OCR Text |
Show pJBJpJB ' ' ' i ' i ii iii 11 lAUlul II ' ii OF THE If I I GIANTS B ift. . CQpyyRISHT, By PETE - JtU H 8YNOP8I8. H CIIAPTEn l.-I'lonoer In the California H redwood rcRlon, John Cardigan, at forty H seven, la the leading citizen of tiequola, H owner of mills, ships, and many acre of H timber, a widower after three years of H married life, and father of two-day-old H ; Bryce Cardigan. fl CHAPTER II.-At fourteeh Bryce makes rfjjrfl the acquaintance of Shirley Sumner, a vis- rfJjrfJ itor to Sequoia, and his Junior by a fow rfjjrfj years. Together they visit the Valley of BTiJBB the Giants, sacred to John Cardigan and H his son as the burial place of Bryce's 'fJ'fJH mother, and part with mutual regret. H CHAPTER Hl.-Whlle Dryce Is at col rfjjrfj ? lego John Cardigan meets with heavy rfjjrfj ' business losses and for the first time views H the future with uncertainty, M CHAPTER IV.-After graduation from B college, and a trip abroad, Bryce Cardl 1 f Ban comes home. On the train he meets H j? Shirley Sumner, op her way to Sequoia to H ' make her home there with her uncle, h I ' CoL Pennington. Dryce learns that hli rfJTfJH . father's eyesight has failed and that Col. H Pennington Is seeking to take advantage of JJI J - the old man's business misfortunes. H ' I CHAPTKR V.-In the Valley of th rfjjrfj f J Giants young Cardigan finds a tree felled rfjrfjl iy directly across his mother' grave. Indl rrB rations are that It was cut down to secur issBBBBM the burl, and evidence seems to show that Pennington and his woods-boss, Julet j s Rondeau, are Implicated In the outrage. H CHAPTER VI.-Dlnlng with Col. Pen. rfJrfJJ ' , nlngton and his niece, Bryce finds th rfjrfjl ' room paneled with redwood burl, confirm H , lng his suspicions of Pennington's guilt H In a diplomatic way, unpercetvod by Shir 1 ley, the two men declare war. ' BBBSBsl B i CHAPTER VII. Pennington refuses U H renew his logging contract with the Cardl- H gans, believing his action means bank- H ruptcy for the latter. Bryce forces Ron- H ' deau to confess he felled the tree In th H Valley of the Giants, at Pennington's or. H der. After punishing the man, Bryce H hurls him at Col. Pennington, who, with H Bhlrley, had witnessed the fight. Penning- H ton Is humiliated, and tho girl, Indignant, H orders Bryce to leave her and forget thelt B friendship. He leaves, but refuses to ac- H ctpt dismissal. H CHAPTER VHI.-neturnlng to Sequoia. M i the train on which Shirley, her uncle, and M Bryce are traveling, breaks away from ( the locomotive, and Bryce, who could have i escaped, at the risk of his life cuts out , the caboose and saves them from certain JL death, being palnrullylnjurcd In doing so. H,,i CHAPTER IX.-MoIra MoTavlsh. chile -,1 hood friend or Bryce and employed In nil H ofBee. makes Shirley's acquaintance and 'n it' the two become friends. Neodlng money 1 badly, John Cardigan offers to sell Pen- JjM nlngton the Valley of the Giants, but tin "j Colonel, confident the property must soon '1 "- be, his through the bankruptcy of bit H I enemies, contemptuously refuses, tin H , kaorn to her undo. Shirley buys th B Valley and the Cardigans have a new M lease of business life. They Interest capl- M tal and decide on a scheme to parallel m Pennington's logging railroad. H , CHAPTER X; Buchanan Ogiiy, rail. H j read contractor and Bryce'a college friend, H te decided on by the Cardigans as th H ' aan to figure as the builder of the pro. H , posed railroad, Bryce goes- to San Fran. H clsco to meet him, H CHAPTER Xl.-Ogllvy ostentatiously H T sxln work of surveying for the line, H t which is announced as a proposed through H j route. ' Pennington, vaguely alarmed, de- H cldes to block: operations by making It lm- H J possible to secure a franchise for the Un H ( through BequoU. In this he plans to en- H " list the aid of the mayor, Foundstono. U S CHAPTER, XII'-Buck" Ogilvy, at H buUder of the projected Northern Call. fornla A Oregon railroad, meets Molra HI McTavlsh and Is much Impressed. Bryc m and his father make plans for securing a H franchise for the line from the city m council. H ' I ' CHAPTER XHI.-Ogllvy, In a buslnesi i- Interview, favorably Impresses the Mayor, and later engages that official's son as at. torney for the new road. Through him they obtain the temporary franchise. Pennington, finally convinced that th g Lr Cardigan Interests are behind the scheme, M i gets to work to .balk them. H ' . CHAPTER XlV.-Pennlngton refuses m Bryce the use of a locomotive and trucks ;.. to move etiulpment for laying a switch, HrB ( and Bryce and Ogilvy plan to steal both B I) and during the night put in a crossing , cutting Pennington's tracks In the city. M i': Pennington bribes Mayor Poundstone to H Ignore the temporary franchise granted M f and to refuse a permanent one. That B & night Pennington hears the Cardigan U tracklaylng crew at work and hurries to j 5, the spot, H CHAPTER XV.-Bryce and Ogilvy dlsre- H . gnrd Pennington's frontled remonstrances B) ' a and continue work, but the Colonel gets word to the Mayor and also employs a M ; desperado to shoot Bryce. Bryce la wound B " ' ed. Work on the track Is stopped hy the 1 u chief of police. Shlrjoy accuses her uncle M 1 -, of conniving at tho murder of Bryce, and H I tho Colonel leaves for Ban Krnnclsro to H ' safeguard his Interests through further H y legal proceedings. Hi' 'X H X "I tlo," shu answered passionately. H ' "With nryce Cardigan out of tho way H you would tiuvo a clear field before R yoa " I r I- "Oh, my dear, ray dearl Surely you H , I do not realize what you are Baying. H : ! You aro beside yourself, Shirley. H , ' riense please do not wound me so H ; so horribly. I am surrounded by enc H mles tho most implacable enemies. H , "I' They force mo to fight the devil with B i I fire -and here you are, giving Uiem aid H )' and comfort" H . ' "I want you to defeat Brj'co Cardl H j " gan, If you can do It fairly." H n ' "At another time and In n calmer Hj ! I tnood we will discuss that villain," he H Kp 4 eald authoritatively. "Get Into the car, fa r'. and wo will go home. Tncro is noth- r'f tag more to bo done tonight" f "Your sophistry does not alter my Pps opinion," sho replied firmly. "How LH -1 . 1 ever, ns you say, this Is neither the w f time nor the place to discuss It" LH 1 They drove home In silence. Shirley LH &t went at onceto her room. For tho LH y , Colonel, however, the nlghVs work bad LH 3 , . ' scarcely begun. The Instant he heard LH : i 't the door to his niece's room shut, he H j l' went to the telephone and called up LH ' the Laguna Grande roundhouse. Sex LB j " ' ton, his manager, nnswered. LLV i flave yuu sent the switch engine to LLt ' the woods for Rondeau and his men?" K BBBBBsVJLl, - - "JtiHt luft" "Good I Now, then, Sexton, listen to rac: As you know, this raTfl of Cardigan's Cardi-gan's hns developed so suddenly I nin more or less taken by surprise and hnvo hnd no time to prepare the kind of counter-attack that will be roost effective. ef-fective. However, with tho crossing blocked, I gain time In which to organ Izc only thero must bo no weak point In the organization. In order to Insure Hint, I am proceeding to San Francisco Fran-cisco tonight by motor, via tho coast road. I will arrive lato tomorrow night, and early Saturday tuornl&g 1 will appear In tho United BlntcB district dis-trict court with our attorneys and file a complaint and petition for an order temporarily restraining the N. O. O. from cutting our tracks. "I will have to make an nllldnvlt to support the complaint, so 1 had better bo Johnny-on;thc-8pot to do It, rather than risk the delay of making tho affidavit affi-davit tomorrow morning hero and forwarding for-warding It by mall to our attorneys. "Tho Judge will sign a restraining order, returnable In from ten to thirty ydays I'll try for thirty, becauso that will knock out the N. 0. O.'s temporary franchise and after I have obtained tho restraining order, I will havo tho United Stntcs marshnl telegraph It to Ogilvy nnd Cardigan I" "Bully I" cried Sexton heartily. That will fix their clock." "In tho meantime," Pennington continued, con-tinued, "logs will bo glutting our landings. land-ings. We need thnt locomotive for Its legitimate purposes. Take all that dls :arded machinery and the old boiler we removed from the mill last fall, dump It on Uie tracks at tho crossing, and get the locomotive back on Its run. Understand? The other side, having no means of removing theso heavy obstructions, ob-structions, will be blocked until I return re-turn ; by that time the rontter will be In the district court, Cardigan will be hting up until his temporary franchise expires nnd the city council will not renew It Get me?" "Yes, sir." "Ill be back Sunday forenoon. Good-by." Good-by." He hung up, went to his chauffeur's quarters over tho garage, anal routed the man out of bed. Then he rsrtwraed quietly to his room, dressed and packed n bag for his Journey, left a brief note for Shirley notifying her of his departure, and started on his two hundred and fifty-roll trip over the mountains to tho south. As his car sped through sleeping Sequoia and gained tho open country, tho Colonel's heart thrilled pleasurably. He held cards and spades, big and little casino, four aces and the Joker; therefore he knew he could sweep the board at his pleasure. And during his absence Shirley Shir-ley would have opportunity to cool off. while he would find time to formulate an argument to lull her jrospldon upon bis return, CHAPTER XVI. Quite oblivious of her uncle'a departure depar-ture for San Francisco, Shirley lay awake throughout tho remainder of the night turning over and over In her mind tho various aspects of the Cardigan-Pennington Imbroglio. Of one thing sho was quite certain; peace must be declared at nil hazards. Sho realized that sho bad permitted mat ters to go too far. A revulsion of feeling feel-ing toward her uncle, Induced by the memory of Bryce Cardigan's blood on her white finger tips, convinced the girl that at all hazards to her financial finan-cial future, henceforth sho and her uncle must tread separate paths. Sho had found him out at last, and because In her nnturo thero was somo of his own fixity of purpose, the resolution cost her no particular pang. She had been obsessed of a desire, rather unusual In her sex, to see a fight worth while; Bho hnd planned to permit It to go to a knockout to use Bryco Cardigan's language, because she believed Bryce Cardigan would be vanquished nnd sho had desired to sec him sinncl..u but not beyond repair, re-pair, for her Joy In tho conflict was to lie In the task of putting the pieces together afterward I It was rather a relief, therefore, when the Impcrturbnble James banded her at breakfast the following, note : "Shirley Dear: "After leaving you last night I decided de-cided that in your present frame of mlnrt my absenco for a few days nrlght tend to n calmer and clearer perception, percep-tion, on your part of the necessary tactics which In n moment of desperation, despera-tion, I saw fit, with regret to pursue last night And In the hope thnt you will havo attained your old attitude toward me beforo my roturn, I am leaving In tho motor for San Francisco. Fran-cisco. Your terrible accusation has grieved me to such an extent that I do not feel equal to tho task of confronting confront-ing you until, In a more Judicial frame of mind, you can tAily absolvo me of the charge of wishing to do away with young Cardigan. "Your affectionate "UNCLE BETH." Shirley's Up curled. With a rarer, keener Intuition than she had hitherto manifested, sho sensed the hypocrisy between tho lines; she was sot deceived. de-ceived. "Ho hns gone to San Francisco for more ammunition," she soliloquized. "Very well, unklo-dunkl While you'ro away, 1 shall manufacture a few bombs myself." After breakfast she left the house and walked to the Intersection of B with Water street Jules Rondeau and his crew of lumberjacks were there, nnd with two policemen guarded tho crossing. Shirley looked from the woods bully to tho locomotive and back o Rondeau. Ron-deau. "Rondeau," sho said, "Mr. Cardigan ts a bad man to fight. You fought him once. Are you going to do It again?" Ho nodded. "By whose orders?" "Mr. Sexton, sho tell mo to do it" "Well, Rondeau, somo day I'll be boss of Lagunn Grande nnd there'll be no moro fighting," she replied, nnd passed on down B street to tho office of tho Cardigan Redwood Lumber company. Molra McTavlsh looked up ns sho entered. "Where Is ho, dear?" Shirley asked. "I must seo him." "In thnt office, Miss Shirley," Molrn replied, and pointed to tho door. Shirley Shir-ley stepped to tho door, knocked, and then entered. Bryco Cardigan, seated at his desk, looked up as sho came In. Ills left arm was In a sling, and he looked harassed nd dejected. "Don't get up, Bryce," she eald as he attempted to rise. "I know you're quite exhausted. You look It" She sat down. "I'm so sorry," sho said softly. His dull glnnco brightened. "It doesn't amount to that, Shirley." And ho snapped his fingers. "It throbs a little and It's stiff nnd sore, so I carry It In the sling. That helps a little. What did you want to see me about?" "I wanted to tell you," said Shirley, "that that last night's affair was not of my making." He smiled compassionately, compas-sionately, "I I couldn't bear to have you think I'd break my word and tell him." "It never occurred to me that you had dealt me a hand from the bottom of tho deck, Shirley. Please don't worry about It Your uncle hns hnd two prlvato detectives watching Ogilvy and me." "Oh I" she breathed, much relieved. A ghost of tho old bantering emtio lighted her winsome features. "Well, then," she challenged, "I suppose you don't hate me." "On the contrary, I love yon,"' ha answered. an-swered. "However, since you must have known this for some time past, I suppose It Is superfluous to mention It Moreover, I haven't the right-yet" right-yet" She had cast her eyes down modestly. mod-estly. Sho raised them now and looked V "I Suppose You'll Acknowledge Yourself Your-self Whipped at Last, Bryce?" at him scarchingly. "I suppose you'll acknowledge yourself whipped at last, Bryce?" sho ventured. "Would it please you to have me surrender?" Ho was very serious. "Indeed It would, Bryce, I'm tired of fighting, I wnnt peace. I'm I'm afraid to let this matter go any further. fur-ther. I'm truly afraid." "I think I want peace, too," ho answered. an-swered. "I'd bo glad to quit with honor. And I'll do It too, If you can Induce your uncle to gtvo mo tho kind of logging contract I want with his road." "I couldn't do thnt, Bryce, He has you whipped nnd ho ts not merciful to tho fallen. You'll havo to surrender sur-render unconditionally." Again she laid her Ilttlo hand timidly on his wounded forennn. "Please glvo up, Bryco for my sake." "I suppose I'll havo to," he murmured mur-mured sadly. "I daro say you're right though ono should never admit defeat until ho ts counted out I suppose," ho continued bitterly, "your uncle Is In high feather this morning." "I don't know, Bryce, He left In his motor for San Francisco about ono o'clock this morning." For an Instant Bryco Cardigan stared at her; then a slow, mocking Ilttlo stnllo crept around the comers of his mouth, and his eyes lighted with mirth. "Glorious news, my dear Shirley, perfectly glorious! So the old fox has gone to Snn Francisco, eh? Left In a hurry and via the overland route 1 Couldn't wait for the regular passenger-steamer tomorrow, eh? Great Jumping JehoshaphatI He must have hod Important business to attend to." And Bryce commenced to chuckle. "Oh, the poor old Colonel," be continued con-tinued presently, "tho dear old pirate I What a horrible right swing he's running run-ning Into I And you want me to acknowledge ac-knowledge defeat I My dear girl, In tho language of the classic, thero ts nothing doing. I shall put In my crossing Sunday morning, and If you don't bellevo It, drop around and see me In action." "You mustn't try," protested Shirley. "Rondeau Is there with his crew and ho has orders to stop you. Bo-sldes, Bo-sldes, you can't expect help from the police. Uncle Scth has made n deal with tho mayor. I came prepared to suggest a compromise, Bryce," sho declared, de-clared, but ho Interrupted her with a wave of his hand. "That for the police and that venal Mayor Poundstone I" Bryco retorted, with another snap of his fingers. "I'll rid tho city of them at the fall election." elec-tion." "You can't afford a compromise. You'vo been telling me I shall never build tho N. C. O. becnuso you will not permit mo to. You're powerless, I tell you. I shall build It." "You shan't I" she fired back at him, and a spot of anger glowed In each check. "You're tho most stubborn and belligerent man I have ever known. Sometimes I almost bate you." "Como around at ten tomorrow morning and watch me put In the crossing watch me glvo Rondeau and his gang the run." Ho reached over suddenly, lifted her hand, and kissed It. "H6w I love rou, dear little antagonist antag-onist I" he murmured. "If you loved me, you wouldn't oppose op-pose roe," sho protested softly. "I tell you again, Bryce, you make It very hard for me to be friendly with you." "I don't want to be friendly with you. You're' driving me crazy, Shirley. Shir-ley. Please run along home, or wherever wher-ever you're bound. I've tried to understand under-stand your peculiar code, but you're too deep for me; so let mo go my way to the devil. George Sea Otter is outside out-side asleep In the tonncau of tho cor. Tell htm to drlvo you wherever you're going. I suppose you're afoot today, for I noticed tho mayor riding to his office in your sedan this morning." She tried to look outraged, but for tho life of her she could not take offense of-fense irt his bluntness ; neither did Bho rescht n look which she detected In his eyes, even though It told her he wns laughing at Jicr. "Oh, very well," she replied with what dignity she could muster. ."Have It your own way. I've tried to warn you. Thank you for your offer of the car. I shall be glad to use It Uncle Seth sold my car to Mayor Poundstone Pound-stone last night. Mrs. P admired It sol" "Ah I Then It was that rascally Poundstnno who told your uncle about tho temporary franchise, thus arousing his suspicions to such an extent that when he heard his locomotive rum-Ming rum-Ming Into town, he smelted a rat and hurried down to the crossing?" "Possibly. The Poundstoncs dined at our house last night" "Pretty hard on you, I should say. But then I suppose you have to play tho game with Undo Seth. Well, good morning, Shirley. Sorry to hurry you awny, but you must remember we'ro on n strictly business basis yet; and you mustn't waste my time." "You'ro horrid, Bryce Cardigan." "You'ro adorable. Good morning." "You'll bo sorry for this," she warned him. "Good morning." She passed out Into the general office, visited vis-ited with Molrn about five minutes, and drovo away In the Napier. Bryce watched her through the window. She knew he was watching her, but nevertheless never-theless sho could not forbear turning round to verify her suspicions. When she did, he waved his sound arm at her, and she flushed with vexation. "God bless her I" he murmured. "She's been my ally all along, and I never suspected It I I wonder what her game can be," He sat musing for a long time. "Yes," he concluded presently, "old Poundstone has double-crossed us and Pennington mndo It worth hlf-while. hlf-while. And tho Colonel sold the mayor tils niece's automobile. It's worth twenty-five hundred dollars, at least, and since old Poundstone'B finances will not permit such an extravagance, ex-travagance, I'm wondering how Pennington Pen-nington expects him to pay for It I smell a rat as big as a kangnroo. In this case two and two don't make four. They mnko six 1 Guess I'll build a fire under old Poundstone." Ho took down tho telephone receiver re-ceiver nnd cnlled up tho mayor. "Bryco Cardigan speaking, Mr. Poundstone," Pound-stone," ho greeted tho chief executive of Sequoia. "Oh, hello, Bryce, my boy," Poundstone Pound-stone boomod affably. "How's tricks?" "So-so I I hear you'vo bought thnl sedan from Col. Pennington's niece. Wish I'd known It wns for sale. I'd havo outbid yon. Want to make a profit on your bargain?" "No, not this morning, Bryce. I think we'll keep It Mrs. P hns beer. wanting n closed car for a long time, nnd when the Colonel offered me this one at a bargain, I snapped It up." "And you don't care to get rid of It at n profit V Bryco repeated. "No, slreel" "Oh, you'ro mistaken, Mr. Mayor. I think you do. I would suggest that you tako that car back to Pennington's Penning-ton's gnrage and leave It there. That would bo the most profitable thing you could do." "What what what In blue blazes are you driving at?" Uie mayor sput- terwL - ; "I wouldn't care to dlBcns it OTer tho telephone. I take It however, that a bint to the wise Is sufficient; and l! warn you. mayor, that if you keep thai enr it wtll bring you bad luck. Today Is Friday, nnd Friday Is an unlucky un-lucky day. I'd get rid of that sedan before noon if I wcro you." There was a long, fateful silence. Then In a singular small, quavering voice: "You think It best, Cardigan T "I do. Return it to No. 88 Redwood boulevard, and no questions will be asked. Good-by I" When Shirley reached homo at noon, she found her enr parked In front of the porto cochero; and a brief note, left with tho butler. Informed her thnt nfter thinking the matter over, Mrs. Poundstono hnd decided tho Poundstone Pound-stone family could not nfford such an extravagance, nnd nccordlngly the enr was returned with many thnnkB for tho opportunity to purchase It at such a ridiculously low figure. Shirley smiled, and put tho car up In the garage. When she returned to the houso her maid Thelma informed her that Mr. Bryce Cardigan hnd been calling her on tho telephone. So Bho called Bryco up at once. "Has Poundstono roturned your car?" ho queried. "Why, yes, What makes you nsk?" "Oh, I had n suspicion ho might You sec, I called him up and suggested suggest-ed It; somehow. Ills' honor Is peculiarly peculiar-ly susceptible to suggestions from me, and" "Bryce Cardigan," sho declared, "you're a sly rascal that's what you are. I shan't tell you another thing." "I hope you had a stenographer at tho dictograph when the mayor and your undo cooked up their Ilttlo deal. That was thoughtful of' you, Bhlrley. It was a bully club to have up your sleeve at tho final showdown, for with It you can mako Unkledunk behave himself nnd force that compromise you ppoke of. 'Seriously, howover, I don't wnnt you to use It Shirley. We must avoid a scandal by all means; and praise be, I don't need your club to beat your uncle's brains out Vvn taking his club uwny from him to use for thnt purpose." "Itenlly, I believe you're happy today." to-day." "Happy? 1 should tell a man I If the streets of Sequoia were paved with eggs, I could walk them all day without making nn omelette." "It must be nice to feel' so happy, after so mauy months of the blues." "Indeed it Is, Shirley. You see until very recently I was very much worried wor-ried as to your attitude toward me. I couldn't believe you'd so far forget yourself ns to love me In spite of everything so I never took Uie trouble to ask you. And now I don't have to ask you. I know 1 And I'll be around to sec you nfter I get that crossing In I'' "Yo're perfectly horrid," Mie blazed, nnd hung' up without the formality for-mality of saying good-by. s . Shortly rafter Shirley's departure from his office, Bryco had a visit from Buck Ogilvy. Tho latter wore a neatly pressed suit of Shepherd plaid, with a whlto carnation In his lapel, and he wns nppniently the most light-hearted young man In Humboldt county. He struck an attitude and demanded: "Boss, what do you think of my new suit?" . "You lunatic! Don't you know red blonds should never wenr light flhades? You'ro dressed like a negro minstrel." "Well, I feel ns happy as an end-mnn. end-mnn. And hy the way, you're" all chirked up yourself. Who's been helping help-ing you to the elixir of life? When we parted last night you were forty fathoms deep In tho slough of despond." de-spond." "No less a divinity than Miss Shirley Shir-ley Sumner I She called this morning to explain thnt last night's fiasco was none of her making, and quite innocently inno-cently she Imparted the Information that old Pennington lighted out for Snn Francisco at one o'clock this morning. Wherefore I laugh. Te-he! Ha-hahJ" "Threo long, loud raucous cheers for Uncle. He's gone to rush n restraining restrain-ing order through the United States "Three Long, Loud, Raucous Choera for Uncle." district court Wonder why he didn't wire hh attorney to attend to the mnttcr for him." "Ho has the crossing blocked, and Inasmuch as tho mayor feeds out of Pennington's hand, the Colonel Is quite confident that said crossing will re main blocked. As for the reatralaiai j order well, If one wants a thing wol) j done, one should do It oneself." ' "AH that doesn't explain yooi i cheerful attitude, though." "Oh, but It does. Tve told yoo about old Duncan McTavlsh, Molra't father, haven't I?" Ogilvy nodded, and Bryce continued: "When I fired tho old scoundrel for boozing, it almost broka his heart ; he had to leave Humboldt, Hum-boldt, where everybody knew hlmso he wandered down Into -i0Effi county and got a Job stlckliL.'flsKbei In tho drying ynrd of Uie WIIHts Lumber Lum-ber company. He's been there two months now, and I am Informed by his employer that old Mac hasn't taken tak-en n drink In nil that time. And what'p more, he Isn't going to taka ono ngaln." "How do you know?" "Because I make It my business to find out. Mnc was tho finest woods-boss woods-boss this county ever knew; henco you do not assume that I would lose the old scoundrel without making a fight for him, do you? Why, Buck, he's been on tho Cardigan pay roll thirty years, and I only fired him In order to reform him. Well, Inst week I sent ono of Mac's old friends down to Wllllts purposely to call on him and Invito him out 'for & time;' but Mac wouldn't drink with htm. No, sir, ho couldn't bo tempted. On the contrary, ho told Uie tempter that I had promised prom-ised to give htm back his Job If he remained re-mained on tho water wagon for one year; ho was resolved to win back hli Job and his self-respect" "I know what your plan is," Ogilvy Interrupted. "Listen, now, to father! I words of wisdom, pidn't yoa bear mo I tell that girl and her villainous avnn. cular- relaUve last night that I bad an other ace up my kimono?" Bryce nodded. "That was not brag, old dear. I had tho ace, and this morning I played it wherefore In my heart there is thai pence that passeth understanding particularly since I have Just had a telegram Informing mo that my aco took the odd trick. "You will recall that from tbe Ten Instant we decided to cut In that Jump-crossing, Jump-crossing, wo commenced to plan against Interference by Pennington ; la consequenco we kept, or tried to keep, our decision a secret However, there existed at all times the possibility that Pennington might discover our benevolent benevo-lent tntenUons and block us with hla only weapon a restraining order ls. sued by the Judge of the United States district court "Now, one of tho most delightful tilings I know about a court Is that It Is open to all men seeking JusUce or Injustice disguised as JusUce. Also there Is a wise old saw to the effect that buttles are won by Uie fellow who get there first with Uie most men. Tho situation from the start was absurdly simple. If Pennington got to Uie district dis-trict court first, we wero lost." "Yon mean you got there first?" er-claimed er-claimed Bryce. "I dd by the very simple method of preparing to get Uiero first In case anything slipped. Something did slip Inst night I However, I was ready; so all I had to do was press the but ton, for ns Omar Khayyam remarked : 'What .shall It avail a man If he buy eth n padlock for his Btable after hit favorite stallion hath been lifted? Several Sev-eral days ago, my boy, I wrote a long I letter to our attorney In San Francisco explaining every detail of our predicament; predica-ment; the Instant I received that temporary tem-porary franchise from the city council, I mailed a certified copy of It to mu attorney also. Then, In anUetpattof of our discovery by Pennington, I Int structed the attorney to prepare th complaint and petlUon for a restraining restrain-ing order against Seth Pennington et al, and stand by to-rash to Uie Judge with it' the instant he heard from mel "Well, about Uie time old Penning ton started for San Francisco tbli morning, I had our attorney oat' of bee and on tho long-distance telephone; at nine o'clock this morning he appeared In the United States district court ; al nlne-flf teen the Judge signed a restraining restrain-ing order forbidding our enemies t Interfere with us In Uie exercise of right legally granted ns by Uie city ol Sequoia, and nt nine-thirty a doputj United States marshal started In an 1 automobile for Sequoia, via the oven j land route, ne will ttrrlve late tomorrow tomor-row night, and on Sunday wo will gel thnt locomotive out of our way and Install In-stall our crossing." . I "And Pennington "Ah, the poor Pennington 1 Mod pnuvro Sethi" Buck sighed comical ly. "He will be Just twenty-four hour late." v "You old hefoxl'i' Bryco murmured "You wicked, wicked mnnl" Buck Ogilvy lifted his lapel and J ! sniffed luxuriously at his white carna I tlon, tho while n thin little smilt j played around the corners of his hu morons mouth. "Ah," ho murmured presently, "life's pretty sweet, isn't ' it?" w (Continued next wcelcji11 |