Show u e e i ng H M egbert W N U mark darrell young american lumberman Is boss of a lumber camp near st victor canada he fie and his assistant nat page almost lose their lives when their boat strikes a rock they clamber ashore and are met by the lighthouse keeper andre when the old man discovers their identity he immediately becomes hostile with him Is a young and pretty woman madame madeleine kinross a widow she owns the timberland that mark and his backers have leased she too shows her dislike for the two americans but Is coldly polite and provides them lood food and lodging mark and nat are puzzled by this reception but are too tired to wonder much CHAPTER II 11 the sun was streaming brightly into the room when they were awakened by the boy carrying a tray with eggs and toast coffee and preserves of wild strawberries he set it down oh the table favored them with a sour grin and withdrew they stared about them with difficulty taking in for the moment the circumstances of their arrival breakfast in bed can you beat that asked nat gosh im as hungry as a bear mark they ate and drank changed the clothes in which they had slept for their old ones now dry looked at each other and laughed everything I 1 had in the world was in that old valise said nat guess well make quite a sensation in the local dry goods store buying out their stock lets take a look see outside nobody was stirring outside the house and the shades of madeleine kinross room were down in front of them were more roughly terraced steps leading up to the elevation of the ridge at the top nat looked about him and whistled slowly he moved around the compass taking in the whole view and mark who had never seen it from that point before looked about in equal admiration but mixed d with this was a passionate determination not to be ousted by broussal Brous sac whatever reason he might have to allege for his communication they were standing at the commencement men cement of a sort of natural rock bridge about wide enough for two carts to pass each other on either side the land fell away so sharply as to convey the impression of tremendous height behind them was the allbut all but island on which stood the lighthouse and the other buildings with the blue st lawrence beyond and the dun dim outlines of the south shore hazy in the far distance in front of them straggling down to the little harbor was st victor a mere line of wood shacks in the harbor some dozen fair sized schooners ners were lying at anchor in fact the sealing fleet making ready to join in the annual hunt of the harp and hood seals off newfoundland found land beyond the little wharf mark could see the mill the long flume and the dam and higher up the deft cleft of the st victor river and the banks still snow covered coverer with the great trees towering over all among the schooners ners was a trim motor yacht anchored to the head of the wharf some place said nat you bet how about having it out with madame kinross ive an idea said mark that Brous sacs aboard that yacht I 1 guess my wire upset him more than his bis letter did me I 1 if he is we ought to know soon I 1 guess the news of our arrival has already spread to the village L levs lets go down and see we hold bold the winning hand so lets play it they crossed the rock bridge and began to descend the cart track of a road that dipped down to the harbor now they were passing between the wooden shacks that dotted it on either side and already it was evident that their arrival on the evening before had become a matter of common knowledge women appeared instantaneously at the doors of the shacks within which could be seen nothing but the vast expanse of the well polished stove the delight of the habitant housewife they stared at the two one clutched a child as it was about to run toward the strangers dragged it to her and thrust it screaming inside the cabin A boy thumbed nose and screeched invective A huge cur rushed yowling bowling across the street and made for mark then fled yelping as he made the gesture of picking up a stone A woman shook her fist we hold the winning hand commented nat but Ws its going to take a lot of playing mark proves he can defend himself but these were only minor evidences of unpopularity down toward the wharf the houses thickened the little shabby hotel came into sight with rigs standing in the yard there were some three shabby shops men lounging about these eyed the newcomers with lmh scowls there were furtive movements and boys dodging between mens legs upon some errands A little group of habitants was forming at the head of the wharf where they had been mending fish ing nets or sunning themselves upon the balks within a minute just as mark and nat had reached the hotel a half circle had been formed about them and the mutterings rings were becoming curses monsieur hector mackintosh the landlord a thickset burly man of fifty was standing in his shirtsleeves shirt sleeves at the hotel entrance using a toothpick vigorously he failed to recognize marks salutation you do not seem to remember me monsieur mackintosh asked mark a deceptive softness in his voice no I 1 do not remember you whoever you are and my hotel is full growled the landlord the curses had become shouts the half circle was beginning to close in things looked ugly tor for the strangers that saying asked nat page calling us spies and detectives tec tives from quebec they think weve come to investigate their gear before they start for the seal sea ing grounds mark answered suddenly a half dozen hooting men burst out of the crowd and came rushing forward with yells there was a moments tangle and something of a shock for st victor two of the young mens assailants sai lants lay sprawling in the slush and the rest went reeling back under a shower of blows delivered by good husky anglo saxon fists tell them were not detectives detective sll shouted nat let them find it out grinned mark and swung about by instinct as a huge man came rushing at him from behind knife in hand next instant this assailant found his knife hand held in a firm grasp and his head under marks arm while marks other fist pummeled the imprisoned face until its owner yelled for mercy mark flung him away the two were completely ringed now and a sudden silence had fallen ominous because it was evident that st victors blood was up and that it was nerving itself for something more murderous than before then suddenly madeleine kinross clear high voice rose above the crowd and turning mark saw her standing a little distance away she was wearing a sweater and skirt high boots a little cap over her dark hair and it was clear that she had discovered marks and absence and followed them into the village leave those two men alenel she cried ah louis larousse oil XI R some day he be will return I 1 know it I 1 feel it she cried to the big man who had held the knife as he stumbled past her his hands to his dis coloring face you got just what you deserved are you riot not ashamed all of you to set upon these two strangers who were shipwrecked on the point last night and owe their lives to a miracle of god down the street in her wake came the portly figure of the cure who had just received news of the trouble it seemed to add point to the girls outcry the muttering crowd drew back and was silent are you not ashamed of yourselves I 1 say madeleine kinross continued they are not spies nor detectives I 1 do not know who spread this stupid story among you I 1 have told you that they are not but you will not believe me broussal Brous sac becomes A friendly enemy 4 no monsieur mark darrell has leased three thousand artents of my lands and the mill with which as you know monsieur broussal Brous sac tried to make some money for me monsieur broussal Brous sac leased these lands with my approval before I 1 became of age because you know you know that otherwise all my husbands would have gone to the government for taxes but since then monsieur brous sar sac has made a fortunate speculation tor for me and so monsieur darrell will of course release me from the agreement you know you know she went on passionately while the crowd listened in utter silence 1 I have never believed my husband the seigneur died on that ice floe in the tog fog it if he had died I 1 should know it I 1 should feel it here she struck her hand upon her breast perhaps he became insane and Is being detained somewhere by those who are ignorant of his identity some day he will return I 1 know it I 1 feel it and it is my duty as his wife to preserve the timber rights on his bis property come am I 1 not speaking rightly you monsieur lacombe she turned to the cure am I 1 not right do you believe my husband is dead the portly cure remained as silent as the crowd 1 I have watched you all when I 1 say that the seigneur is not dead you look at me as tf if I 1 were crazy but I 1 am not crazy he will return and I 1 must protect his rights therefore she turned to mark you will of course rescind that agreement that you made with monsieur broussal Brous sac last fall im sorry said mark but I 1 have two other persons to consider besides myself it is a matter of business investment and will have to go through you you mean to say you will not that you will stay here in defiance of the wishes of everybody and try to run that mill ye yes answered mark still bolling boiling over at the thought of his reception cep tion 1 I will neither be intimidated nor appealed to yes he added glancing at the gaping faces and speaking in french 1 I shall remain here suddenly cries arose from the direction of the wharf A man came striding along it a man in a spruce blue suit with adfur afur a fur coat with black lamb collar A man of about forty years with a trim black moustache an intelligent face a lounging studied carelessness in his walk horace broussal Brous sac still that silence persisted until broussal Brous sac came up to where mark confronted madeleine kinross he raised his black lamb cap and offered mark his hand mark saw no reason to refuse to take it you gave me a fine chase young man said the lawyer lucky I 1 had a friend who was willing to lend me his yacht and I 1 hear bear you nearly got drowned last night into the bargain he says he will not go said madeleine wringing her hands how much money does he need to go cousin horace which is precisely the point said broussal Brous sac speaking in english now which mark could see nobody not even madeleine or the cure understood der stood he motioned mark a loot foot or two away he shook his finger in kindly reproof legally nobody can deny your right to the lease I 1 signed with you on behalf of my ward last fall he be said madame kinross is now of age that does not cancel the lease but she feels so strongly against the intrusion of outsiders into st victor against the alienation of her late husbands lands that I 1 am forced to ask you for a cancellation since the lease was signed her fortunes have improved through a wise speculation in brief monsieur if you had written me instead of rushing up here and nearly losing your life I 1 should have offered you five thousand dollars for the cancellation of that lease mark wondered what other orthez prospective spec tive lessee broussal Brous sac had got and how much more he was willing to pay that he should be willing to make that offer im sorry no he replied the contract stands Brous sacs face grew red un der stand mr darrell I 1 am not to be bargained with he cried it if you are holding out for six I 1 might pay six not a cent more come you have lost nothing what d you say the lease stands answered mark all your last word it is and how do you think you are going to run the mill at a profit in this fishing and sealing country when even I 1 failed how are you going to operate in the face of the universal opposition of these people they dont want outsiders they wont work for you lose everything ery thing your last word asked mark then listen to me ill run that mill and if I 1 encounter any opposition from you or any more violence such as has occurred this morning I 1 shall hold you personally responsible monsieur brous sac I 1 shall likewise take it up with 15 the bar association my backers are not without influence at quebec now its up to you Brous sacs face was a study in mottled red and white he began breathing hard like a man who has run a race he watched marks face closely very well he answered try to run the mill there shall be no opposition from me no violence but try only tryl try he raised his voice in french monsieur darrell has come here to work the mill and to ship lumber he shouted if any man here annoys him in any way I 1 promise him six months in the quebec jail voila I 1 trust he continued suavely that we shall be friendly enemies mr darrell Dar reU st victor changes its attitude im satisfied said mark un consciously he had turned his eyes upon face the consternation ster nation and anger that he saw there seemed unaccountable for by the situation broussal Brous sac of course had been responsible for her change of mind but what game was the shrewd lawyer playing and what better offer had he had than the customary stumpage tee fee that mark had agreed to in the contract the attitude of st victor had completely changed monsieur hector mackintosh the landlord of the hotel had suddenly remembered mark and his hotel was not empty he was au all suavity when mark and nat took up their quarters there late the same afternoon without returning to the lighthouse alphonse eitard the storekeeper opposite the hotel a tau tall lean man who had formerly followed the sea like nearly au all st victor was the mayor he was most affable his spring shipment he regretted to say had bad not yet arrived but he had shirts beautiful shirts from montreal mackinaws mackin aws underwear shoes in fact au all the essentials of a gent lemans toilet TO BE CONTINUED I 1 |