The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1904-12-14
THE BLAZED TRAIL.
From pa ge 6.

Der docks and peered with great eager
! ness in the direction of the black
! smoke.
The steamer was as vet concealed be-
| hind a low spit OF land which ran out
from the west to form one side of the
| harbor. In a moment, however, her
bows appeared, headed directly down
| opposite the little bay. with grand.
| free sweep she turned and headed di-
rectly for him.
He negotiated briefly with the cap
tain, paid $40 more for speed and the
| privilege of landing at Mackinaw City.
Then he slept for eight hours on end
and was awakened in time to drop into
small boat, which deposited him on
| the broad sand beach of the lower pen
| insula.
The train was just leisurely making
up for departure. Thorpe, dressed as
he was in old pepper and SALT gar
| ments patched with buckskin. his hat
a Topping travesty on headgear, his
| moccasins worn and dirty, his face
| bearded and bronzed, tried as much
as possible to avoid attention. He sent
an instant telegram to Wallace Carpen-
ter conceived as follows:
Wire thirty thousand my order care land
| office, Detroit, before 9 o'clock tomorrow
| morning. Do it if you have to rustic all
| night. Important
Then he took a seat in the baggage
car on a pile of boxes and philosoph-
| ically waited for the train to start. He
knew that sooner or later the man, pro-
| vided he were on the train, would stroll
| through the car, and he wanted to be
out of the way. The baggage man
proved friendly, so Thorpe chatted
with him till after bedtime. Then he
entered the smoking car and waited
| patiently for morning.
At the last thought Thorpe decided
to send a second message from the
next station. He did so. 1t read:
Another buyer of timber on same train
with me. Must have money at 9 o'clock
or lose land.
He paid day rates on it to insure i'm
mediate delivery. Suppose the boy
should be away from home!
Everything depended on Wallace
Carpenter, and Thorpe could not but
confess the chance slender. One other
thought made the night seem long.
Thorpe had but $50 left.
/ Morning came at last, and the train
| drew in and stopped. Thorpe, being
in the smoking car, dropped off first
and stationed himself near the exit
where he could look over the passen-
gers without being seen. They filed
| past. To two only he could accord the
role of master lumbermen, and in these
two Thorpe recognized DAILY and Nor
rison themselves. They passed within
| ten feet of him, talking earnestly to-
| gether At the curb they hailed cab
and drove away. Thorpe with salts
| faction heard them call the name of a
| hotel.
| 1t was still two hours before the land
Office would be open.
Thorpe repaired at once to boarding
house off Fort street, where he had
"Outfitted" three months before. There
he reclaimed his valise, shaved. clothed
himself in linen and cheviot once more
and sauntered slowly to the land office
to await its opening.
At o'clock neither of the partners
had appeared. Thorpe entered the of
fee and approached the desk.
rs there telegram here for Harry
| Thorpe?" he inquired.
The clerk to whom he addressed him
self merely motioned with his head to-
ward a young fellow behind the railing
in corner The latter shifted com
fortably and replied mo"
At the same instant steps were heard
in the corridor, the door opened, and