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Show THE BIG MUSKEG I By VICTOR ROUSSEAU STEWART K1DO COMPANV 'MOLLY, DEAR1" STNOPSIS. Looking over BIe Muskeg, a seemingly Impassable swamp in the path of the Mlssa-tlbl Mlssa-tlbl railroad, Joe Bostock, builder of the line, and Wlllon Carruthers, chief of engineers, are considering the difficulties. A rifle shot instantly instant-ly kills Bostock and breaks Carruthers' Car-ruthers' arm. Carruthers tries to carry the body to a post of the Hudson's Bay company, where McDonald Mc-Donald is the factor. McDonald's daughter, Molly, sees Carruthers struggling in the muskeg and drags him from the swamp, with his burden. bur-den. Unaccountably, her father objects to her saving Carruthers. Weakened by his wound and exertions, exer-tions, Carruthers is disturbed by 'the appearahee of Tom Bowyer, Bostock's business rival and personal per-sonal enemy. Bowyer insults Molly, Mol-ly, and Carruthers Btrlkes him. Carruthers declares bis love for Molly. She promises to be his wife. Carruthers has to reach the town of Clayton to attend a meeting at which Bostock's enemies plan to wrest control of the Missatibl from him. Molly goes with him. They are delayed by a storm. Attacked by his dogs, Carruthers' life is saved by Molly, who is forced to kill the animals. "The snow, the snow!" They set out on foot for Clayton, reaching It with Carruthers Car-ruthers in an almost dying condition. condi-tion. He is in time to foil Bostock's enemies and keep control of the line tor Mrs. Bostock. I. -l CHAPTER VI Continued. Wilton was astonished. "Live at fclg Muskeg?" he cried. "Until the work Is finished. Don't refuse rae, Will!" She clasped her hands together In her childish, pleading plead-ing way that Joe had always found Irresistible. Joe would have let me. I won't hamper you, Will," she begged. "Kitty, you're a tramp!" cried Wilton. Wil-ton. "But you can't go there to live. The loneliness would be awful. And there Isn't a house anywhere. And besides " He did not dare suggest the thought that came to him, that people would gossip about her. That, he felt, restea with her. "it won't be lonely with with the work, Will," she answered. "And I've already made my pluns. I'm having a bungalow built there. And there will be Molly. Don't you want me to come, Will?" Kitty s pleas were irresistible. Wilton Wil-ton yielded, and he was glad for one thing; her presence at the portage would mean much to Molly. During the next few days he was In constant consultation with the directors as representing Kitty, who had given him her power of attorney to act for her. He went carefully over the books. He was quite satisfied with their showing. It Big Muskeg could be crossed, the company could remain solvent without Increasing Its capital. He devoted his attention to the personnel, per-sonnel, taking on new men and weeding weed-ing out, a thing Joe had hated doing, until he was satisfied that Bowyer had no representative on the staff. Wilton and Betts had been named executors In Joe's will. Wilton had already gone, through Joe's papers ; but his task was much less satisfactory satisfac-tory ; for Joe, who was a capital director, di-rector, seemed to have no personal system at all. Everything was in confusionpapers con-fusionpapers were missing, records mixed up together. He had left Kitty two thousand shares in the Missatibl, and a comfortable little capital of ' about forty thousand dollars, together with the house In Clayton and some property in Winnipeg. The Missatibl shares, amounting to i two million dollars at their par value, represented the bulk of his fortune, nd were In a safety-deposit box in . the bank's vault. The receipt, how-Sver, how-Sver, could not be found. This was not of much Importance, out Wilton went with Kitty to look in Joe's box. Clark, the manager, took them below, opened the vault, and put In the master-key. Wilton completed com-pleted the opening. To his astonishment astonish-ment there were only Qfteeu hundred shares. "Five hundred shares are missing," lie said to the manager. Clark looked at him in some surprise. "You are not forgetting that Mr. Bostock hypothecated five hundred shares with us as security for . the loan?" he asked. Wilton looked at Kitty. "Did you .know that Joe borrowed on the security se-curity of those shares?" he asked. Kitty shook her head. Joe had not told her many of the details of his business. And the papers had shown no record of the transaction. . "Mr. I'liayre has Just come in," said the manager. They went up to the president's ofiice. Phayre asked them to sit down, and listened to Wilton's statement "Mr. Clark, will you get Mr. Bostock's blank transfer of the shares?" he asked. The paper was brought The signature signa-ture appeared perfectly genuine. Joe Bostock had made out a trnnafer In blank for rive hundred shares. In return for a lean of three hundred aud fifty I'.housnnil dollars, due the 15th of De-remher. De-remher. Unless the loan was repaid by that date, the control of the Missatibl would swing to the Bowyer Interests. Wilton was almost stunned by the discovery. Joe had spoken as If his mtrol whs Iron-clad. Be went horn lth Kitty and tele phoned to Betts to come. They went through all Joe's papers again. Even Jim Betts was forced to admit that the transaction appeared regular. "Jest watch them snakes, boy ; that's all," he counseled. "I don't say Phayre forged Joe's signature and broke into his box, because It's a bigger risk than he's got the nerve to take, but I guess Bowyer wants the Missatibl mighty bad." "Once I get the line across Big Muskeg, Mus-keg, Jim, it'll be easy to raise enough money to pay off the loan," said Wilton. Wil-ton. He arranged with Kitty to have all Joe's papers placed In the safe which held the engineering records, and sent up in it to Big Muskeg. Only Kitty and he knew the combination. Two days later Wilton, now completely com-pletely recovered, started for the bush. The sub-contractor had practically completed the camp at Big Muskeg, and there was quite a gang of men there, principally engaged in hauling the cut timber. Wilton had taken Anderson from the cache and made him the foreman. The Swede was one of the best foremen In the line's employ, but had fallen from his estate owing to repeated lapses into drunkenness. drunken-ness. Wilton planned to reach Big Muskeg Mus-keg on Saturday night, In order to meet his men on the Sunday, when they would all be In camp. He took a new engineer with him, a young fellow named Dlgby, who had come with excellent recommendations from an English Institute. He was particularly particu-larly anxious to reach his destination, for he had had no letter from Molly since his recovery. To his surprise, Wilton found the camp absolutely empty, though there were plenty of signs of an abundant population. But snores from one of the benches In the dining room betrayed be-trayed the presence of a solitary occupant. oc-cupant. A man was lying full length behind the table, his hat tilted over his face. Wilton shook him to his feet, and disclosed Anderson, dead drunk. The foreman, rudely awakened, stood reeling and blinking at him. "What have you got to say?" demanded de-manded Wilton, furious at this lapse "What Have You Got to Say?" Demanded De-manded Wilton. on the part of the man whom he had trusted. "I say d n poor whisky for a respectable re-spectable camp!" hiccoughed the Swede. "Where did you get It?" shouted Wilton, Wil-ton, shaking him by the shoulders. "Over ynnder," answered Andersen, jerkins his thumb in the direction of the portage. "Where are the men gone?" "Over yander," repeated Andersen, with another jerk. Wilton strode from the dining room, his heart burning with Indignation. Who had brought liquor into the camp? It was a thing dreaded by employers of labor, almost more than the occasional oc-casional typhoid epidemics. While liquor was to be obtained within a radius of five-and-twenty miles, work would be practically suspended. With Digby at his heels, lie strode fiercely out toward the swamp. Big Muskeg was less than three miles away by the new road which had been cut from the camp to the portage. Wilton's heart sank at the thought oflhe men In the factor's place with Molly. , The laborers were chiefly Hunkics and Galichins, docile as sheep when soher, but changed by drink Into In-to wild beasts. As they gained the opposite hank they heard wild shouts of drunken lnntrhter. and. In a momentary interval. McDonald's an:rry protest and then a cry from Molly. They ran at the top of their speed, Wilton leading. He hurst Into the store. It was filled with men, rosrlng and shouting; shout-ing; they were drinking from their tin pannikins, which they had evidently evident-ly brought designedly from the cookhouse, cook-house, and filling them from a hogshead hogs-head of liquor that stood in the center of the room. The old factor, wedged In behind the counter, his right arm limp at his side, was pushing his left Into the faces of the grinning Hunkies. Molly, at the door of her room, her lips parted, her eyes dilated with fear, was surrounded by a ring of men. One of them had his huge paws on her shoulders, aud, standing a little behind, be-hind, was trying to bend her backward back-ward toward him. Wilton took in the scene Instantaneously Instan-taneously through the thick haze of stinking tobacco-smoke. Everything swam before his eyes. With a hoarse roar of rage he leaped Into the center of the crowd, caught the man who had his hands on Molly, and, spinning him round, dashed his fists into his face again and again until he was unrecognizable unrec-ognizable from the blood that covered his broken features. Screaming with pain, the man broke from him. Before the astonished Hunkies could collect their wits Wilton was in their midst again. He drove them before him ; he snatched up a bottle containing a guttered candle-end, candle-end, and, armed with this terrible weapon, brought It smashing down on their heads till he held only the splinters In his bleeding hands. Stupefied by this onslaught, the men ran for the door. But, Jamming in the entrance, the rear-most turned and faced him. Three men set on him, dealing savage kicks, and rushing at him, head down, like battering-rams. One caught him in the pit of the stomach and sent him toppling against the counter. Instantly the whole mob was upon him with knives, screaming with rage. Wilton leaned against the counter, sick and weak for the moment, and unable to defend himself. But suddenly the mob was flung violently away, and he saw Dlgby, his fists flying like flails, striking out right and left, and felling a man at every blow. The respite enabled him to regain his feet, snatch up another bottle, and go to the Englishman's assistance. The Hunkies had no stomach for any more. This time they made the doorway, door-way, and ran at the top of their speed toward the portage, leaving Wilton and his assistant panting and exhausted ex-hausted In their wake. Wilton was about to go back to Molly when suddenly he caught sight of two men who looked like Canadians slinking Into the kitchen, which opened upon the side of the store. He recognized recog-nized them instantly as the two fake policemen, Hackett and Tonguay, and It was evident enough that they had brought the liquor to the portage. Shouting to Digby, he rushed after them. But they were through the kitchen and had gained the open before be-fore he could get within a dozen paces. Dlgby had evidently not understood Wilton's shout. "Good work, what?" he ejaculated. "D'you have much of this sort, Mr. Carruthers?" "I don't know," answered Wilton. "It'll be part of our business to see that there isn't any more." "It wasn't on our school curriculum," said the Englishman thoughtfully. Wilton only glanced at him, and went Into the store. Molly was on her knees before her father, who had sunk into a chair. The old man's face was ashen white, but, as Wilton approached, ap-proached, he opened his eyes and glared at him. VD n ye !" he hissed with unimaginable unimagin-able fury. "This is your work I Get out of my store and never let me see your face again 1" He turned, and began to shuffle away, dragging his palsied leg, his right arm dangling. Wilton fell back, and McDonald began to make his way upstairs. Wilton went up to Molly and took her in his arms. "Molly Molly, dear, it's all right now," he said anxiously. "Forgive me ! I couldn't have guessed those men would have been wild beasts like that. I thought Andersen could keep thein In control. Thank God, I came when I did !" J.e feSSSt-JS;ii(i'5;iJt$ "You weren't to blame, Will," sobbod the girl ; "and the men weren't. I don't think they would have done me arif harm. It was the sight of you, WI1L and the fight I thought they had stabbed you " "I shall be In camp as long as it's open," answered Wilton. "Don't be afraid any more. I'll see that no more of this stvjff finds Its way here, And tomorrow I'll make an example of the worst of them that won't b forgotten." He soothed her and soot breeght her back to her normal condition. As he grew cooler he began to realize that, as Molly had said, the men were not to blame. In the morning few of them would have more than the vaguest vagu-est remembrance of the affair. It was the alcohol, acting as a physical and moral poison on them. "How did It happen?" he asked presently. "And how long have those two outlaws been in the camp?" "They came here a week ago. Will," she answered. "They were very Insolent, In-solent, and said that trouble was coming; com-ing; they made all sorts of vague threats against you. They seemed to want to make trouble for us." "They're here for some object, Molly," Mol-ly," said Wilton. "It's to hinder the work, of course, but there's more-to more-to it than that." "I think they want to frighten vn away from the portage, Will," said Molly. "Tom Bowyer has been here since I returned. He told me that my father was very 111 ; that he was using his Influence to get him pensioned, and that the best thing we could do would be to leave the portage as soon as possible. "He wanted me to go to Winnipeg and study stenography, or anything else I chose. But I told him I couldn't take any steps without consulting you." "Good for you, Molly, dear!" said Wilton. . "He hadn't guessed how things were between us, for he changed Instantly. He began to threaten me. He swore that I should never marry you, and that he'd drive us from the portage. He went away mad with rage. When those two men came I connected their appearance with him." . "You were right," said Wilton. "But I don't think they'll show their faces here again. And 111 see you every day now. Molly, dear, why didn't you write to me? I hoed for a letter every day. Why didn't yon write?" "I wasn't quite sure you'd want me to," she answered shyly. "You see. Will, It our engagement came about after I nursed you. And I thought, after you got back to Clayton I thought that I'd Just wait." "You thought that I might change, Molly?" cried Wilton. She nestled close to him. "Not real, ly, Will. But I I don't know, but somehow I wanted to wait. I hated so to come back here, with you lying so 111, and I was so worried when Kitty didn't answer my letters." "Kitty didn't answer you?" "Only once, when you were nearly out of danger. Perhaps that made me feel that that Td better not write to you. Will. But, of course, all her time was taken up with caring for you." "She ought to have wpitten you," snld Wilton. "That doesn't sound like Kitty. And Molly, dear," he continued, con-tinued, thinking of Kitty's projected stay at Big Muskeg, "I've got a surprise sur-prise for you next month. Just about the thing that would please you best In the world." And as she looked at him In Inquiry, he drew her Into his arms and kissed her agnin. "Promise me, dear, that you will never doubt my love for you," he pleaded. "I promise. Will." she answered, looking at him with shining eye's. "Never never, dear !" "I'll have to go, Molly," snld Wilton. Wil-ton. "Only until tomorrow, dear. And sleep quietly, because I'll give those men the lesson of their lives In the morning." "Well, Men," he tald. "I'm your new boss!" ITO UK CONTINUED.) " r 7- r-- r r- |