large billsthat reposed in the very bottom of a waterproof rucksack. Into the trading room he stamped, cursing the black flies andmosquitoes whose combined and persistent attack had left his face andneck red and swollen. Hedin was behind the counter, and without a hintof recognition Orcutt inquired the whereabouts of Wentworth. Uponbeing informed that he was probably in his cabin, he turned on his heeland stamped from the room. "This is a hell of a country!" he said in greeting, as Wentworth openedhis door to admit him. "The damned flies and mosquitoes just naturallyeat a man alive!" "It isn't so bad when you get used to it, " laughed Wentworth, andturned toward the man who had risen from his chair. "Mr. Orcutt, thisis Mr. Cameron, representative of the Canadian Wild Lands Company. " "Wild lands is right, " grinned Orcutt as he acknowledged the other'sgreeting. "I never saw so much timber or so many insects in my life. And now, " he continued, meeting Cameron's eyes, "I'm a busy man, andthe sooner I get out of this God-forsaken country, the better I'll likeit. Why can't we go ahead and get the business over with?" "You forget, Mr. Orcutt, that the McNabb options do not expire untilnoon to-morrow, " Cameron answered. Orcutt nodded impatiently. "Yes, yes, I suppose we've got to wait. But as far as that goes, I don't think we've got to worry any. Ialways make it my business to keep an eye on the other fellow, and Iknow to certainty that John McNabb will not be here. As a matter offact, he has mistaken the day his options expire. He believes he hasuntil the first of August. " Cameron whistled. "Are you sure?" he asked incredulously. "I don'tknow him personally, but his reputation for shrewdness----" "And ninety-nine times out of a hundred he's as shrewd as hisreputation calls for, " interrupted Orcutt, "but this is the hundredthtime! He is so dead sure he is right that I don't suppose he hasexamined his papers in years. John McNabb makes damned fewmistakes--I've been more than twenty years waiting for him to make thisone. And now, by God, I've got him! What do you hold the timber at?" "Seven dollars an acre. " "Make it six, and I'll take it. It ought to be worth something not tohave to hunt up a buyer. " "It is, " answered Cameron. "But seven dollars is the price. In amonth--two months it will be eight. " "About two percent down?" "Ten. " "Ten percent!" raved Orcutt. "Three hundred and fifty thousanddollars! Do you think a man takes a jaunt into the woods with any suchamount of money as that in his possession?" "I think you did. If not, then as you people say in the States, youare out of luck. " "I'll buy an option on it. " Cameron shook his head. "No, the time has come for a sale. We can'tafford to hold timber ourselves, and as to finding purchasers, I know adozen men who would snap it up at seven dollars. " "All right, " growled Orcutt. "Make out your papers and I'll sign 'em. At least, we can get the routine business all finished to-day so allthere will be left to do to-morrow noon will be to sign up and pay overthe money. " "No harm in that, " agreed Cameron. "I shall proceed at once to draw upa contract of sale. Just a question or two will give me all theinformation I need. In the first place, is the prospective purchaseran individual or a corporation?" "Corporation. The Eureka Paper Company. " "And their home office?" "Orcutt, Canada. " "Orcutt? Where is Orcutt?" Orcutt smiled. "There isn't any--now. But there will be one as soonas we start construction of the mill. The enterprise will be ofsufficient magnitude to necessitate a town at the mill site, and thename of that town will be Orcutt. " "Very good. I think that is all I need to know. " "About the subsequent payments----" began Orcutt, but Cameroninterrupted him: "Let us not discuss that now. The better way will be for you to allowme to draw up the contract, and then to-morrow morning we can go overit, clause by clause. " "Good idea, " agreed Orcutt. "Come on, Wentworth, " and leading the wayfrom the cabin, he spent half an hour strolling about among the tepeesviewing their owners, their _lares_, _penates_ and offspring as hewould have inspected an exhibit at a fair. Tiring of this, he led theway to a fallen log at the edge of the clearing, and produced his cigarcase. "How is everything in Terrace City?" asked Wentworth, as he lighted hiscigar. "Oh, about as usual, I guess. Been so damned busy getting this paperdeal in shape for the last two months that I haven't had much time tokeep track of things. By the way, you remember Hedin--that clerk inold John McNabb's fur department?" "Yes, I believe I do. " "Well, old John trusted him to the limit--made a kind of a pet ofhim--and what does the fellow do but slip up to the store one night andsteal a Russian sable coat, worth somewhere around thirty thousand. Then the damned fool, instead of getting out of the country, stayedright on the job. Of course old John missed the coat next day, and thenight watchman told of Hedin's visit to the store. " "Did he confess?" asked Wentworth a shade too eagerly. "Confess nothing! He swears he's innocent. But there's nothing to it. They've got the goods on him--everything but the coat. They can't findthat, and they never will. I got the story from Hicks, the policechief. Old John had him arrested and he knocked Hicks down and gotaway. They caught him again, and Judge Emerson fixed his bail at tenthousand. Someone furnished the bail that same night, and Hedin hasskipped out, slick and clean. They sure put one over on McNabb--tenthousand for bail, twenty thousand to divide between them, and McNabbis holding the bag. " "And we'll leave him holding the bag again, " grinned Wentworth. "That's what we will. He's been a hard man to down. I don't mindsaying it to you, I've laid for him ever since I've been in TerraceCity, and I've never been able to get him. Several times I've thoughtI had him, but he always managed to wriggle out someway. But now heseems to have let down all of a sudden. Either his luck has desertedhim, or he has begun to break. " "You are pretty sure he will not be here to-morrow?" Orcutt nodded. "Dead sure. You were right about his believing that hehas till the first of August on those options. I overheard him tellingBronson on the golf links that he had to be in Canada on August first, and that he would leave about the middle of July. " XIX After breakfast on the morning of the first of July, Orcutt and Cameronrepaired to the cabin where, with the rough pine table littered withmaps, they discussed the terms and conditions of the contract of sale. While Wentworth, palpably nervous, paced the clearing; his eyes wereupon the trails that led into the forest, and out upon the lake, for asign of a canoe from the southward. When at last the pros and cons had all been threshed over, clausesinserted, and clauses struck out, Orcutt drew from his pocket a heavygold watch, and snapping it open, detached it from its chain and laidit upon the table between them. "Half past eleven, " he announced. "Isuppose you insist upon waiting until the uttermost minute ticks to itsclose. " "Yes, " answered Cameron. "McNabb's options hold good until twelveo'clock. " "I am anxious to get back, " said Orcutt, offering his cigar case, "butI don't want to return without having a look at the mill site. How faris it from here?" "About forty miles. If you leave here right after noon you will makeit before noon to-morrow. " "I'll do it, and return the following day. " The two men smoked with their eyes upon the minute hand that slowlycrept toward twelve. Now and then Cameron's glance strayed through thewindow toward the trading post, as though he half expected to see JohnMcNabb step to its door. "Twelve o'clock!" announced Orcutt, in a voice that held a ring oftriumph. "And I don't mind telling you that, sure as I was that McNabbwould not be here, I am breathing easier now than I was two minutesago. " Leaning forward, Cameron verified the announcement, and dipping the penin ink, he signed the contract and passed the instrument across toOrcutt, who hastily affixed his signature. Then from the fat bundleupon which his elbow had rested, the banker removed the wrapping andcounted out three hundred and fifty thousand dollars in goldcertificates of five- and ten-thousand dollar denominations. Cameronrecounted, and receipted for the money, and after depositing it in hispocket he extended his hand. "I congratulate you, Mr. Orcutt, uponyour purchase, and trust that you have launched upon an enterprise thatwill prove immensely profitable to yourself and your associates. Butfor the life of me, I cannot understand McNabb's failure to put in anappearance. " Orcutt's eyes flashed. "Nor can I, except on the theory that he isbreaking--losing his grip on affairs. For years we have been businessrivals, and for years I have tried to get the upper hand of him, butuntil this moment I have always failed. It will be a different storyfrom now on, " he added vindictively. "Never again will he have the oldconfidence, the nerve and sureness that has been his chief asset. JohnMcNabb is done. But I'm wasting time. I should right now be on my wayto the mill site. " "You will wait for dinner?" "No. We can eat as we travel, " he answered impatiently. "Good-by!"And stepping to the door, he called to Wentworth and the guides andplainclothes-men who waited beside the door. "Come on! We strike out at once for the mill site. The deal isclosed, and we're wasting time. We've got a forty mile hike ahead ofus! We'll snatch a lunch later. By the way, Cameron, you may not behere when I return, so I will inform you now that until further noticeMr. Wentworth will be our accredited representative in the field. Ifanything should come up that needs my attention, take it up with him. " "Just put it on paper, Mr. Orcutt, " advised the canny Scot, and with ashow of impatience Orcutt scribbled the memorandum. "Where are we going?" asked Wentworth. "To the mill site. I want to look it over and return here by the dayafter to-morrow. All ready?" The guides swung their packs to their backs and struck into the timber, followed closely by the others of the party. The following day, Orcutt and Wentworth stood at the head of the rapidsand Orcutt listened as the engineer, with the aid of his field notesand maps, explained the construction of the dam, and roughly indicatedthe contour of the reservoir. "But what's this line--the dotted one, that crosses the river just above us?" "That is our western property line. It crosses about a mile abovehere, and we are standing about the same distance above the mill site. " "Do you mean that we own only a mile of timber on the big river abovethis point?" "Just about a mile. Our property runs a long way up Gods River, andboth sides of the Shamattawa below the dotted line. " Orcutt studied the map for a moment. "Who owns the land above here?"he asked sharply. "The Hudson's Bay Company on the north side, and the Government on thesouth. " "Well, what in hell is to prevent someone--McNabb, for instance--frombuying up that land and starting operations above us? Even if theydidn't put in a dam they could raise the devil with us by driving theirstuff through. John McNabb knows every trick of the logging game, andwhen he finds out what has happened he'll go the limit to buck us. " Wentworth considered. "I guess he could do that, all right. We wouldhave to let his stuff through--" "I'll fix him!" cried Orcutt. "I'll beat him to it! Where do we dobusiness with the Government and the Hudson's Bay Company?" "With the Government in Ottawa, and the Company in Winnipeg. " "Hell's bells!" cried Orcutt. "That means we'll be gallivanting allover Canada for the next week or ten days. Well, it can't be helped. I know John McNabb well enough not to leave any loop-hole for him totake advantage of. " He called to the guides. "Hey, you Injuns!What's the quickest way to the railroad?" The guides pointed due north. "Mebbe-so wan hondre mile, " announcedone. "But, " cried Wentworth, "we're going back by way of the post, aren'twe?" "We're going to hit for the railway the quickest way God will let us!" "But, I--I left something--that is, I have nothing to travel in butthese field clothes, and they're shockingly soiled and tattered. " "Soiled and tattered--hell! What's that got to do with saving years oftrouble at the mill? Maybe you ain't as pretty as you'd like tobe--but, you've got enough on so they can't arrest you----" Wentworth felt a decidedly uncomfortable thrill at the word "arrest. "He was thinking of a certain Russian sable coat that lay in his trunkat the cabin, and guarded from prying eyes by only a flimsy trunk lock. He thought, also, of Downey--and wondered. He would have given much tohave returned to that cabin, but a single glance into Orcutt's facestilled any thought of further objection, and he reluctantly acquiesced. "We can follow the line of the tote-road, " he said. "I blazed it tothe railway, and by the way, Cameron said that McNabb had alreadystarted construction--had twenty or thirty miles of it completedseveral days ago. " "Started construction?" cried Orcutt. "Construction of what?" "The tote-road. He figured it would be quicker and cheaper to haul hismaterial for the mill in from the new railway than to ship by boataround through the Bay to Port Nelson, and then drag it up the river byscow. " "And you mean to say he's started the work? Laid out good money on topof what his options cost him--and forgot to take up the options?" "That's just what he's done, according to Cameron. " Orcutt burst out laughing. "We'll let him go ahead and build theroad, " he cried. "Every dollar he puts in will be ninety cents savedfor us. It may be two or three weeks before he finds out that he haslost the timber, and possibly the road will be completed by that time. Then I'll buy it in for almost nothing. McNabb has certainly gonefluie! And in the meantime we will use his road to haul in our ownmaterial. I'll wire Strang to begin hustling the stuff through. " XX After watching Orcutt depart, Cameron folded his maps and his papersand walked around to the trading room where Murchison and his clerkwere comparing the skins of a silver gray and a black cross fox. The clerk greeted him with a smile. "Just the man I wanted to see, Mr. Cameron. In fact I was about to go in search of you. " Cameron stared at him in surprise. During the day or two he had spentat the post, he had come to regard the clerk as a stupid, moroseindividual, whose only excuse for existence, as Murchison had said, washis knowledge of fur. But here was this unkempt clerk actuallysmiling, and addressing him as a man of affairs. He glancedinquiringly at Murchison before replying. "And why should you go insearch of me?" "As accredited representative of the Canadian Wild Lands Company, Ihave business to transact with you. " Hedin stepped forward andextended a paper. "I represent John McNabb. " "John McNabb!" cried Cameron, staring at him as though he had takenleave of his senses. "You mean----" Hedin interrupted him, speaking crisply. "I mean that this paper, asyou will note, is a power of attorney which gives me authority totransact any and all business for Mr. McNabb, concerning the purchaseof certain pulp-wood lands. " "Dut, man!" cried Cameron excitedly. Ignoring the interruption, Hedin continued. "And I hereby, in thepresence of Mr. Murchison, tender payment of ten percent, of thepurchase price, as provided in the terms of the option contract. " "But you're too late!" roared Cameron. "McNabb's options expired atnoon! The land has been sold and payment accepted! Good Lord, man!Do you mean that McNabb sent you up here to close the deal, and youdeliberately neglected to attend to it until the options had expired?" "Too late?" smiled Hedin. "What do you mean, too late? The options donot expire until noon, " he paused and glanced up at the clock thatticked upon the wall, "and it still lacks twenty-five minutes oftwelve. " Cameron stared at the clock. "It is a trick!" he cried. "You turnedthe clock back! What time have you, Murchison?" The factor meticulously consulted his watch. "Twenty-four minutes totwelve, " he announced. "You are into it, too!" Murchison smiled. "Look at your own watch, " he suggested. "What timehave you got?" Cameron drew out his timepiece and stared at it blankly. "He laid hiswatch on the table between us, " he said in a bewildered tone, "and notuntil the hands reached twelve were the papers signed and the moneypaid. " "What do you mean?" asked Hedin. "The papers signed, and the moneypaid?" "Why Orcutt, president of the Eureka Paper Company, bought the landafter McNabb's options expired. Wentworth is his representative. " "But McNabb's options have not expired, " insisted Hedin. "His paymenthas been tendered in the presence of a witness before the time of theirexpiration. Any sale or contract entered into with Orcutt or anyoneelse concerning title to these lands is, of course, void. " Cameron continued to stare at his watch. "I do not understand it, " hemuttered. "I think I do, " offered Hedin. "Was it Orcutt's watch you consulted?" "Yes, he laid it on the table, and we watched the hands mark off thetime. " "And you were an hour fast! Orcutt carried Terrace City time, which isan hour faster than standard. It is the so called daylight saving planadopted by many cities and villages in the United States by act ofcouncil. All that, of course, has no bearing on McNabb's options, sothere is nothing for you to do but accept payment and return Orcutt hismoney. " "But you were here all the time!" cried Cameron. "And you must haveknown what was going on. Why didn't you make yourself known? Why didyou let me go ahead with Orcutt? We could have had the business overand done with two days ago--and no complications. " Hedin laughed. "You will have to take that up with Mr. McNabb. I wasfollowing out instructions to the letter. And those instructions werevery specific about not closing the deal within half an hour of theexpiration of the options. " "But what was his idea?" "As I said before, you will have to ask him. He had a reason, you maybe sure. I have noticed in my association with John McNabb that thereis generally a reason for the things that he does--though in manyinstances the reason is beyond me. " Cameron's exasperation at the sudden turn of events subsided. He evenmanaged a smile. "He was within his rights, " he admitted, "and as yousay, he must have had a reason. But I don't understand it. Wentworthwas McNabb's man too--until he swung over to Orcutt. Yet he neversuspected you were anything but Murchison's clerk. " Hedin laughed. "The reputation of being a fool doesn't hurt anyone. It is rather an advantage at times. " "You have played your part well, " admitted Cameron. "And McNabb hasplayed his part well--whatever that part is. Orcutt said he was losinghis grip, was in his dotage. Well, he will not be the first man thathas had to change his mind. He has gone to inspect the mill site andwill return day after to-morrow. Wentworth accompanied him. I imaginewe will have an interesting half-hour when they find out that the dealis off. " The formalities of payment were soon over with, and the moment theywere completed, Hedin despatched a messenger with a telegram to hisemployer. When John McNabb received the message he grinned broadly, and forseveral minutes sat at his desk and stabbed at his blotter with hispencil point. "So, Orcutt, Wentworth & Company set out to down poorold John McNabb, " he muttered. "I kind of figured rope was allWentworth wanted to hang himself with--an' rope's cheap. But Orcuttan' his Eureka Paper Company--now he must have gone to quite a littlebother, first an' last, an' some expense. Too bad! But I won't worryabout that--he ought to 'tend to his bankin'. Guess I'll be startin'North in about ten days. " A week later McNabb got another wire from the engineer in charge of hisroad construction. As he read and reread it, a slow smile trembledupon his lips and widened into a broad grin. "Sixty-five miles of road completed. Eureka Paper Company cement andmaterial piling up at road head. Have their own trucks. Shall we letthem use road?" The grin became an audible chuckle. "I don't understand it. Orcuttmust have cleared out so quick he don't know the deal is off. " Then hecalled a messenger and sent two telegrams. The first in answer to theone just received. "Double your force and hurry road to completion in shortest possibletime. Allow all Eureka Paper Company goods to be delivered as fast asreceived. Facilitate delivery same to mill site in every way possible. " The other telegram was to the home office of the engineering firm andread: "Hold off on purchase of material for mill until further notice. Writing full particulars. " Then he closed his desk and went home where, a few minutes later, hisdaughter found him packing his outfit in a well worn duffle bag. XXI Ever since Jean's outburst of passion upon the day of Hedin's arrest, acertain constraint had settled upon father and daughter that amounted, at times, to an actual coldness. Neither had mentioned the name ofHedin in the other's hearing, but each evening at dinner, which was theonly meal at which they met, the studied silence with which the girldevoted herself to her food bespoke plainer than words that the thoughtof him was never out of her head. So it was with some measure of surprise that Old John looked up fromhis packing at the girl's question: "Where are you going, Dad?" "North, into Canada. I've business there that needs my attention. " "Will you take me with you?" "Take ye with me!" he cried in astonishment. "An' what would ye bedoin' in the wild country, with the black flies an' mosquitoes in theheight of their glory. They'd eat ye alive! An' the trailin'--why, ye've never been outside a town in ye're life!" "And that is just why I want to go outside one!" answered the girl. "Please, Dad, take me with you. I can keep up on the trail, really Ican. Don't I play golf, and tennis, and paddle a canoe, and doeverything that anyone can do to keep themselves in shape? I bet rightnow I can walk as far as you can in the woods or out of the woods. Andas for flies and mosquitoes, they won't eat me any worse than they willyou, and if worse comes to worst, I can plaster myself with that smellyold dope you carry in that bottle--but I'd almost rather be eaten. " Old John grinned. "Well, I don't know. Maybe the trip would do yegood. An' when ye get there ye may not find it so dull. Wentworth isthere an' he'll prob'ly show ye around. " "I don't need Captain Wentworth to show me around, " she replied, andMcNabb was not slow to note her tone. "Of all people I ever met, Ithink he's the biggest bore! I don't see what you hired him for. " Old John stared at her in amazement. "Why, it was on your ownrecommendation--that, an' the fact that I found out he done some reallygood work on the Nettle River project. But you asked me in so manywords to give him a job!" "Well, if I did, I was an idiot, " she replied. "And I guess you'llwish you never hired him. You'll find you've made a grand mess ofthings!" A high-pitched, nervous quality had crept into the girl'svoice, and McNabb saw that she was very near to tears. "Do you knowwhat they're saying?" she cried. "They're saying that Oskar has jumpedten-thousand-dollar bail that some friend put up for him! They'reliars, and I hate them! Wherever he is, he'll come back at the propertime. He'll show them--and he'll show you, too!" With an effort, thegirl steadied her trembling voice. "And when he does come back, he'llfind he's got one friend--and I'll--I'll make up for the rest. I'mgoing to get ready now. I want to get away from it all. When do westart?" "To-night, " answered old John, "on the late train. " And when the doorclosed behind his daughter, he grinned and winked at himself in themirror. When old John McNabb and his daughter stepped off the saggingcombination coach at the siding which was the northern end of the newtote-road, the first man they saw was Orcutt, resplendent in stripedmackinaw, Stetson hat, and high-laced boots. As the banker came towardthem, McNabb stared about him in evident perplexity, his glanceshifting from the piles of tarpaulin-covered material, to the loadedtrucks that with a clash and grind of gears were just pulling out uponthe new tote-road that stretched away between the tall balsam spires tothe southward. "Hello, John, " Orcutt greeted, lifting his Stetson in acknowledgment ofthe presence of Jean. "Well, what do you think of it?" McNabb continued to stare about him. "I don't seem to quite get thestraight of it, " he said slowly. "Eureka Paper Company, " he read thelegend emblazoned upon the trucks and tarpaulins scattered all over theforeground. "What does it mean, Orcutt? An' what in the devil are youdoin' here? An' what business have those trucks got on my tote-road?" Orcutt laughed, a nasty, gloating laugh, as he rubbed his handstogether after the manner of one performing an ablution. "It means, John, " he answered, in a voice of oily softness, "that at last I havecaught you napping. The Eureka Paper Company is my company, and thepulp-wood that you held options on is my pulp-wood. I've been waitinga long time for this day--more than twenty years. It's only fair togive the devil his due, John--you've been shrewd. Time and again Ialmost had you, but you always managed somehow to elude me. There havebeen times when I could have murdered you, gladly. It wouldn't havebeen so bad if you had gloated openly when you put one over on me, butyour devilish way of apparently ignoring the fact--of acting as thoughoutwitting me were too trifling an occurrence to even notice, at timeshas nearly driven me crazy--that, and that damned secret laughter I seein your eyes when we meet. Oh, I've waited a long time for my day--butnow my day has come! And to think how nearly I missed it! I go backin an hour on the same train that brought you in. " McNabb had listened in silence to the tirade. "But I--I don'tunderstand it. My options----" "Your options, " interrupted Orcutt, and his voice rasped harsh, "expired at noon on the first day of July. At one minute past twelveon that day, the property passed into the hands of the Eureka PaperCompany of which I am president. I signed the contract and paid overthe money myself at Gods Lake Post. " "Was it July?" mumbled McNabb, apparently dazed. "But--there wasWentworth. He had the papers. Surely he must have known. " Orcutt laughed. "Yes. Wentworth knew. He knew the day you hired him. And he knew that you thought you had until the first of August. It wasWentworth that tipped the deal off to me. " "But--why should he have double-crossed me?" "Mere matter of business, " replied Orcutt. "Figure it out foryourself. If he stayed with you the best he could expect would be afair salary. With us he was in position to dictate his own terms. They were stiff terms, too, for Wentworth is shrewd. But he has beenworth all he cost. He is now secretary of the Eureka, and a veryconsiderable stockholder. " McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time. When at length hespoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired. "But, Orcutt, the tote-road is mine. I built it. It cost me a hundred thousanddollars--that road did. If you hold the property the road is no goodto me, and it is valuable to you. Will you buy it?" "Sure, I'll buy it. I'll buy it for just what I figure it is worth tome. It cost you a thousand dollars a mile. It's worth a hundred tome. Ten thousand dollars is my limit. Take it or leave it. Ten centson the dollar, John; you may as well save what you can out of thewreck. " "Is that the best you can do by me? Man, it's robbery! I can't affordto lose ninety thousand. It'll cripple me. An' I stood to make amillion!" "Cripple you, eh? Well, it won't hurt my feelings to see you limping. That's the very best we can do. You better take it, and go back toselling your thread. You're getting too old for real business, John--you're done!" McNabb nodded slowly. "Aye, maybe ye're right, maybe ye're right. "The voice sounded old, tired. "I'll let ye know in a few days, Orcutt. Now that I'm up here I think I'll slip down for a visit with my oldfriend Murchison. He's the factor at Gods Lake. We were boystogether, an' together we worked for the Company. He's a friend a mancan trust. An' I feel the need of a friend. Ye'll not begrudge us aride down on one of ye're trucks, will ye, Orcutt?" Before Orcutt could reply Jean, who had been a silent listener to allthat had passed, leaped forward and faced Orcutt with blazing eyes. "You sneak!" she cried. "And all the time I thought you and Mrs. Orcutt were my friends! And all the time you were lying in wait toruin an old man! You couldn't fight him in the open! You were afraid!But my father is used to fighting men--not cowardly thieves! And asfor riding in one of your trucks, I would die first!" She turned toMcNabb. "Come on, Dad, we'll walk!" "But, daughter, it's a hundred miles!" "I don't care if it is five hundred miles! I'll walk, or crawl if Ihave to, rather than accept anything from that--that rattlesnake! See, there is a little store. We can lay in some provisions for the tripand it will be loads of fun. It will remind you of your old days inthe North. " The girl took his arm, and the two turned abruptly away, leaving Orcuttstanding in his tracks watching their departure with somewhat of a grin. As they came out of the store with bulging pack sacks, they saw himstep into the stuffy coach, and a moment later they watched the wheezylittle engine puff importantly down the track. Then, side by side theystepped onto the tote-road and were swallowed up between the two wallsof towering balsams and spruces. A mile farther on, a Eureka truck passed them, and the girl, scorningthe driver's offer of a lift, brushed its dust from her clothing asthough it were the touch of some loathsome thing. That night they camped on a little hardwood knoll beside a stream, wellback from the road. Old John seemed to have regained his usualspirits, and to her utter astonishment the girl surprised a grin uponhis face as he put up the shelter. He built a fire, and producing hookand line from his pocket, jerked half a dozen trout from the water, which were soon sizzling in the pan from which rose the odor of fryingbacon. "Do you know, Dad, " began the girl, after the dishes had been washedand the man had thrown an armful of green bracken upon the fire tosmudge away the mosquitoes. "Do you know I think you are simplywonderful?" She was leaning against his knee, and her eyes looked intohis. "Tush, girl, what ails ye?" said the man, removing his pipe to send acloud of blue smoke to mingle with the gray of the smudge. "I mean it, Daddy, dear. You are just wonderful. Oh, I know howdisappointed you are. I know just how it hurts to have a man likeOrcutt get the best of you. I saw it in your face. " "Did Orcutt see it, d'ye think?" "Of course he did--and he just gloated. " "U-m-m, " said McNabb, and his lips twitched at the corners. "And on top of all that you can smile!" "Yup, isn't it funny? I can even grin. " "But, Dad, will it--ruin you? Not that I care a bit, about the money. We can be just as happy, maybe happier, without it. I'm not the littlefool you think I am. I have always spent a lot of money because I hadit to spend, but if we didn't have it, I could be just as happy makingwhat little I did have go as far as it could. Maybe we'll have to comeup here and live in a cabin. I love the North already, and I've hardlyseen it. We could have a cabin in the woods, and get some furniturewhen we could afford it, and then we could arrange it so cozily. Really, I would be crazy about it. And we could have trout every day, and wild ducks, and venison. If we could afford a screened porch wecould eat and sleep on it, and in the living room we could have atable----" "Good Lord, girl, arrangin' furniture again!" cried old John. "An I'dcome home some night an' break my neck before I could find thematchbox. If we was to live in a cabin I'd spike the stuff to thefloor! But--maybe it won't be so bad as all that. " "I've been hateful to you of late, Dad, because of--of Oskar. Butreally, you made an awful mistake. I should think you would know thathe couldn't have taken that coat. It isn't in him!" "I never said he ate it, " grinned the man. "Oh, don't joke about it! Dad, I love Oskar. He's--oh, he'severything a man should be, and it hurts me so to have them saying heis a thief. He isn't a thief! And the time will come when he willprove it. Promise me, Dad, that when he does prove it, you will makeevery effort in your power to right the wrong you have done him. " Old John's hand rested for a moment upon the girl's head. "I promiseall that, girl. Surely ye know I can be just. If it is as ye say, I'll more than make it up to him. I promise ye, his name shall notsuffer. " "I love you, Dad. I know you are just--but you're a hard-hearted oldScot, just the same. You don't make many mistakes, but you have madetwo--about Oskar, and about hiring that Wentworth. I told you you'd besorry. " "Well, maybe ye're right, " and John McNabb never blinked an eye. "See, didn't I just say you were hard-headed? You won't admit you madea mistake even after what Orcutt told you to-day. But tell mehonestly, Dad, are you ruined?" "Well, we won't worry about that, lass. D'ye hear the hoot-owl? Ilike to hear them of nights. I found one's nest once an' I took thethree eggs out an' slipped them under a hen that Mother McFarlane hadsettin'. It was at Long Lake post, Mother McFarlane was the factor'swife, an' I was his clerk. The eggs had been sat on a long time an'they hatched out before the hen eggs. Ye should have seen MotherMcFarlane's face when she caught sight of them chickens! It was one ofthe best jokes I ever made. " "And here you ought to be as solemn as an owl yourself, and you aretalking of jokes. I don't understand you at all. " "Maybe I should be an owl. D'ye notice in the stories, they make theScots say, 'hoot'? But about Wentworth, now. If we should meet upwith him, don't let on ye know anything about my deal with Orcutt. Treat him nice an' pleasant----" "After what he has done to you?" cried the girl, her eyes flashing. "Just so. Be nice an' friendly to him--d'ye know what a poker face is?" "Why, of course! Everybody plays poker in Terrace City. " "Mind ye, ye're settin' in a big game right now----" "You mean, " cried the girl, "that there's a chance? A chance to beatOrcutt yet? Oh, if you only could!" "Well, we're still settin' in the game--me an' you, daughter. An'let's don't neither one of us throw down our hand till after the draw. " XXII Toward evening of the fourth day after leaving the railway, the twostepped into the broad clearing that surrounded the Gods Lake post. "Oh, real Indians!" cried Jean, as she caught sight of the dozen ormore tepees that were pitched between the lake and the low log tradingpost. "Aye, real Injuns, lass--an' good it is to see them again. It will bethe remnant of the spring tradin'. 'Tis about over now, but alwaysthere's some of the Injuns will hang around the post all summer. " "They're cooking over open fires, and look, there comes one from thelake with some fish! Oh, don't you just love it?" They were crossing the clearing, and old John glanced at his daughterwith approval. "Aye, I love it. An' proud I am that you love it, too. Ye've taken to the North like a duck takes to water. Ye've trailedlike a real sourdough, an' never a word of the hard work an' thediscomfort. 'Tis born in ye, lass--the love of the bush--an' I'm glad. I've come to know ye better the last four days than I have intwenty-one years of school, an' dancing an' all the flibberty-jibbitin'nonsense ye carry on. " They had reached the door of the trading room, and the man interruptedher laughing reply. "Wait ye here a minute while I see if Dugald isinside. " Oskar Hedin paused in the act of putting the finishing touches on theedge of his belt ax, and as John McNabb entered the room, he rosehastily to meet him. "Where's Murchison?" asked the newcomer, and Hedin noted that noslightest hint of recognition flickered in his employer's eyes. Repressing the desire to laugh, he answered in the slow, dull-wittedmanner of Sven Larsen. "He is in there, " pointing to the door of thefactor's room. "Tell him to come out here, " commanded McNabb brusquely. "Do you want to see him?" "What in the devil d'ye think I'm waitin' here for? Hurry, now, an'don't be standin' there gawpin'. " Hedin grinned broadly as he entered Murchison's door, and a momentlater McNabb's hands were gripped by the two hands of the factor. "It's glad I am to see ye, John. An' how does it feel to get home oncemore?" "Ye'll be knowin' yourself how it feels to a man that's been thirtyyears out of the bush. But where's Hedin?" "He'll be here directly, " answered Murchison. "John, I want ye to meetmy clerk, Sven Larsen. He's the best clerk I ever had. " McNabb glanced into the bearded face that blinked stupidly at him. "Yehaven't be'n over favored with clerks, I'd say, Dugald. But how are yefixed for quarters?" Murchison laughed. "I guess we can rig up a bunk for ye, John. " "It ain't myself I was thinkin' about. It's the lass. She's had fourpretty hard days on the trail, an' she'd be the better for acomfortable bunk. " "The lass!" exclaimed Murchison. "Jean! Here!" Strong fingers gripped McNabb's arm, and he stared inastonishment into the face of Sven Larsen. The loose-lipped, vapidexpression was gone, and the blue-gray eyes stared into his own withburning intensity. "You don't mean----? Why, Oskar lad!" "Sh--sh. But she mustn't know! Promise me--both of you! She will begoing to bed early, and after supper I'll see you at the landing. " McNabb studied the face quizzically. "Ye fooled me, all right, but I'mdoubtin' ye can fool Jean. " "At least, I can try, " answered the clerk. "I'll see you at supper, "and without waiting for a reply, he ascended the ladder that led to thefur loft. "Where is the lass? Fetch her in, John. " Murchison's eyes twinkled ashe stepped closer. "He thinks he's lost her, " he whispered. "But tellme, John, d'ye think the lass cares for this damned Wentworth?" "Who can say?" grinned McNabb. "'Twill not be long now till we can seefor ourselves, " and stepping to the door he called Jean, who was tryingto make friends with a group of Indian children. "She'll have my room, " said Murchison, as he followed McNabb to thedoor. "An' no bunk, either, but a brass bed that I bought in Winnipegout of respect for my old bones an' the weakening flesh that covers'em. You an' me will pitch a tent, an' 'twill be the first time inmany years, John, we've slept under canvas together. " The next moment he was welcoming the girl with a deference he wouldhave scarce accorded to royalty. XXIII Supper over, McNabb left Jean to be entertained by Murchison, andstrolled down to the landing to join Hedin. "Well, how's everythingcomin'?" he asked, as he seated himself beside the clerk upon a damagedYork boat. "I wired you that the deal was closed, and the pulp-wood is safe. Butthere have been complications that you could never suspect. " "So?" "Yes. In the first, you were dead right about Wentworth--about nottrusting him. And you knew who he expected to let in on the deal?" "Why, Orcutt, of course, " replied McNabb. "I know all about that. That's why I told ye to hold off till the last minute about closing. " "But you couldn't have foreseen that Orcutt wouldn't bother to set hiswatch back, or that they would use his watch in concluding their deal. " McNabb shook his head. "No, an' I don't know yet what ye're talkin'about. All I know is, that Orcutt thinks he has got title to thepulp-wood. We met him back at the railway, an' he took pains to tellme about it. What puzzles me is, how did ye work it so that after twoweeks have gone by he still thinks he owns the timber?" "I didn't work it. He came up here on the twenty-ninth and waitedaround until the first of July. Then he and Cameron went over to theshack and concluded the deal, using Orcutt's watch, which was TerraceCity time--an hour fast. Then Orcutt and Wentworth hit straight forthe mill site, saying they were coming back in two days. Half an hourlater I called Cameron's attention to the error in time and took up theoptions for you. After the papers were signed he decided to wait forthe return of Orcutt and Wentworth. But they didn't return. He waitedfor a week, and then went to look for them. They haven't shown up yet. " Old John was chuckling aloud. "An' the Eureka Paper Company's stuff isrollin' down my tote-road as fast as they can unload it. " "Do you mean they've started to haul the material for their mill?" "Aye, not only material but machinery. " "But what's become of Cameron?" "Losh, lad, I don't even know the man. We won't worry about him. " "But why did you want to put off the closing till the last minute?" McNabb grinned. "Why did you let Jean wear the sable coat?" he askedin return. "'Twas only to string Orcutt along, thinkin' he had mebested till the last minute--then bring him up with a jolt. I didn'tknow it would work out so lucky for me. " "How do you mean--lucky?" "You wait an' see, " grinned McNabb. "D'ye know, Orcutt offered me tenthousand dollars for my tote-road? An' it cost me a hundred thousand!" A long silence followed McNabb's words, during which Hedin cleared histhroat several times. The older man smoked his pipe, and cast covertglances out of the tail of his eye. Finally he spoke. "What's onye're mind, lad? Speak out. " Hedin hesitated a moment and plunged into the thing he had dreaded tosay. "Mr. McNabb, I've been up here several months now--" hehesitated, and as the other made no comment, proceeded. "I have cometo like the country. It--I don't think--that is, I don't want to goback to Terrace City. You can understand, can't you? You have livedin the North. I wasn't born to be a clerk. I hate it! My father wasa real man. He lived, and he died like a man. This is a man'scountry. I am going to stay. " Hedin had expected an outburst oftemper, and had steeled himself to withstand it. Instead, Old JohnMcNabb nodded slowly as he continued to puff at his pipe. "So ye're tired of workin' for me. Ye want to quit----" "It isn't that. I would rather work for you than any man I ever knew. You have been like a father to me. You will never know how I haveappreciated that. I know it seems ungrateful. But the North has gotme. I never again could do your work justice. My heart wouldn't be inmy work. It would be here. " "An' will ye keep on workin' for Murchison? What will he pay ye?" "It isn't the pay. I don't care about that. I have no one but myselfto think of. And Murchison said that with my knowledge of fur theCompany would soon give me a post of my own. " "But--what of the future, lad?" Hedin shrugged. "All I ask of the future, " he answered, and McNabbnoted just a touch of bitterness in the tone, "is that I may live it inthe North. " "H-m-m, " said McNabb, knocking the ashes from his pipe, "I guess theNorth has got ye, lad. An' I'm afraid it's got Jean. The lass hasbeen rantin' about it ever since we left the railway. But--who isthat? Yonder, just goin' into the post? My old eyes ain't so good inthe twilight. " "Wentworth!" exclaimed Hedin, leaping to his feet. "Come on! The timehas come for a showdown!" Hedin's voice rasped harsh, and McNabb noticed that the younger man'sfists were clenched as he laid a restraining hand upon his arm. "Takeit easy lad, " he said. "Maybe it's better we should play a waitin'game. " "Waiting game!" cried Hedin. "I've been playing a waiting game formonths--and I'm through. Good God, man! Do you think my nerves are ofiron? I love Jean--love her as it is possible for a man to love onewoman. I have loved her for years, and I will always love her. AndI've lost her. That damned cad with his airs and his graces has wonher completely away. But, by God, he'll never have her! I'll show himup in his true colors----" "An' with him out of the way, lad, ye'll then----" "With him out of the way she'll despise me!" interrupted Hedin. "Shewill never marry him out of loyalty to you, when she finds out he hastried to knife you. I haven't told you all I know--when he falls, he'll fall hard! But I know what women think, and I know she'lldespise me for disguising myself and spying on him. " "If ye know what women think, lad, ye're the wisest man God has yetmade, an' as such I'm proud to know ye. " "It is no time to joke, " answered Hedin bitterly. "That's a thing I'venever been able to fathom, why you always joke in the face of a serioussituation, and then turn around and raise hell over some trivial matterthat don't amount to a hill of beans. " McNabb grinned. "Do I?" he asked. "Well, maybe ye're right. Butlisten, lad, I know ye've regard for me, an' I'm askin' as a personalfavor that ye hold off a bit with your denouncement of yon Wentworth. Just play the game as ye've been playin' it. Keep on bein' SvenLarsen, the factor's clerk, heavy of wit, an' able with fool questions. Ye've a fine faculty for actin'; for all durin' supper the lass neversuspected ye. Keep it up for a while; it won't be for long. " "But what's the good of it? We know as much as we'll ever know. Man, do you know what you're asking? Loving Jean as I love her, I muststand about and play the fool, while that damned thief basks in herfavor under my very eyes! If there were a good reason, it would bedifferent. But Wentworth and Orcutt can go no farther; they'redone----" "Aye, but they're not done, " interrupted McNabb. "Ye'll be knowin' mewell enough to know I always have a reason for the things that I do. It's a hard thing I'm askin' of ye, an' in this case I'll show ye thereason, though 'tis not my habit. D'ye mind I told ye that the Eurekamaterial was rollin' down the tote-road by the truck load? Thousandsof dollars worth of it every day is bein' delivered at the mill site. Why? Because for some reason Orcutt has not yet found out that he doesnot own the timber. The minute he does find out, not another poundwill be delivered. " "You mean----?" "I mean that portland cement, an' the reinforcin' steel, an' plate an'whatever else goes into the construction of a paper mill is bein' setdown on the Shamattawa, one hundred miles from a railway at Orcutt'sexpense. And that every ton of it is stuff that won't pay its way outof the woods. The freight an' the haulin' one way doubles the cost. An' even if he tried to take it out, he'd have a hundred miles oftote-road to build. Eureka freight travels only one way on McNabb'stote-road--an' that way is in!" Hedin stared at the man in astonishment. "And you can buy it at yourown figure!" he cried. "Why, you can prevent even his empty trucksfrom going back. God, man, it will ruin Orcutt!" "'Tis his own doin's, " answered the man. "'Twill serve him right. Heshould have 'tended to his bankin' instead of pickin' on poor old JohnMcNabb, that should be back of his counter sellin' thread, as he toldme himself. Ten cents on the dollar he offered for my tote-road. " "I'll do it!" exclaimed Hedin. "It will be hard, but it will be worthit, to see that crook get what's coming to him. And then I'm goingaway. Murchison will give me a letter, and I'll strike the Company fora job. " McNabb nodded. "I guess ye're right, about not goin' back to thestore, " he said slowly. "Your heart is in the North. " There was a strange lump in Hedin's throat. He glanced into the faceof his employer, and was surprised at a certain softness in the shrewdgray eyes that gazed far out over the lake. After a time the old manspoke, more to himself than to him. "Ye could both run down for amonth or two in the winter!" "What?" asked Hedin, regarding the speaker with a puzzled expression. "Both of who? A factor only gets away in the summer. " "So they do--so they do, " answered McNabb, absently. "Well, we'll begoin' back now. My engineer, maybe, will be wantin' a conference. " XXIV A rather strained silence greeted the entrance of McNabb into thetrading room. Jean and Murchison occupied the only two chairs the roomboasted, and Wentworth leaned against the counter, a half-sneeringsmile on his lips. McNabb advanced to the group beneath the hugeswinging lamp, and Sven Larsen lingered in the shadows near the door. The half-sneer changed to a look of open defiance, as Wentworth facedMcNabb. "It seems, " he said truculently, "that I am guilty of aserious _faux pas_ in mentioning a bit of Terrace City scandal thatreached my ears concerning the elopement of your estimable fur clerk, Hedin, and a Russian sable coat. The idiot didn't have the brains toget away with it. If you'd have been wiser you would have waited untilyou could have laid hands on the coat, and then locked up your furclerk. " "H-m-m, maybe ye're right, " answered McNabb. "And, " continued Wentworth, emboldened by the placidity of the other'stone, "if you had been wiser, you wouldn't have lost your pulp-woodholdings. Oh, there's no use beating about the bush--I knew the minuteJean told me you had come in by the tote-road, that you had seen theEureka trucks hauling in Eureka material. We put one over on you, McNabb, and you might as well be a sport and make the best of it. " The old Scot nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe ye're right, " he admitted. "But wasn't it a bit scurvy trick ye played me, acceptin' my money an'usin' it to double-cross me?" "Business, my dear man! Merely business! I saw my chance, and I tookit, that's all. Ten thousand a year, and a ten percent interest in apaper mill isn't so poor--and I'm not yet thirty. It takes brains tomake money, and you can bet I'll make my money before my brain beginsto slip cogs. It's expensive--this slipping of cogs. " "Maybe ye're right, " repeated McNabb. "I'll tell the world I'm right! It won't be but a few years till I'llbe the big noise around this part of Canada! Brains to figure out aproposition, and nerve to carry it through--that's all it takes to makethis old world pay up what it owes you. " "How he hates himself!" exclaimed Jean, and from his position in theshadows, Hedin saw that her eyes flashed. His heart gave a great bound, and it was with an effort that herestrained himself from pushing into the group. Was it possible--? Astep sounded outside, and the next moment the screen door swung open toadmit the figure of a man who strode into the lamp-light and glancedabout the faces of the assembly. The man was Cameron. "A fine two days' stay you made of your trip to the mill site, " hegrumbled, addressing Wentworth. "I waited here for a week for you orOrcutt to show up, and then I decided to hunt you. I followed you toWinnipeg, and from there to Ottawa, and back again to the head of thetote-road. Orcutt had left for the States the day before I got there, but they said you were down at the mill site. I rode down on a truckonly to find that you had come over here for your outfit. " "Well, now you've found me, what's on your mind?" grinned Wentworth. "I have a memorandum here in my pocket signed by Orcutt in which heauthorized you to transact any and all business regarding the pulp-woodlands. " "That's correct, " admitted Wentworth. "I am a stockholder, an officerin the company, and its sole representative in the field. Fire away. What's this business that's so all-fired important as to send youchasing all over Canada to reach me?" "My business, " replied Cameron gravely, "is to return to you asrepresentative of the Eureka Paper Company, three hundred and fiftythousand dollars, which amount was paid over to me by Mr. Orcutt, andwhich represents the initial payment of ten percent of the purchaseprice of certain pulp-wood lands described in the accompanying contractof sale. " "Return the money!" cried Wentworth. "What do you mean?" "Simply, that the deal is off. Or, rather, no valid transaction wasever consummated. " Every particle of color faded from the engineer's face at the words. As he glanced wildly about him his eye caught a twinkle in the eyes ofMcNabb. The color flooded his face in a surge of red, and his eyesseemed to bulge with rage as he groped for words. "It's a damned lie!"he cried. "A trick of McNabb's!" He turned upon the older man: "Ithought you took your defeat too easy, but you'll find you can't putanything over on me! The deal stands--and we'll fight you to the lastcourt! If you've found some petty technicality in the contract, youbetter forget it. We've gone ahead in good faith and spent a million. We can employ as good lawyers as you can, and the courts won't standfor any quibbling! It's a case for the equity courts. " Cameron smiled grimly. "I am a lawyer, and as such you will permit thesmile at your mention of the equity court. You would not be allowed toenter its doors. For its first precept is: He who comes into equitymust come with clean hands. Are your hands clean? I thinknot--neither your hands nor Orcutt's. But, the matter will never reachthe courts. There is no question of a technical error in the contract, because there is no contract. The instrument I drew, and which wassigned by Orcutt and myself, has no legal existence. No valid contractcould have been drawn relative to the disposal of those lands until theoptions held by Mr. McNabb had expired----" "But they had expired!" cried Wentworth. "They expired at twelveo'clock, noon, of July first, and the contract was not signed until twoor three minutes after twelve. " "By Orcutt's watch, " retorted Cameron. "And Orcutt's watch was an hourfaster than official time. I had no reason to suppose his watch waswrong, and believed the time had expired, until I was confronted, afteryour departure, by the accredited representative of McNabb. I wasdumbfounded until I established the fact that he was within his rightsin tendering payment and closing the transaction for his principal. Then there was no course open to me but to accept McNabb's money andconclude the transfer to him. Murchison, here, is a witness, that thefacts are as I have stated them. " Wentworth's eyes flew to the face of the factor, who noddedemphatically. Again the color left his face. "It's a damned trick!"he muttered. "Why didn't you notify us at once, instead of waitingnearly three weeks and allowing us to spend more than a milliondollars?" "Orcutt told me he would return to the post in two days. I waited, andwhen a week went by I used every means in my power to reach him. Ifollowed him by train. I learned his address and wired the facts tohis bank. The fault is his own. I am sorry you have lost soheavily----" "It isn't my money, " Wentworth cried savagely. Then he suddenlypaused, and for upwards of thirty seconds the room was in dead silence. When he spoke again, it was in a voice palpably held in control. "I guess you have got us, " he said. "There seems to be nothing for meto do but accept the money. " He held out his hand as Cameron slowlycounted out the big bills. Then without recounting, Wentworth thrustthem into his pocket, and with quick, nervous strokes of his pen signedthe receipt which Cameron placed before him. Then in a voice tremblingwith suppressed rage he faced McNabb. "Damn you!" he cried. "Ithought--Orcutt said you were beginning to slip!" "Well, maybe he's right, " admitted McNabb, and the engineer saw thathis lips twitched at the corners. "Who was your representative?" he demanded abruptly. "And, how did itcome that he arrived just in the nick of time?" "Why, his name is Sven Larsen. He's Murchison's clerk, " answered theScot. "And he was here all the time. " "Sven Larsen!" yelled Wentworth. "That half-wit! Why, he hasn't gotsense enough to come in out of the rain!" "Maybe ye're right, " admitted McNabb, "but that isn't what I hired himto do. " With an oath, Wentworth pushed past Cameron and started for the door tofind himself suddenly face to face with Sven Larsen. "Get out of myway, damn you!" he cried. "Go up in the loft and wallow in yourstinking furs!" "Furs!" repeated the clerk dully, but without giving an inch. "Oh, yes, furs. " He was looking Wentworth squarely in the eyes with a heavystare. "Some fur is good, and some is bad. A Russian sable is betterthan a baum marten. " At the words, Jean McNabb, who had been a silentbut fascinated listener to all that transpired, leaned swiftly forward, her eyes staring into the uncouth face of the speaker, who continued, "And when the coat is dark, and of matched skins, it is very muchbetter than any baum marten. And when one receives the sable coat on awinter's night from the hands of a beautiful Russian princess whom oneis helping to escape through a roaring blizzard in a motor car--or wasit a sleigh?" "Stop, damn you!" In the lamp-light the on-lookers saw that the faceof the engineer had gone livid. His words came thickly. "You fool!Are you crazy? Have you forgotten Pollak, and what happened in theshop of Levinski, the furrier? Where is Pollak?" A slow grin overspread the face of Sven Larsen. "I invented Pollak tocover a mistake I made. There never was any Pollak, Wentworth, butthere is a Russian sable coat. The coat is in your trunk in the cabin. It is the coat you stole from Miss McNabb on the night of the Campbelldinner. " "Oskar!" cried Jean, leaping from her chair at the moment thatWentworth hurled himself upon Hedin. Her cry was drowned in the swiftimpact of bodies and the sound of blows, and grunts, and heavybreathing. McNabb and Cameron drew back and the bodies, locked in aclench, toppled to the floor, overturning a chair. "Oh, stop them! Stop them!" shrieked the girl. "He'll kill him!" "Who'll kill who?" grinned McNabb, holding her back with one hand, without taking his eyes from the struggling, fighting figures thatwrithed almost at his feet, overturning boxes and bales in theirstruggles. "He'll kill Oskar! He's bigger----" "Not by a damn sight, he won't!" roared McNabb. "Look at um! Look atum! Oskar's on top! Give him hell, lad!" Jean had ceased her protest, and to her own intense surprise she foundherself leaning forward, watching every move. She cried out with painwhen Wentworth's fist brought the blood from Oskar's nose, and sheapplauded when Hedin's last three blows landed with vicious thudsagainst the engineer's upturned chin. Hedin rose to his feet and held the handkerchief to his bleeding nose. McNabb's hand gripped his shoulder. "Ye done fine, lad! Ye donefine!" he exclaimed. Dropping to his knees, Hedin slipped his hand into the unconsciousman's pocket and withdrew a key which he tossed to one of the CompanyIndians who had come running in at the sound of battle. "Here, JoeIrish, " he said, "go to the cabin and unlock the trunk that is thereand bring back the coat of fur. " A few moments later Hedin handed the garment to McNabb. "Here is yourmissing coat, " he said, as Jean threw her arm about his shoulder. "Oskar, dear--" she whispered, and the next moment Hedin's arms wereabout her and she could feel the wild pounding of his heart against herbreast. There was a movement on the floor near their feet, and releasing thegirl Hedin reached swiftly down. McNabb's hand stayed him before hecould seize hold of Wentworth, who was crawling toward the door. "Let him go, lad, " advised the old man. "We've got the coat. An'--an'--we're all happy!" "But the money? He's got the three hundred and fifty thousand!" criedHedin. McNabb grinned. "Suppose we just let Orcutt worry about that, " he said. "I told you Oskar was innocent!" cried Jean triumphantly, as the doorclosed behind the slinking form of Wentworth. "I told you so from thefirst! I just knew he never took that coat!" McNabb's eyes were twinkling. "I knew it, too, lass, " he answered. "That's why I bailed him out an' sent him up here with two hundred an'fifty thousand dollars in negotiable paper in his pocket to close thisdeal for me. " "And you knew all the time, " cried the girl, staring at her father inamazement, "when Orcutt was gloating over you back there, that you, andnot he, owned the timber? And you let him go on and humiliate you toyour face!" "Sure I did, " grinned McNabb. "He was havin' the time of his life, an'I hated to spoil it. An' besides, while he was talkin', truck aftertruck was rollin' off down the tote-road haulin' material to my millsite that I'll buy in at ten cents on the dollar. Orcutt'll pay forhis fun!" "But--your face--when he told you that you had lost the timber! Itpositively went gray!" "Poker face, " laughed McNabb. "But run along now--the two of ye. It'smany a long day since Dugald an' I have had a powwow with our feetcocked up on bales of Injun goods. " As the two walked arm in armtoward the door, McNabb called to the girl, "Here, lass, take yourcoat!" He tossed the Russian sable which the girl caught with a gladcry. "Ye'll be needin' it up here agin winter comes. " "Winter! Up here! What do you mean?" "Oskar says he isn't goin' back to Terrace City, " he explained. "Except maybe for the weddin'. The North has got into his blood, an'the McNabb Paper Company needs a competent manager. " XXV When Wentworth left the trading room he went straight to his cabin, anddisregarding his open trunk, he lifted a pack-sack from the floor andswung it to his shoulders. It was the pack he had deposited therescarcely an hour before when he had trailed in from the mill site, andhe knew that it contained three or four days' supply of rations. On the Shamattawa he had heard from a truck driver that an old man anda girl had started for Gods Lake post, and he instantly recognizedMcNabb and Jean from the man's description. Thereupon he made up apack and headed for the post for the sole purpose of baiting the two, and of flaunting his prowess as a financier in their faces. An angry flush flooded his face as he realized how completely thetables had turned. Then the flush gave place to a crafty smile, as heremembered the bills in his pocket. "McNabb's money, or Orcutt's, " hemuttered under his breath, "it's all the same to me. Three hundred andfifty thousand is more money than I ever expected to handle. And nowfor the get-away. " Closing the door behind him he struck across the clearing toward thenortheast. At the end of the bush he paused. "Hell!" he growled. "Ican't hit for the railway. Cameron said he had wired Orcutt at thebank, and I might meet him coming in. " For some time he stoodirresolute. "There's a way out straight south, " he speculated, "aboutthree hundred miles, and a good share of it water trail. I'll be allright if I can pick up a canoe, and I can get grub of the Indians. "Skirting the clearing, he entered the bush and came out on the shore ofthe lake at some distance below the landing, where several canoes hadbeen beached for the night. Stooping, he righted one, and as hestraightened up he found himself face to face with Corporal Downey ofthe Mounted. For a moment the two stood regarding each other insilence, while through Wentworth's brain flashed a mighty fear. HadMcNabb changed his mind and sent Downey to arrest him for the theft ofthe coat? He thought of Orcutt's big bills in his pocket, and hisblood seemed to turn to water within him. Then suddenly he rememberedthat for the present, at least, he held those bills under color ofauthority. In the deep twilight that is the summer midnight of theNorth he searched the officer's face. Damn the man! Why didn't he saysomething? Why did he always force another to open a conversation?Wentworth cleared his throat. "Hello, _Corporal_, " he said sourly. "Aren't you out pretty late?" "Not any later than you are, _Captain_. An' I'm headed in. Put overany more big deals lately?" "What do you mean?" "Oh, I run onto Cameron about a week back. He was huntin' you orOrcutt. He told me how you beat old John McNabb out of hispulp-wood--almost. You ought to be ashamed--a couple of up-to-datefinanciers like you two, pickin' on an' old man that's just dodderin'around in his second childhood. " Wentworth flushed hot at the grin that accompanied the words. "To hell with McNabb--and you, too!" he cried angrily, and carrying thecanoe into the water, he placed his pack in it. When he returned for apaddle, Downey was gone, and stepping into the canoe, he pushed it outinto the lake. "Of course, he'd have to show up, damn him!" hemuttered as he propelled the light craft southward with swift strokesof the paddle. "And now if Orcutt should show up within the next dayor two, Downey will know just where to follow, and even with a twodays' start, I doubt if I could keep ahead of him. They say he's adevil on the trail. But I'll fool him. I'll leave the canoe at theend of the lake, and instead of striking on down the river I'll hit outoverland. Once I get to the railway, they can all go to hell!" The mistake Wentworth made on the trail when he first came into theNorth was not so much the insisting upon bringing in his trunk, nor hisrefusal to carry a pack; it was in striking Alex Thumb with thedog-whip when he refused to pull the outfit in the face of a blizzard. Thumb's reputation as a "bad Injun" was well founded. The son of ahot-tempered French trader and a Cree mother, his early life had been asuccession of merciless beatings. At the age of fourteen he killed hisfather with a blow from an ice chisel, and thereafter served ten yearsof an indeterminate sentence, during the course of which the unmercifulbeatings were administered for each infraction of reformatory rules, until in his heart was born a sullen hatred of all white men and anabysmal hatred of the lash. When Wentworth struck, his doom wassealed, but as Murchison said, Alex Thumb was canny. He had no mind toserve another term in prison. All through the spring and summer he trailed the engineer, waiting withthe patience that is the heritage of the wilderness dweller for thetime and the place to strike and avoid suspicion. And as time drew onthe half-breed's hatred against all white men seemed to concentrateinto a mighty rage against this one white man. There had been timeswhen he could have killed him from afar. More than once on the trailWentworth unconsciously stood with the sights of Alex Thumb's rifletrained upon his head, or his heart. But such was his hatred thatThumb always stayed the finger that crooked upon the trigger--and bidedhis time. Thus it was that half an hour after Wentworth pushed out into the lakeanother canoe shot out from the shore and fell in behind, its loneoccupant, paddling noiselessly, easily kept just within sight of thefleeing man. When daylight broadened Wentworth landed upon a sandypoint and ate breakfast. Upon another point, a mile to the rear, AlexThumb lay on his belly and chewed jerked meat as his smouldering blackeyes regarded gloatingly the man in the distance. Gods Lake is nearly fifty miles in its north and south reach, and allday Wentworth paddled southward, holding well to the western shore. At noon he rested for an hour and ate luncheon, his eyes now and thenscanning the back reach of the lake. But he saw nothing, and from anaspen thicket scarce half a mile away Alex Thumb watched in silence. As the afternoon wore to a closer the half-breed drew nearer. Theshadows of the bordering balsams were long on the water when Wentworthfirst caught sight of the pursuing canoe. His first thought was thatOrcutt had arrived at the post and that Downey had taken the trail. Heceased paddling for a moment and his light canoe swung into the troughof the waves and rocked crankily. The other canoe was only a half mile behind, and Wentworth saw withrelief that its occupant was not Downey. Some Indian fishing, hethought, and resumed his paddling. The south shore was only an houraway now, and tired as he was, he redoubled his efforts. Farther on he looked back again. The canoe still followed. Surely noIndian would set his nets so far from his camp. Yet the man was anIndian. He had drawn closer and Wentworth could distinguish the short, jabbing strokes of the paddle. Another quarter of an hour and Wentworth looked again--and as helooked, the blood seemed to freeze in his veins. The pursuing canoewas close now, and he was staring straight into the eyes of Alex Thumb. The half-breed was smiling--a curious, twisted smile that was the veryembodiment of savage hate. Wentworth's muscles felt weak, and it waswith difficulty that he drove them to the task of forcing the canoe outof the trough of the waves. Mechanically he paddled with his eyesfixed on the ever nearing south shore. He was very tired. He wouldsoon make land now. But when he did make land--what then? He cursedhimself for going unarmed. He could hear the slop of the waves onThumb's canoe. He turned his head and saw that the man was only twolengths behind him. What would he do? With the mechanical swing ofhis arms the words of Murchison and Downey repeated themselves in hisbrain. "Serving with the devils in hell; serving with the devils inhell, " with a certain monotonous rhythm the words kept repeatingthemselves through his brain. Why had he ever come North? Why hadn'the told McNabb that he would have nothing to do with his pulp-wood?The half-breed's canoe was alongside, but its occupant did not speak. He merely jabbed at the waves with his paddle and looked with thatdevilish twisted smile. Wentworth hardly knew when his canoe grated upon the gravel. Stifflyhe half walked, half crawled to the bow and lifted out his pack. AlexThumb stood upon the gravel and smiled. "What do you want?" faltered Wentworth, his voice breaking nervously. The half-breed shrugged. "You no lak no pardner on de trail?" he asked. "Where are you going?" Thumb pointed vaguely toward the south. "Me--I'm lak de pardner on detrail. " "Look here, " cried Wentworth suddenly. "Do you want money? More moneythan you ever saw before?" The breed shook his head. "No. De money can't buy w'at I wan'. " "What do you want?" Again came the twisted smile. "Mebbe-so we eat de suppaire firs'. Igot som' feesh. We buil' de fire an' cook 'um. " The meal was eaten in silence, and during its progress Wentworth in ameasure recovered his nerve. "You haven't told me yet what you want, " he suggested when they hadlighted their pipes and thrown on an armful of greens for a smudge. Between the narrowed lids the black eyes seemed to smoulder as theyfixed upon the face of the white man. "I wan' you heart, " he said, casually. "Red in my han's I wan' it, an' squeeze de blood out, an'watch it splash on de rocks. Mebbe-so I'm eat a piece dat heart, an'feed de res' to my dog. " Wentworth's pipe dropped to the gravel and lay there. He uttered nosound. The wind had died down and save for the droning hum of abillion mosquitoes the silence was absolute. A thin column of smokestreamed from the bowl of the neglected pipe. In profound fascinationWentworth watched it flow smoothly upward. An imperceptible aircurrent set the column swaying and wavering, and a light puff of breezedispersed it in a swirl of heavy yellow smoke from the smudge. Dully, impersonally, he sensed that the half-breed had just told him that hewould squeeze the red blood from his heart and watch it splash upon therocks. His eyes rested upon the rocks rimmed up by the ice above thegravelly beach. The blood would splash there, and there, and thoseother rocks would be spattered with tiny drops of it--his blood, theblood from his own heart which Alex Thumb would squeeze dry, as onewould wring water from a sponge. He wondered that he felt no sense offear. He believed that Alex Thumb would do that, yet it was a matterthat seemed not of any importance. He raised his eyes and encounteredthe malevolent glare of the breed. The black eyes seemed to glow withan inner lustre, like the smoulder of banked fires. With a start he seemed to have returned from some far place. The wordsof Corporal Downey flittered through his brain: "You'll be servin' withthe devils in hell if you don't quit makin' enemies of men like AlexThumb. " And there was Alex Thumb regarding him through narrowedsmouldering eyes across the little fire. Alex Thumb would kill him!Would kill _him_--Ross Wentworth! The whole thing was preposterous. If the man had really meant to kill him he would have done it beforethis. He wouldn't dare; there were the Mounted. Other words of Downeycame to him, "If he does kill you, I'll get him. " So there was apossibility that the man would kill him. Why not? Who would everknow? They would think he disappeared with Orcutt's money--would eveninstitute a world-wide search from him--but not in the bush. Thoughtof the money nerved him to speak. "How much will you take to get into your canoe and paddle back the wayyou came?" he asked. The breed laughed. "Wen I'm keel you I'm got you money, anyway. ButI'm ain' wan' so mooch de money. I'm wan' you heart. " A dangerousglitter supplanted the smouldering glow of the black eyes. "Me--I'mstay ten year in de prison, for 'cause I'm keel my own fadder, an' datdam' good t'ing. For why I'm keel heem? 'Cause he whip me wit' dedog-whip. In de prison de guards whip me mor' as wan t'ousan' tam. Inde night w'en I ain' can sleep 'cause my back hurt so bad from de whip, I'm lay in de dark an' keel dem all. Every wan I ha' keel wan hondretam dere in de dark w'en I lay an' t'ink 'bout it. An' I know how I'mgoin' do dat. Den you hit me wit de whip on de trail. All right. I'main' kin keel de guards. I keel you here in de bush; I shoot you in dehead, an' I'm cut de heart out before he quit jumpin'. " Wentworth moistened his lips with his tongue. "Downey will take youin, if you do. And they'll hang you--choke you to death with a rope. " "No. Downey ain' kin fin'. I'm bur' you in de bush--all but de heart. I'm keep de heart all tam. " "Good God, man, you couldn't kill me like that--in cold blood!" Beyondthe fire the half-breed laughed, a dry evil laugh that held nothing ofmirth. With a scream of terror Wentworth leaped to his feet andcrashed into the bush. Beside the fire Alex Thumb laughed--and spread his blankets for thenight. Four hours later the breed wriggled from his blanket and lighted thefire. While the water heated for his tea, he carried the two canoesback into the scrub and cached them, together with the two packs. Heswallowed his breakfast and picking up his rifle walked slowly into thebush, his eyes on the ground. A mile away the lips twisted into theirsardonic grin as he noted where the fleeing man had floundered througha muskeg, the flattened grass telling of his frequent falls. In abalsam thicket he lifted a scrap of cloth from a protruding limb, andagain he smiled. Where Wentworth forded a waist-deep stream he hadlain down to rest on the sand of the opposite bank. The trail startedtoward the south. By midforenoon Thumb noted with a grin that he wastraveling due east. At noon he overtook Wentworth, mired to the middle in a marl bed, supporting himself on a half sunken spruce. Laying aside his rifle, the breed cut a pole with his belt ax and aftersome difficulty succeeded in dragging the engineer to solid ground. Wentworth was muttering and mumbling about a Russian sable coat, andThumb had to support him as he bound him to a spruce tree. On the edge of the lake Corporal Downey picked up the trail. Helocated the cached canoes, and returning to the fire, he reached downand picked Wentworth's pipe from the gravel. "It's Thumb, all right, "he said, as he stood holding the pipe. "I know his canoe. They wereboth here at the same time. I don't savvy that, because Wentworth leftfirst. Thumb's trail is only three hours old. Maybe--if I hurry----" From far to the southeastward came the sound of a shot. Downeystraightened, and for the space of minutes stood tense as a pointer. The sound was not repeated--and swiftly the officer of the Mounted spedthrough the bush. AN EPILOGUE Two days later, into the trading room of the Hudson's Bay Company'spost on God's Lake, burst Orcutt, white of face, shaken of nerves, andwith his disheveled garments bespeaking a frenzied dash through thetimber. "What's the meaning of this?" he cried, holding out a telegram. McNabb reached for the message and read it. "It means just what itsays, " he answered. "Cameron has stated it plain. " "But where is Cameron? Where is the three hundred and fifty thousand Ipaid him? Where is Wentworth?" "Cameron is not here. He left after turning over your money toWentworth. He said he held a paper that constituted Wentworth yourlegal representative. " "But--where is Wentworth?" gasped Orcutt. "He left the night he got the money--a week ago to-night, wasn't it, Dugald?" "Good God!" The words were a groan. "I'm ruined. Ruined, I tell you!There's just one chance. John, the material that's on your mill site. Will you take it over?" "Sure, I'll take it, " answered McNabb. "On the same terms you offeredfor my tote-road. Ten cents on the dollar, wasn't it, Orcutt?" "But, man, you don't understand!" "I understand that the shoe is on the other foot, " answered McNabb, coldly. "Listen to me, Orcutt; by your own admission you've beentrying for more than twenty years to ruin me. I've let you go, neverturning out of my way to injure you. I'm not turning out of my waynow. If you're squeezed it is because of your own deeds--not mine. " "Squeezed!" sobbed the banker hysterically. "I'm ruined! It means thebank--my home--everything! It means--more. I was so sure--I--I'm intothe bank's money for thousands! It means--the penitentiary!" McNabb looked at the cringing man, whose knees seemed to sag beneaththe weight of his woe. Coldly his eyes traveled the length of him:"Maybe ye're right, " he said, and his words cut icy cold. Then, deliberately he turned his back upon the man and strode through thedoor. Upon that same day, also came Corporal Downey, of the Royal North WestMounted Police, and in his custody he held a man. The man was thehalf-breed Alex Thumb. "We've got the goods on him this time, " Downey told the factor. "And adamned peculiar case. I picked him up a few miles south of the lake. I heard a shot, and an hour later I located him and crept up throughthe brush. He had just finished burying Wentworth's body all but theheart--that was dryin' on a little stick beside the fire. There was anempty shell in his rifle. But--what I can't make out is this. " Hepaused and withdrew from his pocket a small tin box, and opening it, disclosed a handful of ashes and the half of a United States goldcertificate for ten thousand dollars. "He was holdin' it over a littlefire, " explained the officer. "I located him by the smoke smell. Icovered him, and he dropped this last fragment to throw up his hands. It's money. I didn't know they made 'em so big. But why in hellshould he burn it?" Murchison examined the fragment with its burned edge. "Alex Thumb wascanny, " he muttered. "The bills was too big. He didn't dare to spend'em. " THE END