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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1920)
NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, 9 .By VICTOR ROUSSEAU Illustrations by Irwin Myers (Copyright, 1010, by Gcorgo n. Dornn Co.) Q9 'F- BUSINESS AND. ROMANCE "Wooden 8poll" Is tho story of an American's lively adventures In the- Canadian woods. He falls heir to a hundred square miles of forest and a lumbering business. Upon taking possession he finds that he has also Inherited trouble. Being young and two-fisted, he welcomes the trouble, objects to being run out of the country and goes to work. Doubtless the Seigneur's altogether adorable daughter has something to do with his decision. Love, Jealousy, loyalty, treachery all the passions of a primitive, red-blooded people flguro In this stirring tale. Strikes, adventure, fighting, hardships action crowds every chapter. A manly hero, a lovable heroine, a real iove and a happy ending it's a good story from start to finish. CHAPTER I. The Rosny White Elephant Tho office In Quebec which Georges iLnmnrtlne, the notary, occupied was located Inconspicuously In n Btnnll jbulldlng In nn old pnrt of the Lower Town. Small, wiry, binck-halred, with an nlr of unconvincing plnuslbll 11 ty about him, Monsieur Lnmurtlne was seated at his desk, drumming his '.Angers, staring out of tho window, and turning ngaln to look at a letter signed Hilary Askew, when his boy brought him a card with tho same nnmo upon it. Monsieur Lntnnrtlno frowned. "Tell Monsieur Askew Mint I am busy with an important court case," ho said. "Ask him to call at this time tomorrow." "Mr. Askow says he's busy, too, and taa'U wait," announced Mao boy, return ing. Tho notary considered. "Well, tell him I'll sco him in n fow minutes," ho answered. When tho boy was gono ho took down tho telephone receiver and gave a number. "Is that you, Broussenu?" ho nrfked. "Monsieur Hilary Askew lias turned up." Thcro was a Bputtorlng at tho other end of Mio lino which made the notary smile. "I can't say. I haven't seen him yet," said Monsieur Lamartlno, In an swer. "But If I can't send him homo wlMi a srallo on his lips nnd n check In his pocket I shall try to keep him In Quebec until I havo seen you. And you'd better try to got Morris by long distance and warn him. Good-by." ' Ho hung up tho receiver, rang for tho boy nnd told him to admit Mr. Askow. Then ho roso to rcccivo his visitor. Ho looked at Hllnry keenly ns ho hook hands with him. Tho young man was different from what ho had ex pected. Ho was about as big, and ho had tho samo nlr of American energy ; but ho appeared moro determined, ho looked like ono of those uncomfortable nion who havo tho knnck of disentan gling themselves from sophistries. Howovcr, Hilary looked good-natured. 'And ho was certainly Inexperienced. (Monsieur Lamartlno gnvo him a chair and looked very plauslblo Indeed. "Tour visit has followed Very closo upon your letter, Mr. Askew," ho said. "Porhaps you did not get mine, advis ing you to wait before coming to Que bec?" "No," said Hilary, "but I would hnvo como anyway. I want to get this mat nste settled." "Tho American hasto," said tho no tary, looking almost Ingenuous. "But tho law is not to bo taken by storm, least of nil In Quebec. It Is only a month slnco your undo dlod. Perhaps It will bo months before wo can turn ovor tho property to you. I under stand Mint you wero not In close touch with your undo during his latter years?" "I hadn't seen him since I wns aboy. That was what mndo tho legacy a sur prising ono. Ho had not Bhown any Interest in mo. I had a hard fight to set through my forestry course So when I heard that I had become tho owner of a tract of n hundred square miles it seemed llko nn intervention of Provldonco. That is almost a king dom, sir." "Ten miles by ten?" Inquired tho notary, smiling. "Well, I suppose it docs seem a lnrgo territory to you, al though tho Rosny seigniory wns ono of tho smallest of tho old feudul grants. It is nlmost tho last on tho north sfioro of tho St. Lnwrenco that remains in the hands of the orlglnul family." "Four hundred thousand dollars eocms a big sum for my undo to hnvo paid for It," Bald Hilary. "Your undo," said Monsieur Lumnr tino, beginning to drum softly, "mado this Investment against the ndvico of a good many people. Tho Rosiiy tim ber rights uro practically valueless, bc teuuso tho wood is principally balsam fir Instead of plno and spruce." no noted that Hilary only watched him Instead of answering, and ho be gun to feel Mint he would not bo dis posed of ns cnslly as ho had antici pated. "Tho property has never begun to pny Its wuy," continued Monsieur La tnurtlne. "Your undo puld three hun dred and fifty thousaud for tho cutting rights alone. Ho found himself up ngalnst tho law which places u limit on the slzo of trees. Seven Inches for black, or swamp spruce, I bcllovo; - - iwuivu lor wimo spruce; twelve or thirteen for pine. And nenrly nil tho trees on tho Itosny limits Mint aren't .....1 j . fir nro under the legal size. Your un cle sank hnlf his fortuno In it. He was excuse me eccentric. This Is tho case: tho timber cannot be cut except nt a loss, on account of Its spnrseness nnd tho high costiof trans portation. The bnlsum fir Is too gum my to make any but Inferior pnper, be low tho standard even of tho newspa pers. It occupies tho greuter portion of tho trnct, together with second growth birch, which Is, of course, of uso only for firewood. Tho expenses nre very considerable. In short, Mr. Askew, I ennnot ndvlso you to consid er your uncle's legacy seriously." "I'm sorry to hcnrthnt," nnswered Hilary. "But I suppose something can bo done with tho wood. There nro uses besides pulp-wood to which the timber enn bo put?" Monsieur Lamartlno drummed his fingers for quite u while- boforo an swering. "A company with a large capital might find It commercially profitable to develop your truct," ho said pres ently. "But no man without an omplo fortuno and a thorough knowledge of lumber conditions In this province could dream of pulling out even." Hilary leaned forwnrd In his chair. "Monsieur Lnmurtlne," ho said, "111 tell you how I vlow this matter. I didn't build any extravagant hones upon my uncle's legucy. I'm not con structed Mint way. What I want prln- clpnlly Is to settle somcwhero among trees nnd do something with them. I'm tired of whut I'vo been doing theso past flvo yeurs. "I'm tired of hunting n Job hero and n Job Micro to tend somebody else's trees. I'm tired of other people's trees. I want my own trees. I want to see them grow up, and thin them out, and hnvo a real forest In bearing. "So I'vo decided to tnko hold of Mint St. Bonlfaco tract nnd see whnt I enn mnko of It. I'm going to bIiow my un cle, Monsieur Lumnrtlne, Mint ho sized mo up wrong." Monsieur Lamartlno smiled nt bis caller's frankness. "I undorstnnd how you feel, Mr. As kew," ho said. "Whnt you wnnt is n nico Httlo tract of a fow hundred acres, not far from Quebec. A plnco with a llttlo trout lake on It, to build your enmp beside, ten acres freehold und tho rest leased. You'll enjoy Mint, nnd" ho paused and scrutinized him with his fox look "I think I mny bo nblo to disposo of tho Rosny whlto ele phnnt for you." Hllnry returned no nnswer, nnd Monsieur Lamartlno could not dccldo whether It wub a Blgn of strength or Monsieur Lamartlne Could Not De cide Whether It Was a Sign of Strength or Weakness. of weakness. Still ho was sure that u man who loved trees npurt from their commercial value was a dreamer and unpractical. "They would pay forty-flvo thousand dollars, cash," said tho notary. "And that would enable you to renllzo your own usplrutlons. You nro fond of fish ing, Mr. Askow? Think It over. Spend a week here two weeks. Look about you. Inspect our tlno old city. Do vou know wo are tho only wulled city on this continent?" Ho stopped ; perhaps ho saw Hilary redden, perhaps his Instinct warned him to do so. "Whnt I wunt," snld Hllnry, "is Mic uosny trnct." "Tho offer Is too smnll? I doubt" "I will discuss that after I havo seen tho concession." Tho notary sighed. "Well, at least think the matter over for u while," he ruiu. "Mr. Morris, tho manager, Is away on business. Ho should bo In Quebec tomorrow, nnd perhaps ho can urrnngo to take you up there." "I am thinking of going nt n very enrly date," said Hllnry, "in fact, by the boat tomorrow." "Mr. Askew, I assure you, you hud better wait for Mr. Morris. Ho is a mon of expert Judgment. You cannot havo a better adviser, und ho has abso lutely no personal Interest ono way or nnothcr. There uro so many things to consider; and Mien you don't speak French, do you?" "A little." "It would not help you, anyway, The dialect up at St. Boniface is seven teenth century. They aro u wild lot up there, a very had lot of people; smugglers and ponchors, Mr. Askew." Hilary, who had ulready sensed Ln- mnrtlno's objection to his going to St. Bonlfaco, awakened to suspicion nt lost. "1 shnll leave on tomorrow morn ing's bont," ho said. "When I have mado my decision I shnll let you know. I think I shall refuse your compnny's offer. Will you let me hnvo tho pn pers, Monsieur Lamartlne, Including tho Inst hnlf-yenriy statement and the mnp of the limits?" "But It Is entirely lrregulnr, Mr. As kew. Really" "Let me havo the papers, please," snld Hilary, smiling. "And you need have no fear that you will be held re sponsible for my anticipating my In heritance. I lmnglne I hnvo ns much right there as Mr. Morris." "Of course, If that Is your decision, there Is nothing more to say," an swered the other brusquely. Ho pulled out a drawer and removed an envelope containing somo documents. "You will find the stntement hero," he snld. "Mr. Morris hns the books and tho mnp of St. Bonlfaco. I wish von a pleasant Journey, sir. You wish mo to continue to represent you?" "For tho present, yes. Good-day." When he was gono Monsieur Lnmnr tlne sat back In his chair and drummed his lingers for nenrly a minute. Then ho called up Brousseau. "He's Just gone," ho snld. "And ho stnrts for St. Boniface tomorrow morn ing, In spite of nil my representn Mons." Ho smiled nt the sputtering that enmo over tho wire. It was well Into the afternoon when Hilary reached St. Boniface on the small trl-weekly mall boat. For fifty or sixty miles below Qupbec the coun try, spnrscly Inhabited though It Is. and primitive, contains settlements with shingled houses, hotels, tourists In season ; nnd It wns not until the St. Lnwrenco widened Into the Gulf Mint Hllnry renllzed, nlmost with surprise, tnnt the ship was sailing into a terri tory ns primitive ns It had been a score of yeurs after Jacques Cnrtler landed. something of the primeval nnture of tho land entered Hilary's heart and gripped It. Ho hnd never known what It was ho wanted. But ho knew now : It was to take hold of a virgin land nnd tnmo it, to grapple- with life, not among tho men of cities, but some where with the smell of the pines nnd of the brown enrth In his nostrils. Pac ing the deck of tho llttlo ship, ho felt that his desires had como to light at tho moment when their fulfillment hnd becomo possible. Ho looked nbout hlra wlMi npprovnl when ho stood upon the porch of the tiny hotel nt St. Bonlfnce. Nobody else had got off the boat, nnd evident ly tho landlord of the llttlo hotel ex pected nobody. After an Ineffectual attempt to enter Into conversation with him, in which hardly a word was mu tually Intelligible, Hilary gave up tho effort and started up tho hill road which led, ho surmised, toward tho lumber mill. Tho whole settlement was gathered about tho shores of tho little bny. Be yond It wero the mountains, on either sldo the forcst-clnd hills, broken, on the east, by an Inlet, and on the west by tho deep cleft of tho Rocky river, whoso mouth, closed by a boom, wus a congested muss of logs. Hilary crossed the brldgo and ap proached tho mill. Two or three men, lounging outside tho store, lookci at him without any sign of Interest. Uverythlng was very still and peace ful; there was hardly a sound to bo heard except tho distant hum of tho mill machinery. Between the duni and tho store, upon n terrain henped with tin cans und miscellaneous debris, were plies of wood in four-foot lengths, each com prising about two hundred cords. Kneeling at tho narrow end of ono of those piles wns a llttlo man, whose elenn-slmven upper Up, tho whiteness of which contrasted with a sun-bluck-ened face, Indicated that a mustache hnd grown there recently. Ho was scaling, or measuring, tho pile, and niuttorlng as he added up his figures. Hilary surveyed the lumber. It was unrossed, und most of it wus bluck spruce; there was also somo whlto spruco und a llttlo pine. The mnss In the river, If It consisted of wood of tho same qunllty, hardly substantiated uimurtlne's stntcmcnts. "You seem to hnvo some good spruce on tho seigniory," snld Hllnry. 'iho little man leaped to his feet, waving his arms. "What you want hero?" he demanded. "Strangers aro not permitted on tho compnny's prop erty. If you wnnt to buy at Mie Btore, you go by tho rond.7 Hllnry looked down coolly nt tho excited little man. "I'm Mr. Askew, and I've come to tnko charge of my property," ho answered. Tho llttlo mun wns bereft of vocnl powers for quite some time. "But Mr. Morris, he ain't here," he gasped at length. "Well, he ought to be hero. That's whnt I'm pnylng him for," snld Hilary. "What's your name?" "Jcnn-Mnrlo Bnptlste." "Perhaps you didn't expect me, Mon sieur Bnptlste?" "Holy Nume, no! It wns snld Mint you hnd sold out to the compuny." "What compuny?" demanded Hilary. "The company at Ste. Mnrle. Mon sieur Broussenu's company." "See here, Bnptlste," snld Hllnry, tnklng the other by the arm. "Let us begin by understanding each other. I "That," Said Lafe, "Is Mamzelle Madeleine Rosny." know nothing about any compnny ex cept myself. I own this district, the land, tho timber, the mill. Have you got that?" Jcan-Mnrle gnped ngnin, nnd then diplomatically disengaged himself.' "I guess you want to see Mr. Con- ncll, the foreman," he said. "It ain't my Job. You'll find Mr. Conncll In the store." "Bring him here," said Hilary. "Tell him I'm waiting for him." Tho little man departed at a trot. quite evidently startled and senred, and casting bnck comical looks from time to time over his shoulder as bo went. nis statement In the store must have created a good deal of sensation, for presently two clerks, ns well ns the two loungers, who hud gone Inside, enmo to the door nnd stared. Dlsen gnglng himself from nmong these came the foremnn, n tall, lean, lunky Now Englnndor, whoso deliberate slouch and typlcnl benring wnrmed Hllnry's heart Instantly. He knew the type, knew It ns only one with the New Eng Innd blood knows his own. "I'm Lnfo Conncll, nt your service, Mr. Askew," snld the foremnn, coming up to Hllnry nnd stiindlng respectfully before him. "I suppose I should have let you peo ple know that I wns coming," snld Hllnry. lie wondered why Lnfe Conncll whistled; ho know nothing nbout Broussenu's telephoned wnrnlng. "I guess you'll find things upset a little," said Connell. "Mr. Morris bus been away for a couplo of weeks, see ing to his other Interests, and I can't exactly do much for you till be comes bnck. It's our slack month, you know, Mr. Askew. The men don't go Into tho woods until September, and wo don't keep n lnrgo force employed on tho mill work." "Tomorrow's soon enough to stnrt In," snld Hllnry. "I'm plensed to have met you, Mr. Connell." "Walt a minute," said tho foreman. "If you don't mind having me, I'll go up to the hotel with you. Muybo there'll bo somo things Mint you'll wnnt to nsk me." "All right," said nilary. They went together silently across tho slinking brldgo and ascended the hill, each quietly tnklng stock of tho other. At the top, where a brunch roud run off at right angles to that which crested the cliff, a figure on horsebnek appeared In tho distance. It wns a girl, riding side-saddle. As tho horso drew near sho pulled In to tnko tho brunch rond without senttor Ing tho dust, passing within a few feet of Hilary He saw that she wns nbout twenty years of ace. or u llttlo more. slight, very straight upon tho saddle, with gray-blue eyes nnd brown hnlr blown by the wind nbout her Hushed cheeks. There was a combination of dignity und simplicity about her, both In her demeanor nnd In the wny she rode, and In her acknowledgment of Connoll's greeting. Hilary wntched her enntor up tho rond till she hnd disappeared among Mie trees. Then he realized Mint he had not taken his eyes off her slnco ho had first seen her. "That." snld Lnfe, "Is Mnmzelli Mndelelne Rosny. Her father's whut they call the Seigneur." "The owner of tho Chnteau?" asked Hllnry, although he knew this per fectly. "K's, Mr. Askew. I guess she wouldn't have smiled so plensnnt If she hnd known who you wns." "Why, Mr. Connell?" Lnfe Jerked his thumb vnguely about the horizon. "Proud old boy," he ex plained. "Family's been here nigh on a thousand years, I guess lenstwuys, since them Frenchmen first enmo to this continent. Huted like thunder to sell out to your uncle. But I guess he was land poor, like the rest of them, and Mamzelle Madeleine must have cost him a mint of money finishing up In the convent at Paris, France." Hllnry turned this over In his mind ns they continued their walk along the cliff und then down the road to the hotel. Tho Idea of nny personal Ill feeling on the Seigneur's part or on that of his family hnd not occurred to him. Though he did not expect to meet Monsieur Rosny, except possibly In tho course of bis business, he wns conscious of a feeling of regret, nnd also of a lialf-formed resolution, the nnture of which he would not admit, to put relations upon a pleasant foot ing. In tho hotel the landlord's wife was already preparing supper. They ate nn omelet, wnshed down with strong ten and followed by raspberries and crenm. Then they went out on the porch and lit their pipes. "You nre the foremnn, I under- stnnd?" asked Hllnry. "Yes, Mr. Askew. I took the Job soon ufter your uncle bought the tim ber rights. I'd been up here for tho Slioeburyport Gnzette, which was look ing for a pulp supply. Mr. Morris of fered me the Job, nnd I took it. And I've been sorry ever since." "Why?" "It's a h of a country," nnswered Lafe frankly. "I never guessed such folks existed In a civilized land be fore. Now you take a Dutchman or a Dngo their wuys ain't our ways, but they're moro or less human. These people ain't. They paint their houses yellow nnd green, when they pnlnt 'em nt all. I never saw a yellow house with a green porch In my llfo till I come up here." "Just a difference of taste, Mr. Con nell." "Maybe," said Lafe, spitting. "May- bo It's all right not to have sense to plaster their houses, so as to freeze to death In winter time. Mnybe It's all right to run to Father Lucy when there's a forest fire, Instead of getting to work and putting it out. Maybe h can pray it out for them. I got nothing ngalnst tho place, except that my wife Clarice and the kids nro In Slioebury port, and I'd rather rot hero alone than bring 'em up. But whut's the uso? I'm hero and I got to stay here," ho ended, shrugging his 'shoulders. Lnfo wns n bad cross-questioner, and the task put upon him by Broussenu was not only uncongenial but Impos sible for a man of his temperament. However, ho mnde a valiant attempt to draw Hilary out. "You're thinking of spending somo time here, Mr. As kew?" he nsked. "I've como to take charge. I'm going to stay," said Hllnry. Lafe looked at him curiously. What sort of u mun could this be who chose of his volition to resldo in St. Boni face? "I guess you'll cbnngo your mind when you've seen It a little longer," ho snld Incredulously. "On the contrary, Mr. Connell, I mean to take hold, nnd I mean to make It pny. It hasn't puld very well, I un dorstnnd?" Lnfo floundered. "I've henrd it don't pny as much ns It ought." "I understand that most of tho tim ber Is below the size at which cutting Is allowed?" Lafe stared at him. "Why, them rules nre for government Inndl" he answered. "You can cut any size on freehold. The timber ain't so bad leastways, some of it ain't." Hllnry begun to think hard. On this point Lamartlne had clearly aud defi nitely lied to him. "Too much fir on the property?" he asked. "Why, there Is somo fir," conceded Lafe. "But there's some good spruce along the Rocky river," he added, again oblivious of his instructions. "I snw n good pile In tho river." "Why, that ain't our cutting not much of It," said Lnfe, "Most of that conies from the Ste. Marie limits." "Where Is Ste. Mnrle?" "Ste. Marie's two miles along- the coust. beyond our settlement," said Lnfe. "Most of our hnnds como from there. It's a tough placo, Mr. Askew. I seen somo tough towns In tho West, but this hns got 'em nil bent, with tho smuggling of brandy, nnd the drinking, and the fights every Saturday night there wns a man knifed thcro last week; and not a policeman wiMiIn fif ty miles, nnd nobody except FnMier Lucy, and he can't hold 'cm," "What I want to know," said Hllnry, "Is, what this company is that you speak nbout, nnd how they como to uso the Rocky river for their logs." Lafe hesitated, but only for a mo ment. Then he mentally cast Brous seau to the winds; for, after nil, If Hllnry meant to know, nobody could prevent It, Broussenu's Instructions notwithstanding. "It's this way, Mr. Askew," he said. "Mr. Morris and Mr. Brousseau have a company of tlielr own. Their limits touch ours on tho west, across tho river, and run ten miles or so back Into the bush, right alongside oura They got the right to float their logs down the river." "And uso the mill?" "Mr. Morris lenses the uso of our mill by the year to the compnny." Hilary was staggered for Mie mo ment. Morris, ns his uncle's mnnngcr, lousing the mill to Morris, a partner In Broussenu's compnny, seemed a queci role. "How do they tell our lumber from theirs?" nsked Hllnry presently. "Oh, that ain't hnrd," said Lnfo. "You see, the Jobbers, who subtense the tracts, know how much their men have cut. And it's scaled in the woods before they shoot it down stream. I guess Miere nln't no diffi culty there, Mr. Askew. And you see, Mr. Morris representing both concerns, he naturally does his best by both ol 'em." Hllnry's suspicions, dormnnt even nfter the interview with Lamartlne, were now thoroughly aroused. "And Mr. Brousseau has no concern with us, except for the lenso of the mill and the right-of-way down the river," mused Hllnry. "Who is this Mr. Brousseau?" "Why, I guess he's the big man ol the district," said Lafe. "He's the nearest thing to a boss they've got up here; tells 'em bow to vote and gets 'em out of trouble. He ain't good tc his father, though. That was old Jacques Brousseau in Mie store, Mie trapper." "I didn't see him." "He was Mr. Rosny's slave, or what ever they called them, In the old times, before these people became free." He tapped the ashes out of his pipe and pocketed It. "ne's got old Rosny In his pocket," he said, leaning toward Hilary. "He's got him bound nnd mortgnged nftei leading him to throw your uncle's money nwuy In crazy Investments. He did It deliberately, Mr. Askew. When he was a kid, growing up among the house servants up at tho Chateau, he wanted to bo a big man, for which I don't blnme him. He got his wny, but that wasn't enough. He wanted the Seigneur's place, because he found that the folks up here thought more of old Mr. Rosny, with his broken, down house nnd debts, Minn they did of him with nil his money. So he sei to work nnd got hlra cinched. "The old mnn hntes nnd despises him, nnd he's been fighting ngalnst It for a long time, but he seen what's coming to him nnd I guess he's mnde up his mind he'll hnvo to stomnch It Broussenu's stnked old Mr. Rosny's pride ngnlnst his love, nnd I guess he's won his stnko nnd won Mnmzella Mndelelne Into the bnrgnln." ne rose. "That'll bo all for tonight, Mr. Askew?" he nsked. nilnry rose too. "Thanks, Mr. Con nell," ho said. "In the morning I shall ask you to show me around the place." He didn't follow Lnfo Connell in side the hotel, but snt upon tho porch, musing. Lnfe hud enlightened him on several points. Ho doubted whether Lamartlno had spoken anything up pronching truth concerning tho prop erty, nnd ho wns sure Mint Morris and Broussenu were the compnny In whose behnlf he had offered forty-five thou sand dollars. There would bo need of a good many explanations from Mor ris. Yet Hilary felt Instinctively Mint It wns Broussenu, not Morris, with whom he would hnvo to contend. On the face of the soft night rose the fnce of Mndelelne Rosny painted with surprising clearness. Ho saw tho blue of her eyes, tho curve of lior Hushed cheek, the dignity and gentle ness nnd pride Mint blended In her looks. If ovor ho hnd nny ounrrel with Broussenu. he would show him Then he cursed himself for a fool. nnd, entering the hotel, took his lnmp nnd went up to his room. A girl's hostility adds zest to the game. (TO HIS CONTINUED.) "Know thyself," and also ascertain how you uro rated by others.
