Show t CODE of the he heby NORTH by Ly HAROLD TITUS Copyright by Harold Titus Service L SYNOPSIS Stphen Drake with hit his four year old year son lon li II rescued from a blizzard billiard b by Jim Flynn big biff timber operator whom Drake Drak ha has haa robbed Flynn Plynn forgives the theft and ana Drake Drak until his hll death lm tm pre presses ee on the boy Steve the debt they owe ow Old Jim Twenty years eare later Steve meets Young Jim Inn Flynn hi his benefactors benefactor's eon on Bent Sent by Old Jim Incapacitated In- In capacitated through an accident In which blell Kate gate his bis daughter Is I. temporarily temporarily tempo tempo- blinded to take charge of the I company's the company's the Polaris woods Polaris woods op operations operations op- op the youth Is I. Indulging In a drunken spree Hoping to do something some lome thing thine for Old Jim Steve hastens to the compan company company's headquarters finding Frans Frana plotting against the Flynn In In terest Frans Fran In a nit flit fight the tb crew cre assumes that Drake i Is I. Flynn Plynn's son Ion and he takes charge as Young Youna Jim A photograph of Kate which Steve finds Intrigues him Im- Im Steve gains caine the friendship of LaVane LaFane woods scout and adds adde to Prams Pram's hats hat b by driving him awa away from Mar Mary Wolf Indian girl whom he has haa been abusing Frani Frans discovers Drake I Impersonation Threatened with disclosure dis closure Steve accuses accuse a Frant Frans of at attempting attempting attempting at- at tempting to murder him exhibiting and the man dare not Act Steve Sten sends send LaFan to find Young Jim and ober sober him up kidnaps the youth and make makes definite progress In the sobering Steve wins win the friend friend- ship hip of MacDonald MacDonall who own owns timber timberland timberland land tand vital to the tha Flynn FIno Interests b by hi bl his angling skill CHAPTER VI Continued VI-Continued Continued tl 11 II Stand there he said when they had entered the dark room Ill make a light He lie took the fish from Steve Stave and laid It on the table moving the he lamp to tomake tomake tomake make room A noble creature It was Indeed For an Interval the old man stared silently at the trophy Then without taking his hili eyes from It It opened a drawer In the table and fumbled fumbled fum turn bled for a small email spring pring scale reposing repos repos- In ing Inq there Together they leaned close scanning I Ithe the needle Six pounds I 1 l Steve whispered Six In contempt Six I Look mon mont I Six Sir pounds nd nil two ounces 1 I Ay better n two I Near Nar two nd a half ounces I tie fie straightened with witha a deep breath Ah what a fish I What a bonny bonny fish I lie Ite bent low hands bands on his knees to gaze contemplatively to Nd what he asked turning his head but not straightening was th fly lad Ind The was gone cone from hIs bis voice the animosity from his eye In place of or the crusty old fellow he had been injured defiant unrelenting anti and scornful he was now as a seeker after news from a superior I II I used ft a light It matched the Insects hatching Ay A gude fly Th smaller ephe- ephe So he was on them not waltin for tor th thO hatch of larger 1 I Ilie lie He placed a hand on the younger mans man's shoulder Mon Ion ye took him I Beside this one noo noo my grand a youngster Ill I'll have too toe admit Ut disturbed me a amite amite mite took mine but but Noo sit lilt doon line Hae ye a pipe So Well so hn ha I. I He lie went to the mantel and took down a great briar Ay y Sit jersel doon Noo tell me Flynn how long did yo ye oer o'er noble afore he took yon yer fly Steve with his heart leaping seated himself anddrew out his pipe He III sat silent a brief Interval telling himself that he WB was about to achieve the thing for tor which he be ha had bail set out this evening lie Ill marshaled his wit and his resources resources re re- sources and then began to talk slow ly Iy and carefully telling the best story be he had ever told In la his life lite l I Step by step Steve relived the battle bat hat tie tle recounting his own emotions hl his liH hopes hopis and his fears Intimately At Atthe Atthe Atthe the end he sat back bark and nodded toWard toward to to- ward the table and said And there he Is Is Mr Sir MacDonald to prove It I Ay Ay a grand fight t fer r a lad I could nae site done better flynn If It eo so gude lie He clapped his bis hands and from a doorway a squaw appeared Ill hae a guest Annie he said Spread no noo nd ad do yer yr best I Steve protested that he be should be bt beback beback back at headquarters but the Laird would not listen Stay lad iad stay I TU rig an even In to mark well to celebrate Ye Ve must stay stav th night Ut's Ufa been long since Ive I've Ive I've bad had by me n 0 angler such as ye are The others otherl Ive I've taught thum what they know But ye Flynn FInn Well ye e took a better fish thun I 1 ever killed kl I And stay the night under the Laird roof root Steve did Before the meal they drank liquor poured from an ancient Jug and sat for tor lone Ion afterward with their pipes In d detail the stories of offish fi fish flAh b they had taken must be told and It wa was 18 after midnight before MacDonald Mac Mac- Donald led Steve Slen to the room be was to occupy While Drake Dralle Will was thus engaged heart hurt quickening at thou thought ht of what I tM Ms this friendship might mean to Polaris Franz sat gat on a bench In the store tore at Good Rye silently listening to tn the gossip of the men gathered there tie lIe had become Lecome a fallen tallen favorite ani and anil had bad no longer a place of consequence in their regard Wartin came In Wheres Jim he ht asked ked Tim Todd replied Id ought to see him tonight D' D Dhe Dhe Dho he ho say when hed he'd he hI hark Nope Hope Hut nut hes he's been blen mighty late laIc recent recent the old aid clerk Informed informed In In- formed formel him Shortly Franx ranz went Int out unnoticed He lie took a trail that led leti had Into the timber circled La Manes Fanes house by hy a I wide margin and approached the can cabin which Steve Stee occupied lie III stood near neat by hy for a lengthy Interval Interval In In- al th then n care carefully tully ho he II advanced nce tried the tilt door and went within It cost hIm time and an paIns to find the shotgun but he did locate It final finally ly Iy wrapped In the grain train Bark ark and shoved In the leg of the old trousers A half hour later he came out on the the lake shore again Gripping the gun fun by the barrel he hl whirled It around hIs head hlad thrice and let It pro go o The splash was far tar out out where the i I water was wa deep enough so that the chance of oT ever lr locating the weapon would he be negligible There go Ito your d d iJ d prints finger he muttered Now try to find a way to stop me I l IFor lS S e e e e e e For breakfast Steve and the Laird had tind portions of or the trout broiled crisp and brown Food Fond I the old man muttered After all his years all his hIli triumphs he hI ends up as food rood for his chief enemy t I Ut's so wi wl th country I lad lal man destroys th wild to put ut to his hla use A brooding look was on his face race He lie sat lIat silent for a time and try as 88 he would Steve could not rouse him As All they finished bed he said Ill have to be getting back to headquarters headquarters headquarters head head- quarters now Mr MacDonald There are are- things to be done today Important Important Important Im Im- things The old man nodded I he said half halt absent absent- ly Iy Ay Troubles Trouble's heavy on th F Flynn Flynns nna He tie sighed and stared t I I 11 1 it 1 Ill Hae Has a II Guest Annie He Ha Said I I Spread Noo nd Do Yer Ver Best BeaU Bettl I through a window Ive Ie been blen James lad since last night that Im I'm Ima Imn Imn n a old man at last I made promise when I 1 was yoong that 1 Id I'd accept ago ajrO easy nd graceful Nd here herf ut tit develops Ive I've been ut off my eyes to t ti I Ay i Im I'm old Nd do dl ye spose lad that yer fer fathers father's still In th notion o 0 buy buy- In n my timber r a Steve kept himself from shouting out a glad reply only by effort I Polaris would like It Mr Me MacDonald MacDonald Mac Mac- Donald he said finally It Matter It would save the oper oper- atlon To get Ift held of that timber timber timber- playing pinyIn boldly on the favor be he had found round In Jn the others other's eyes would eyes would do dothe dothe dothe the thIn thing that I 1 came Into Into this country to todo do Otherwise It looks pretty dark ahead The Scot nod nodded It'd been a burden In n a way holdIn hold- hold In thIs property lit Ut It might relieve n nold nold old heart to hap hll money out at t Instead Im I'm rn a If tf yer be In a II position to buy huy He lie spoke on ut once but Td Id Id I'd hae none nolle o 0 out out ut then Polaris can ran and will buy Uy at any anytime time Mr MacDonald l Steve Steve Stee f said calmly ell a harr decision lon to make with with a twist of or hN hs head bend T T T would nae sell t all Id I'd hold a section or or two fer nut Hut come came We will 1 look Ut's Uta no matter r to decide on th turn of a moment Fie He led Ird the way outside and as as y ast they went along slowly Drake was checkIng checking check check- Ing against his memory with the cruisers cruiser's report on this stand which reposed In the safe sare at at Good Good flood timber as 88 good as th the Polaris stuff worth more surely than It had been when the estimate was made Three hundred and twenty thousand McNally had said aid was the price of Old Jim's Jims offer They left the trail making a wide circle stopping hEro here and there to talk Once One the Laird said Yer Yet not alone lione In to to buy Young Franz a faithful lad a s been wan tin ut ul Had Jad he be taken yer grand rand root noo ut tit might he be him Id I'd be ht wI wl today to Mind Im I'm not Ill I'll sell to yer er father yet Im I'm consid erin ern only Thrice more during that rambling walk he be spoke of Franz saying that thaI were he here now Instead of ot Steve he might be talking over oer the post blUt of selling with him When bell they reached the house honse again the Laird dropped heavily Into loto a chair more wearied with the sense of age ace that had come upon him than by the Physical exertion lie He listened to Steve Ste tell tel him Mm frankly of the Polaris redl predicament lie He was careful not to mention Franz In connection with the blocked way right but he believed It good strategy to withhold nothing of the Flynn FlInn situation because MacDon- MacDon ski at had been wholly open with him He knew from what late Kate hall had written writ ten len en that this purchase could be II nan cod he knew as well that to possess POp it was as t the e only way WRY out for Polaris So much hung In the balance balance bal bal- ance anre ml t placid summer afternoon I Suddenly the the- Laird sat lIat erect Youre oure authorized authorised to represent Polaris Po- Po laris he asked Steve Stee did not hesitate I 1 am representing representing rep rep- resenting the company be he said Three hundred nd thousand dollars then me to hold bold out th section section sec sec- tion t my stand on on Drake calculated quickly That was thirty thousand more than old Jim Flynn had offered anI and a section was held out Dut Jims Jim's offer had been made two years ago Values had d upward your best offer Ay Th Ti best besl Th only offer James f i fAnd And the terms Ive I've told you how badly hadly Polaris Is pinched sir A A. heavy down payment might make It Impossible sible to take you jou up at once The Laird nod nodded Id Twenty five thousand doon loon furty thousand In six nix months th balance In one year wi wl t six 1111 per cent And Anti how long before the first ty ty-n five ty-five ve e l lIf If It ye want ut ut he said yell take ut delay If Ite ye dont don't want ut ut others will Ye must take ut noo noo In a II week Seven Seen days doys Ay That's That'll enough That's That'll final Anal A short time Steve protested ted but hut saw that It was no use to ask for tor tormore more give an option now surely to so Ill I'll have something to go goon goon goon on on That only fair An option Nd th thO doon payment must be here In thus thue room In cash nd on time I Ay to th hour I He Ill r rose se then and walked tl to n a desk fumbling tumbling for paper and pen Age he mumbled Ah Ab Ah a bonny he be was Hut Dut age alte Nd hain made up th mind ut's time timet t act lid I Slowly laboriously the pen commenced commenced commenced com com- to scratch From a book the old man copied the descriptions muttering that It would all be legal and regular and that the down payment must be delivered on the hour Mind tha that t lad th the hoor boor I Again the scratching MacDonald mumbling seven days day from four tour p p. p m m. m this date Down by the river voices sounded and Steve looking through the window saw lIaw Franz there sitting In his canoe canot talking with one of ot MacDonald's In In- diana Franz t I lie Ile was wag getting out now asking a question glancing at atthe the house The pen scratched on so 10 slowly a Franz was Will starting up the trail The pen stopped The Laird leaned back reading what he had bad written moving his lips tips as III he read Nd no noo noo the old man said dIpping dipping dipping dip dIp- ping th the pen pen again Noo fer th signature signature signature sig sig- nature which binds ut I 1 A scuff scull on gravel outside a footfall footfall foot foot- fall tall at It the threshold Slowly the pen point traced the letters and as all the thedoor thedoor door opened the blotter was pressed to the fresh Ink lak Steve SIeve tried not to snatch the precious precious precious pre pre- cious paper as ns Franz entered the room lIe He did not turn to look at him MacDonald MacDonald Mac- Mac Donald gave no h heed beet Id I'd The option passed and a great wave of exultation swept Drake as his fingers closed on onit i. i it Jt lie He read rend on down the lines of the script conscious that the Laird was turning to the newcomer feeling more than seeing that faint bewilderment perhaps regret which came came over the theold theold theold old manAh manAh man Ah h lad I he said laId gently hitching his chair about Come here lad Ye know this moo mon mon Sure I I know v Young Jim Flynn Franz replied and laughed Well Vell lad tits ut's th fortunes of war that yon on James s Instead of f your your- seP eel who came today to me In my state o 0 mind Im I'm sellin th timber tim Urn her ber t to th Flynns A slight tightening of the mouth was wa the only atlon Indication Franz gave of what that news VB meant to him Then he o asked Its It gone o you mean 1 The deal Is cIo closed cloned Well ell an options option's James has th option wl wI Ink scarce dry Franz Fran swallowed A A sale Isn't a s sale lall until the transfer transfer trans trans- fer Is made marll he be said smiling at Mae Mae- Donald but Steve caught the menace men In his tone And perhaps something may happen that the Flynns dont don't take you yon up Well said sold Franz I I The Laird rose and put a band hand on his hll armWell armWell armWell arm Well saId I not beco m ye yeto yeto e eto to sulk nd be angered because luck was nae wP wl ye Noo lads lad well we'll drunk to t. t tIIe to t tone He ne turned leaving them alone As soon as aa the door closed behind him Franz spoke So Young Jim Flynn called so-called has won a fall eh th night flight r rHut Hut But the timbers timber's not yours yet Not yet 11 Mr you Whoever I He Ie Ie advanced closer and Steve could see lee a II bulge under hIs bis armpit which could he be nothing but a bol holstered bolstered weapon Until a few hours a ago o you had me partly stopped Now Now squawk all you pla please about set guns I Youve You've no evidence evl evi- Jence dence 1 What dyon mean by that than TO BB Ull |