Show v SERVICE American lumberman lumberman lum turn Mark Darrell young joung oun berman is boss of a lumber camp near St. St Victor ictor Canada Ho lie and his assistant assistant assistant assist assist- ant Nat Page Pasc soon discover that they are arc very ery unpopular In the French Can adlan adian village mien When they seek seck lodging n at the hotel botel they arc are told It is full An angry mob gathers one man attacks attacks at at- tacks Mark l with a knife Madame Kinross Kinross Kin Kin- ross quiets the men then asks Mark to cancel the lease case Mark lark refuses A moment moment mo mo- ment la later r Horace Madame Kinross' Kinross law lawyer er arrives He lie offers Mark lark for Cor rescinding the lease but bot Mark lark again refuses roussac is visibly angered at this but promises that he b will not Interfere with the lumbering operations I CHAPTER III I Mark Muk had arranged for fora a supply of money three money three thousand dollars in fact fact to to be sent by registered mail Monsieur Vita rd who was also the postmaster would ensure Its safety Two schooners were to arrive in a weeks week's time to receive the two thousand cords of lumber stacked at the spillways The next week would show pretty well what Marks Mark's prospects were On the morning after their arrival al al Mark and Nat made an Inspection inspection inspection tion of the milL It stood on a stretch of flat terrain between the base of the cliffs and the St. St Lawrence Where the St Sl Victor emptied into inte the Gulf a strong log boom had been constructed forming an artificial artificial arti arti- lake for the reception of the lumber Some three hundred yards above it was a n rather primitive dam meant to hold back the flood waters and ease the logs over it into the lake below Not much of a mill said Mark to Nat as they stood looking at the silent barkers Cheap dynamos t cheap everything We Wc need grinders grind grind- ers rolls couche-rolls and presses to turn turnout turnout turnout out the finished product Which means plenty of money More than weve we've got to risk But shipping the logs one turns the bulk of the profits over to the paper makers up the Gulf However if il really has two thousand cords at the that gives us a leeway Maybe next season we can begin to think of couche- couche rolls and paper papermaking got something up his sleeve I Hell have to bring it down dawn I IThe The mill office was a sound substantial substantial sub sub- substructure with two bedrooms bedrooms bedrooms bed bed- rooms above and well heated by I IJ J stoves I guess well we'll move in tomorrow said MarkI Mark i I think we could be comfortable here Nat agreed iI I I a fawning weedy young fellow who appeared to be bookkeeper bookkeeper book book- keeper and also to run the tiny store assured them that that was the case He would be responsible for that Also he hc would procure a woman to cook and sweep for them He unlocked the safe and produced the books Mark spent an n hour studying them There appeared to be no reason why the little mill had been a failure in hi hands unless the lawyer lawyer lawyer law law- yer was unable to procure the money money money mon mon- ey to develop it Having looked through the books Mark took the trail with Nat up one side of the St. St Victor to inspect the spillways Foreman Larousse Goes Back to Work Tr Mark was surprised that Brous- Brous t sac seemed to have told the truth about those two thousand cords Men were at work finishing the stacking sawyers were cutting trees v ti into lengths and the grating of saws 5 rang everywhere through the woods A little group of workmen gathered about the two Im your new boss said Mark t I 1 want to tell you that Im I'm preS prepared prepared prepared pre pre- S pared to carry on for the next year and anybody who wants his job can keep It I If youve you've any complaints 2 bring them to me Im I'm going to try to fix up your homes to fu make them more comfortable I They eyed him silently with all r the suspicion of the Habitant As Asi Asit it i Je in St S1 Victor Mark saw furtive t cr glances exchanged r How many of you are from St. St Victor he asked Mark had understood that Brous Brous- sac had had to employ outside la labore la- la bor bore He was surprised when all the group but two admitted to bei being being be be- i ing St. St Victor men Well who's your foreman he asked J I 11 He He does not work for you any r more You have discharged him volunteered one of the group Discharged him I haven't discharged discharged discharged dis dis- dis- dis charged anyone I hope I wont won't have to What's his name I Louis Larousse Monsieur A light dawned upon Mark The big man with the knife whom he had had to pummel outside the hotel Where Tere does he live he asked The white and black house fac fae- facing facing ing the mill Ill go and see him I haven't discharged him him yet Youve You've done fine work Mark added If It I get these logs safely shipped well we'll be beall beall beall all set for the summer He didn't think It advisable to mention that he was contemplating raising their two dollars a day to two fifty itself less than the standard stand stand- r ard and in the more settled parts of the Province One had to go slow with these fellows Striding back down the trail wi with th I Nat Mark glanced back and sa saw w that the group had drawn dra together and were watching him and whispering whis whIs- If that crowd is St. St Victor men well we'll have to watch them closely said NatOn NatOn NatOn Nat On the other hand weve we've gotthem got gotthem gotthem them where we want them Brous- Brous sacs sac's been underpaying them and Im I'm planning to raise them fifty cents a day I think said Mark weve got them Larousse Recognized Mark and his face which was badly bruised grew sullen One eye was entirely closed and his lip was swollen bad bad- ly He glowered at Mark in si si- si lence fence I understand youre you're the foreman of the gang said Mark Why arent aren't you at work Because you ou have discharged me Larousse grunted How do you yell get that When a man beats me in the face he discharges me I will not work for him I am nm not a dog I Iam Iam Iam am a n man said Larousse sullenly The frowsy woman came to the doorway and burst into a patois of shrill expostulations that Mark could hardly understand He gathered gathered gathered gath gath- ered however that she was shrill- shrill r i ir r L Lt t w. w l It t C 1 1 r I Mark lark put the men to work upon the boom I ing invective against her husband husband hus husband hus- hus band for far being out of work and ordering him to make his peace with MarkWell MarkWell MarkWell Mark Well you came at me with a knife said Mark Lets forget it he continued I HI want you to stay on the job The job meant three dollars a day to Larousse a anice anice anice nice little income in St. St Victor Mark put out his hand Lets forget it ft he said again You mean you you you-you you want me to remain as foreman stammered Larousse Why youre you're still foreman answered answered an an- Mark and your wages are going on Ah Monsieur The big mans man's face tace worked convulsively Madame Larousse came stumbling forward peering into Marks Mark's face tace Monsieur Mon Monsieur Its quite all right right right- said Mark Take the day oil off Larousse Geton Get Geton on the job tomorrow Im I'm going to need you badly when the ice goes out Weve We've got to put those logs through the mill Ive I've got a couple couple couple cou cou- of schooners coming up in a about bout bouta a weeks week's time Im I'm depending on I you you you-do do you understand understand understand-on on you ou ill Mark ark Gets Acquainted With His W Workmen Larousse stood staring at Mark apparently tongue tied b but t his wife wile seized Marks Mark's hand in hers and kissed it okay said Mark Come along Nat lets let's move our things Mark put the gang to work upon the boom The spillways were full the few trunks remaining to be sawed didn't amount to much It was the boom that seemed the weak point of the outfit The snows were melting fast and water was pouring over the dam from a score of freshets Within a week the ice would go out of the St. St Victor Then the gorge would be filled with a torrent of seething wa wn- ter And it would be Ie necessary to release the logs carefully from the skids to prevent a jam that might break suddenly and hurl the whole mass of lumber against the boom The wooden boom was strong but it wasn't as strong as freshet wa wa- ter For three days Mark drove his crew plugging the boom and tightenIng tightening tightening tight tight- ening weak spot spots in it with logs and chains Larousse back buck on the job took direct charge of these opera opera- The crew worked well but there was the same samo furtive attitude on their part and Mark had an uneasy uneasy un un- easy feeling that something was brewing On the third evening of his taking taking taking tak tak- ing up his bis residence at the office he was surprised by a visit from Monsieur Lacombe the portly cure I trust I do not intrude Monsieur Mon Mon- Monsieur asked the priest when ushered him up to Marks Mark's roo room No father sit down said Mark Its a pleasure to see you They talked vaguely for a minute or two then Father Lacombe looked Mark straight in the eyes I have come Monsieur Darrell to advise you to relinquish your our lease of the St. St Victor property he said back Why Mark shot The cure sat bolt upright his hands upon his knees You see Monsieur when the lease was agreed upon Madame Kinross was in great need of money he said Now she has enough And she has that sentiment about her hus hus- band told me he hc was drowned at sea when the ice floe became became became be be- came detached He was never heard of again That was five years ago Yes Monsieur agreed the cure Nevertheless Madame Kinross Kinross Kin Kin- ross has that settled conviction conviction- monomania If it you like that like that her husband is still alive And she feels that she has done wrong wrong to alienate part of his property You see see she I was a Kinross too a distant connection connection con can of the seigneurs seigneur's She carried married mar car ried him when she was barely six sixteen six six- teen teen half teen hour hour half hour before the seal- seal fleet ing-fleet sailed It was not an ordinary ordinary or or- marriage I dont don't see sec said Mark that I am called upon to cancel a business business business busi busi- ness undertaking ing without more solid solid sol sol sol- id reason After all all I am bringing money into the He was convinced the cure was being made a by who had received a more advantageous advantageous advantageous offer otter but it would do no good to go into that So you are arc not willing to reconsider reconsider reconsider recon recon- sider Monsieur asked the priest I should advise it urge it You cannot succeed against the sentiment sentiment sentiment senti senti- ment of the people here Mark shook his head Father Lacombe Lacombe La La- combe sighed and rose Ah well I have said all that I came to say he observed He shook hands There was a look of sadness on his finely chIsel chiseled d features it flashed through Marks Mark's mind that Father Lacombe hadn't told him as much as he might have done Im glad you called Father and andI I hope were we're going to be good friends he said The freshets had already started There was still ice In the gorge but it was rapidly filling with water water wa wa- wa ter held back by the dam through whose spillways cascades were now pouring down into the thc dam lake be be- I neath One of the two schooners that Nat had hired was already I anchored In the deep water off on the I end of the flume It was time to begin to release the logs from the skids Mark leaving leaving leaving leav leav- ing the office soon after sunrise after Nat and he had made themselves themselves themselves them them- selves a pot of coffee was surprised surprised surprised sur sur- to see his men gathered in front of the cabins apparently unprepared unprepared unprepared un un- un- un prepared to start for their work A woman was shrilly screaming from a cabin others were at their doors it looked as if it something of consequence was happening Larousse was seated sullenly on his sill door a pipe stuck into a corner of his mouth As Mark moved toward him the crowd closed i up behind Well what's the trouble asked Mark Stand up when I speak to you he added seeing that Larousse Larousse Larousse La La- rousse looked as if it he was again set for trouble A Strike Threatens To Ruin Everything Larousse got slowly to his feet teet The men say they will not work for tor two dollars a day to make you outsiders rich he announced sullenly sul sul- lenly They say they are poor men and they toil all day for tor just enough money to support their families fam fam- A strike queried Mark Yes we strike we all strike shouted Larousse We want five dollars a day and day and six for me because because because be be- cause I am nm foreman I If you dont don't want to pay you can lose your lumber lumber lum lum- ber The demand was a preposterous one it was evidently made in the anticipation of refusal Mark found himself mentally computing how much was staking on the issue of his speculation Mark laughed into the sullen faces about him You will hav have haye e to move out of the cabins then he saidI saidI said I shall get labor from outside And you lose two thousand cords of good spruce lumber Larousse demanded Mark nodded Nat who had understood understood understood un un- un- un the drift drUt of the conversation conversa conversation conversa- conversa tion pulled him by the arm Listen Mark you cant can't afford to do that he said in hi a low voice Give in to them till them till that load Is shipped Then can the whole lot of them They're asking for il It asking for what they're going to get retorted Mark All Allright Allright Allright right Ill I'll pay you off on tonight he told the men You can stay on here for a while but Ill I'll need your cabins cabins cab cab- ins for my new crew The meaning moaning of his decision was unmistakable Half dozen women had joined the party and a series of ot angry recriminations began It was evident that the feminine part of the community had bad no sympathy with the strike On the faces of the themen themen themen men there was however sullen rullen sat sat- Mark knew that they saw no further ahead than the Indian In In- dian TO BE CONTINUED |