| Show FLAME THE 4 ORES ROLO I ej i e 1 a h Of SYNOPSIS r s lad of even U Uto lumber burning the to des Jack Snow to with d 1 tee to live In k lOOk II of Kerry mother to Kerry 11 at i ia t b Staining the camp camps fit be endangered laid hoad 1 It once office and Kerry II E olow die Ble and T Tod J the pr At Atlo I et In Tod acts acl ct queerly w lo l I I. I with found round taking empty and anda the a II Hamd Cw his bl 1 eta one ie I. ruined and soon oon roo to the tho Kerry 41 eh 81 the score OI onto to o even even the core I ad d wean paean In InD Ind Kerry now flOW ul woodsman EL dl gad d so D expert woodman whereabouts of West the lb of s I lovely from to b be ba wot Prove Drove Crt th Lb girl pauperize to teo I BIT H l III-Continued III 3 defy then theu the retriever his shoving the llie packs and came up j deep late Into them the tract track line In his hie teeth I. I went vent into the shallow sad nd ni backlog UnK his tall growling the afloat Then wat water r He be swam swan rapidly cad across th the current head Sideways b by the tug of at the line pull pullI I II a smart mart do dOJ dothe the girl said tart echoed Young and ana IT ed d down at It her bet Her lIer face tace was wasl l ud tad a flush stained her I. 4 fever a rl says to a s atran- atran t ran las has helped her out of ot a adOlI doe dOlI that's at once I tad perhaps dangerous et II U t to be said I should say saya oa a She ghe was fighting desper desper- tor for controL telf-controL I Im I'm Is 11 there more to be ber beI r I flat I wasn't necessary he re re- Sot 1st ot even evea that It was wasi i 1 privilege e to throw Tod West tilt the river reached out cot to take the line Tip lip Ip Good dog he mut mute Go ashore and shake I girl had t turned toward him on oe tow know Tod West H long loCI time Ume ago I thought I And Aid for tor a s good many years pondered how well anyone in I wintry country knew him But Dut Just It was good to upset 1 I 1 believe be added that ruined mined the best friend I shall tam bats ve rm re not sot the first After all he le's les teemed to be with us us heI he I put pest has bu he het he And a s futa fu- fu too ta perhaps perhaps bitterly bitterly I took lot I It from his parting shot to II had 14 bad some lome deviltry afoot atoot r-ln r an as angered whis- whis Tu u It lust Just because I happened K ui tad took a hand band that hell he's K u W make mate yon JOu a pauper hOOk her head No That Pitied before belore you yon came It alter after I 1 wouldn't wouldn't to save my property la h. t teemed seemed to lose his hili head ke he became Quite something from WB what weve we've always tt Mm him to be boat grated on sand and 7 lit down looking hard bard at ITI fl wis I particular and peculiar Iu bird A man doesn't loa Too Ton know If It he hes he's a ras- ras Ral Ioda 7 he ha was 1111 yesterday If It he be T. T b he IU be tomorrow m loo mind telling a stranger thu game la Is 1st I dont don't to 10 but but but- f on 1 not prying It I Is little tor fat me to tell you yon ou Im I'm In debt l t joo oa know know yours and nt estU j Wretched one pac dad foot toot yarn ana nn sun son could dry It better 1 to ponder Donder oo on where r better to give you the whole i f I Fm rm Nan Dow Dow- roe Into t go this countr country four tour r In III father Maybe IIi IN 0 of him Cash DOW DOW- Or She ell sighed g deed we w. bought 1 iii on contract below ow here and the big Ilia III Umber timber to the north northIa Ter er U If Bather father dea Ia ides e h had a new newe e U. U of forest re- re that the had felt t for tor a long things hI- hI wed we'd ct of such luch properties 4 the 4 almost III ae big mone money timber Itself Ham I hanI han ban mean recreational Of II b e the pest best big II h northern hardwoods hardwood hard Bach Theres Therel iI and a game father Wd laid a to Interest aeD a alip lip eD atre iI la 10 a U So for their hunting g The They were t to o I own their various parcels but were to give up op up the privilege of ot selectively selea elec- logging on their descriptions over a long period But Dut to show these prospects what would be left after atler wed we'd done this selective cutting necessitated considerable of an operation with higher costs In the beginning and anda a reduced Income In other words our project was a elow starter slow and and we didn't have sufficient capital to tobe tobo tobo bo be very safe sate We kept the mill mill- running though did our cutting In several types of stands and last year were Just getting ready to show how some Iome prospects what we had to otter offer My father tather had sunk all the cash he be hid had In the down payment It was hard work getting the annual payments together but he had managed managed man manS aged It Last November another payment was due and we were goIng going goIng go- go Ing to be able to meet It Then one November night my father tather was wag killed and the money he be was bringIng bringing bring bring- ing out to pay par to Tod West was stolen Murdered l you yon mean menn Murdered she said lowly and paused That of course put the undertaking In a bad way Just now its it's very difficult to refinance a timber Umber operation of ot any sort also It Its It's hard to find men with money to spend on ou their expensive toys which Is what these camps will amount to If It and when the plan develops Tod West seemed very sympathetic though and told me to take my time and that he be wouldn't see me lose But nut this summer he commenced to hint and then to ask and then to crowd lie He has other timber lie He has haa had to stop atop a big pulp operation opera opera- operation tion below because of the market lIe He needs money I am doing my ml best to Interest prospects and get the cash together to pay pal him but so far tar I haven't had much luck And then today he followed me up here and said said that ItI If It I would marry him he would forget forget target for tar get that that that- She bit her lip Up and stopped Young drew a hand slowly alon along one thigh It was a gesture a almost almost al al- most of satisfaction and he nodded slowly That checks with the guess Ive I've had as as' as asto to the sort of bird he be really Is When you wouldn't agree to that thaU The girl gave a shuddering shrug You saw a part of ot It lt Beseemed lie Be seemed to go Insane and then I realized that all along for months perhaps for tor years hes he's been well thinking things about me Where were you anyhow that you saw Up above At the head bead of the rapid I was Just going to to- to But Dut you didn't carry Why Why Why- you startled startled you mean you ran Dead Bear near If It that's that'll what you call the rapid I did He Me laughed at the astonishment astonishment aston aston- In n her eyes You ran that water to help me a stranger tranger Ills lIla laughter rose higher Id have swum It to help anybody anybody any any- body If U Id I'd known Tod Tad West was the party making trouble him himfar himfar Then you must have known far tar better than most people here do Quite a figure Is he he She considered A A a king In this country I lIe He owns most of ot It Most of ot the people In It are de do- dependent dependent pendent on him In one wa way or an an- other lIe He Isn't a man to take lightly h Uy Then I sure am glad It was the Mad Woman I picked out this summer sum mer men menThe I IThe IThe The girl eyed him curiously Youre Your Just going through then Your objective wasn't near here I had no objective when I 1 put pat In Now I have Ive I've a question question ques ques- tion Uon I want answered When Iv Ive I've e done that then perhaps I 1 can g go goon o on It If youre you're going to stay on here she said laid wed be glad to put you up We have accommodations fo for tor r rf fishermen you know Its It's part o of f our Job That's wh why Im I'm here now Two of ot our prospects are fishing g the beaver pond up the creek creek creek- nodding toward a small tributary y which debouched above them That U ti wh why I happened to be here Nice of you yon on But Ive I've my ml tent Shingles and windows window bother me The latch string will be ou out g though I I. I Please believe that tha t Im I'm trul truly th thankful for tor all youve you've i done I CHAPTER IV H HD m WENT on then pondering the vagaries of chance which h had guided today's encounter aftel all aU these years under such tuch particular partie- partie g ular afar circumstances So West A was re respected was he het he king the girl had said But nut the sort lort who will press low advantage An hour later he be made out build ings below First was a log ture tune low low eared eared and wide wide roofed roofed with a screened porch and autumn automo bites bills parked In Its clearing Not a club not a togging camp It must be Nans Nan's establishment he decided On below belo he discerned the screen screened Id I'd stack of ot a mill and the song Bong of ot the I saw W came harshly to his ears A railroad trestle spanned the river Joining the small of buildings around the group mill to another an an- other larger settlement with many humble habitations one pretentious house of peeled logs JOltS a boxcar bOlcar depot de do- pot and several stores He lIe went still further down landed land land- ed In a clump of poplars and set Bet about making camp He lie worked adeptly and within an amazingly short time had his tent up bed made and firewood chopped lIe He shared his supper with Tip washed his few tew dishes In the stream and lighting a straight straight- stemmed pipe for a time watched the afterglow fade You watch camp Tip he said as he rose abruptly Well go see what we can see seel I He lie launched his canoe paddled across and up the murmuring river M r l I i You Ran That Water to Help Me a Stranger and landed under the bank where yellow lights showed through the gathering darkness The white front of at the towns town's largest store loomed above and he stood outside a brief Interval look look- lug Ing ng about This was the heart of ot Tod West's dominion West's Land Land- lug Ing ng by name It was here that theman theman the theman man had established himself as aking aking a aking king here he perhaps had laid the foundations for tor a kingdom on the money he had taken from Jack Snow by ruthlessly clever theft He lIe drew a deep breath and entered the tte place The store was as well filled tilled An Indian was buying grub and stuffing fing pang his purchases Into a sack pack sack ack-sack a bearded man was trying on shoes In the rear a card game was In progress Kerry's eyes fastened on the backof back backof of ot the one card player whose face tace at least In part was not revealed to him The man was Tod Tad West Several loungers watched the game and as a's Young leaned Idly against the counter two of them left and came toward him Jim shouldn't be In there one muttered Hell Bell 11 ell no nol I his companion agreed You can bet your life lite If It I had bad a kid In the shape his Is I wouldn't be up what little I bad had against a lucky dog like Tod Tad Their talk was broken then asboth asboth as asboth both greeted another entrant The taller man resumed Docs Does out now aint be her ben herThe The other nodded Over at Jims JIm They sent for tor Jim but he put emoff em emair emoff off air Young lounged toward the rear and took up a position against the wall behind and to one side of at West's West chair Five were In the game West was dealing and talked as he distributed dis dis- distributed the cards An ace to you a nine to you a deuce for tor Jimmy a Jack for tor Sawyer and a nine to the dealer which lets him out I Ills voice was humored good-humored tolerant tolerant tolerant tol tol- the sort of voice that wins the confidence of men Always that had been characteristic lIe He folded fold told folded ed his hand now and awaited th the eed e betting One of tho the players chanca chanced chanc ed a dollar his companion called Jim raised five and the man Sawyer dropped out The five live was called calle d by both the others but Jim wo won n and gathered In the pot with significant significant sig sig- eagerness Good lad Jimmy I West rum bled Youve been losin lately always like to see losers catch up I ITha I IThe The Tha deal went clear around Young noticed that West play played shrewdly with a hard calculation I beneath his easy eaSI talk The deal had bad come back to West The hole cards were going out All AH heavy I he be chuckled All AI 1 hear heavy cards In the bole hole boys Ie I Ii Everybody's going to have luck this e I kind another another another an an- Luck of one or hand band other I r rAnd And he be dealt himself from tram th the e bottom I t IA tA chilling thrill ra ran a I A sharp shall Youngs Young's body He lIe looked at th the theother e other watchers at the players studying the face of each one None e had detected that move I I I And AM here we come come West went I on II Here ere we come lads I Coming ComIng Com Com- ing out with a seven se and aud rest relt a ten spot ot and a queen for Sawyer The cards nipped flipped from his hand toward their appointed places turning in the air to fall tall face tace upward upward up up- ward and Kerry watching closely saw that he be was second dealing The top card of ot the deck never left lett Its place Again Young studied those faces facts about the table Sycophants most of them they thel wore flied fixed grins as 81 Tod Tad West kept up his talk Their Interest was on what he said laid noton not noton noton on what he did What Sawyer A whole buck buckon on the queen Lets Let's see see now peeking Hum bole i pecking at his hole bole c cord card Well Nell Ive I've got Just enough here to string along He lie came in for tor his dollar and lignin again called the cards he turned and once more that top card rard kept sliding back and forth over Its III changing neighbors Three cards In each hand were face up then Again Sawyer bet his queen tossing In a five dollar dollar bill from tram the little pile of money before him Now Ill I'll help build a pot for you Sawyer said West Leave it to old Tod Tad I Theres There's a five spot But Dut dont don't put too much faith In women He lIe chuckled but there was 1181 no mirth In the sound Kerry thought He Judged that Sawyer had another er queen In the hole bole he was the aggressor and a bit too aggressive for tor a mm m with only the high card showing No pair was In sight the queen dominated the board Detore Before Be De- fore tore Tod Tad West were exposed an ao Innocuous Innocuous innocuous In In- nocuous four tour and five and nine nine- spot of at three suits Jim Hinkle and another had bad dropped out So we spin em for tor the final heat heat drawled West We drop a Jack to you OU neighbor and Sawyer Sawyer Saw Saw- yer ler catches himself a six Ix and I Take a look I I draw myself a large ball hall of ot fire Orel I The top card had finally dropped It t was the ace aco of ot diamonds dIamond I and Kerry straightened slowly West West's hole bole card had been dealt from the bottom for tor certain It t was al another other aces icet ace I INow Now with this large ace shown show show- In n It puts putts the bet to me me I 1 take It Hum lium Sawyer you got gota a queen nd you been proud of her I wonder what else If It any youve you've got But Dut this old ace of at mine mine Now It'd be a downright downright downright down down- right Insult to bet less leu a n ten dol doJ lars lara The tourist folded and Sawyer eyed Tod's Tad hand band He lie wa was breath breath- lag Ing ng Just a bit rapidly Kerl Kerry noted and fingered lingered his hla remaining bills In Ina In a manner which proved him ill III at ease But Dut me I got only eight bucks left Tod Tad he said Then Id I'd be pretty prett sure lure I 1 had before I used era emm Honest lIon lIon- est eat with Sawyer Sawyer with a grin Id grin Id stay stal out until I was sure lure I hail had hailem hadem harlem em But Dut that was no |
