Show iL y V ii r Harold Titus 1061 Apia n V SYNOPSIS Ben BeD Elliott from tram Yonder makes his entry Into the lumbering town of ot Tincup bringing along alone anold nn an old man Don Stuart who had been eager to reach Tincup Nicholas Nichola Brandon the towns town's leading citizen resents Stuarts Stuart's presence trying to force torce him to 10 leave town and Elliott resenting tho the act knocks him down Elliott Is arrested but finds a friend In Judge Able Armitage The Tho judge hires him to run tho the one ono lumber camp romp the Hoot Owl that Brandon has not been able to grab This belon be- be belongs belongs be be- lon longs s to Dawn Da McManus Mc daughter at of Brandon's 01 old 1 partner who has disappeared with a mur murder charge hanging over his head Brandon sends Bends his bully Duval to beat up Den Ben and amI Ben him In a fist fistfight fistfight fight and throws him out of at camp Old Don Stuart dies leaving a letter letter letter let let- ter for tor Elliott EllIot to to bo ho used when tho the going becomes too tough Bon Ben refuses to open tho the letter at this time believing ln he can win the fight tIght by his own efforts Fire Pare breaks out In the mill CHAPTER IV Continued IV-Continued Continued 7 7 Getting her I Ben panted as ns Able Ahle tried to say something to him Getting her lien herl I He lIe coughed and his words had come In a n half haIr strangle le lebut but even so the exultation In his tone was unmistakable Living flame fiame no longer leaped and roar through the hole hoc In the floor Thick smoke swept upward but that was all and as ns Ben ran up the Icy slide for the thc first time and saw thisbe thIs he hc cried out Good work Buller I Over O there though look lk 1 Fire had taken fresh hold In a n greasy timber and was worming Its way up beneath the trimmer saw Buller BuIler dashed a n half halt dozen palls pails of water on the spot and It went black Keep going Buller BuIler 1 I Ben cried Ill take half your men He went slipping down the slide and at the bottom called men from the bucket line Stretch out the rest of oC you I 1 he called Now this way yea yeu lads In here and mop her up and make It fast fasti I 1 Stubborn flames ate Into the litter lit JIt ter on the ground floor Again and again they broke out but the driving ing heat was gone roaring gases no longer gave Impetus to the tho spread of or destruction as ns the first need for fer r speed became less Imperative Not until the thc final curl of oC smoke had been subdued completely didDen did Ben Den Elliott relax Then with lantern lan Inn tern lighted ho he entered the saw floor completely Ice glazed charred In places and surveyed d the damage As he s swung ung his lantern and looked about peering at nt timbers Umbers eaten half balC away at nt burned belting at nt other vital damage he moved mo slowly said little as a n man will who Is thInkIng thinking think thInk- ing lag soberly I He lie stopped beside Able Armitage finally Well the cover It it the old Justice said as If IC trying tomake to tomake make male the best of or things Ben laughed shortly But Dut she's two weeks Idle at nt the Inside And belting gone Jone and a good many other things If If- If Say chum I It was the night watchman sheathed In flakes of or Ice from his waist down whom Ben hailed Where were you 7 Eating when It broke out Ben Benonly Benonly Benonly only nodded The watchman by long custom went to the boarding house kitchen for his midnight meal where food was kept warm for tor him I went through the yard ard and the mill Just like you told me to do I looked In at nt the boiler the last thing I hadn't been out of or here ten minutes before I Just happened to glance through the window and see It It Yeah Gasoline starts In a n hurry hurr hur hur- r ry Gasoline I the watchman croaked Sure Ben llen Inu laughed hed The Thc ground floor noor was drenched with It They'd heyd scraped rubbish Into piles and soaked them too They almost did a n good Job Almost five minutes minutes' start or If I 1 hadn't happened to see a n garage fire firc put out with salt once where nothing else elso was handy to smother It and It'd have ha been all allday allday day with us lie He rubbed his bis chin thoughtfully see nn anybody Or hear bear anybody any an body Not n a sou soul or a n sound Elliott looked up No snow was falling Duller Buller I he ho called The foreman I face ace blackened eyebrows gone came up at nt his hal hall Herd this crew In close It snowed early In the thin eve e ping ning Maybe Ill I'll want to do a Job of or trailing trolling and I dont don't want tracks all nIl over the country He lie did his Job of ot trailing The Thc fr fresh sh tracks of or a n single man led lcd nay from the trampled snow about the tho mill toward decks of ot logs The tracks went vent out along the siding toward town but hut Ben llen did not follow far He Ie stopped when he found round n a three gallon demijohn badly concealed con conn beneath the end of ot n a log He sniffed Its neck and nodded grimly The fuel of or an nn Incendiary had been carried to the mill In that container And now Able said after he also ulso had sniffed the bottle In Bullers Buller's Bullers Duller's Bull Dull ers er's house honse to be done He lIe tried to smile but deep trouble was In his old e eyes es For the first time since he ho bad had come to Hoot Owl Ben Den Elliott shook his head hend dubiously as he dropped Into n chair He lie was both grave e and troubled The re getting the least bit rou rough h he observed Rather rough Id I'd say 1 Ables Able's face ce flared suddenly In rl righteous wrath D n uD-n n Nick Brandon f 1 Id I'd give i e n good deal to hang this nl nights night's ht's work on hIm I take no less than a miracle now to pull us through Two weeks to get cot et the mill running Benny In that time well we'll be busted wide open I They'll have ha a n case against me Ill I'll be walked as administrator and the timber will be at nt Brandon's mercy Yeah Wide open and at nt his mercy Able Ahle rose and priced paced the thc small room hands In his hip pockets H He e came t to n halt before Elliott and eyed him narrowly He stood so a n moment as ns If It In debate with himself We had n a fire he hc said Not th the e kind you fight with fire exactly But old oId Don told E Eye Bird e that tha t you'd have hn to use lire firc to fight light another another another an an- other kind with didn't he Ben smiled slowly Youre thinking of or the old timers timer's timers timer's timers timer's tim tim- ers er's letter eh Well WeB maybe I But were we're not riot licked yet Something Something Something Some Some- thing may turn up No I guess I wont won't use whatever er It was Stuart Stuarte t g gave e me Just yet I IThe l The old man shook his head and resumed his pacing What can turn up to give ghe us n a fighting chance now he muttered CHAPTER V VS S STILL TILL something did turn up Just at nt breakfast time while whit e Ben BeD was prowling the mill admitting admit ting tang to himself that perhaps It was wa s time to look at his hole bole card card th the e letter that the old cruiser had sen sento sent t to him with Its Us Intriguing Inscription tion a tion-a a stranger behind n a light drivIng driving ing log team swung Into the yard mill stopped and tied his horses Well you ou hind had a fire I he be said a aBen as ns asBen I Ben approached See youve you've still 1 got a n mill standing though 1 I Standing yes es But that's all you youcan you youcan yo can say gas for It tough 1 The man eye eyed d him In to genuine concern Are yo you OU U b by any chance Ben Elliott I am am nm Elliott my names name's Blackmore Glad to see you I I was In here an and I talked with Harrington week before before be be- fore tore last and he was saving ou out t some veneer logs for me Im I'm with wit b the Veneer Exporting corporation n and were we're In the market for quite a n few cars of or stuff Wonder If Ir I could Interest you In a deal dent Markets Market's Mar Markets Market's ket's right good and were we're In nee need d of or some more snore stuff to fill out a Q shipment ship men ment Maybe with your mill shut shu shutdown shutdown t down you might be Interested n a close guess Shoot 1 l lIll Ill pay you a n hundred and tweety twenty twenty twee ty doll dollars rs a n thousand for Cor birds bird's ey eye e maple and ninety dollars for Cor veneer veneer birch standard specifications an and I delivery dell Inside of or two weeks on sn say thirty thousand I know your youre e bus busy so I name the top and pass pas s any dickering A hundred and twenty An And Ant ninety for tor birch I 1 Bens Ben's heart henrt leaped leave d but be he gave no outward indication n of oC the great relief that surged surge I through him Two weeks he hc asked Yes and less Lets Let's see I Ill I'll have ha to have hate thirty thousand de delivered livered In Just eleven days to be besaCe safe saCe In getting em cm to Montreal Montrea on time Ume Ill I'll take fifty thousand at the price but the thirty will have hafe to be loaded on track first be bo fast production It All of or that I But If It I cant can't get bet the stuff from you I can cnn from Brandon Brandon Brandon Bran Bran- don by going up n a few tew dollars a n I thousand My cards are on the thc table ta- ta table ta tn- ble Elliott Can we deal Ben considered rubbing his chin with a knuckle He lie looked ed up the therond road rond which led toward camp to see seea a man approaching with that quick space devouring dc stride of or the thc woodsman Had breakfast he ho asked No Blanket manket your team and go catIll eat eat cat Ill I'll have an nn answer for y you yen u by the time youre you're through As the veneer buyer entered the boarding house Eye Bird Blaine Blaine- the traveler from rom camp camp had had reached the mill mm mill yard ard For the love av n ar- be he began turning his amazed stare from Crom the mill to Elliott Ye Yes n a fire Bird e Never mind that now you get your name I mean Bird Bird e. Eye Why do they call you ou that Oh that Why Ty I looked veneer stuff from Brandon randon for years onUI I got sick with disgust fer th mon I I see And youve you've been on the Hoot Owl for three years haven't enl you Know the timber pretty well I 7 II I MI know Ivery quarter stake b by Its first name I How much eye birds and veneer birch Is there thero within distance dis tance of oC the steel Lets Let's get d down downto wn to cases Do you ou think theres there's ten thousand Or fifty Fifty Nawl 1 twisting TIn Tin twisting his head hend that Nd on three twenty three the s 's another bunch av n ut Scattered all through too but bunched 1 Elliott bike ye dont don't see ut frequent That makes ut at easy to git out out What Im I'm getting at Is this With I Ithe the crew Ive I've g got t could we get et thir thirty ty thousand out In ten days Eye Bird Eye shrugged Domn by but that's a chore chorea 1 With this crew av a ahny hay gar He shook his head you rou coula you nd ad Paul Bunyan Most men couldn't even een so much as ns start rt Walt here Ill I'll see you In a v fe minutes tes He lie entered Bullers Buller's house where Able Ahle Armitage e sipped coffee gloomily gloomily gloom gloom- ily neglecting the food on his plate This Is the thc nineteenth Ben said With what bank balance we have ha how much must we get together together together to to- gether to meet the thc payroll that one note that you think cant can't be renewed re rev nerved and Interest on others that'll be due duc My Iy figures are all aU up at nt camp Able considered at len length th Three thousand might let us out Why He put that question dryly I Just won wondered ered Ben turned to Buller How many men will Ill you need to get the lie mill In shape I mean how many can you use and not have them falling over o each other Oh four or five tl besides myself Ben nodded give gl me fifteen fifteen fifteen teen of ot the mill mm crew to throw Into the woods His eyes snapped as ns he looked back at nt Able A half hour hourt hourn n ago o I was feeling about half licked Ill I'll make the three thousand by the first or break my neck neel neelI I What are you getting at nt Benny Ben nen ny Able demanded This Ben hitched his chair close to the table and with n a relish I 1 J 1 l r v t Y l Getting Her which Indicated the love loco of ot battle sketched his plan By Dy noon that plan was In partial 1 operation Bird Eye Bird Eye Blaine hl his s duties as ns barn tarn boss temporarily delegated delegated del to another and Ben Elliott cruised through the timber north o of f camp belt n rises axes es In their hands And AndIn AndIn In the morning the camp crew V augmented aug nuJ augmented by fifteen men from th the e mill left lert oft off the w work rl of ot felling timber In strips scattered through h t the woods wooers and dropped marked trees Swampers were with them clearing the theay way ay for Cor teams that tha t followed close on an the sawyers' sawyers heels heel s and these high quality logs out to the railroad But Its It's n mans man's sized Job t to keep your eye on such nn an operation opera flea tion 1 Ben Den declared to Able Abe Iv Ive Ie e got to watch Buller Duler and the mill too Ive I've got to think about markets markets markets mar mar- so well we'll he be all nn set when w we e commence to saw again And the r I devil de of ot It Is Im I'm only one hand and there are only twenty four hours In Ina Inn Inn n a day dayl I He fie grinned Wheres this good man you told me about Jeffers Jetters Jet Jet- fers Is that his name Tim Jeerers Jeffers Over O In the thc next town I But I doubt hell he'll even en lis ten Ho no hasn't wanted a n Job In three years Doubting Isn't knowing Ben lieu Bensaid said grimly and the next afternoon drove droe hard for Jeerers Jeffers' little farm clearing The Tho old logger met Elliott with an eye eve that seemed at nt first to be bc hostile but which on closer observation observation proved pro to be only one of or severe seere se se- severe vere ere appraisal So youre you're after atter a camp foreman foreman foreman fore fore- man he said No uNo Ive I've quit the timber f for r good Elliott Im I'm through A man has hns trouble enough without hunting It Im I'm not n a young man son Ive I've no years nor strength any more to put Into another roans mans losing fight We Wo wont won't lose Brandon's ns n's tried everything c up to and Including Ore fire and he hasn't got me ins licked yet I Come along with me Tim Jeffers Jeerers nail and well we'll run him Into his hole I Iut But ut the man was obdurate and Ben left him chagrined and n a bit angered at nt his failure got ot a 8 crimp In the whole countr country n ho he muttered unuttered as he lie drove e on toward camp And hero I am trying to do four mens men's work Tou Tough h nut Ill I'll tell the world I 1 In Tincup he drove o to the express express ex ex- press office to Inquire for the tho new piston head for the locomotive o which was due clue He lie wanted to start loadIng loading loadIng load- load Ing his veneer ene r logs Jogs and getting them out to the siding as ns rapidly as ns they came from the woods He had signed a contract with the time for delivery dell specified and wanted I to run no chance of or delay But Dut the repair part was not there Got Gol the bill of ot it It It the station agent said But It hasn't shown hown Ought to be up along tomorrow However er the tho nc- nc next t day did not bring the repairs anti and the driver of or orBen's Bens Ben's supply team reported the tho fact to hI him m. m And the agent be bc wants to see you the man added enigmatically that piston head bead come yet Ben demanded angrily of or the supply teamster after the mans man's next trip to town I told you the agent wanted to see you The others other's manner was doggedly mysterious nud and Elliott without further questioning harnessed and drove to TIncup The n agent ent shook hands cordially and |