The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-08-30
White Horse
By HARRY IRVING GREENE
(Copyright. by Joseph Is. Bowles,
Ex.aN

cher with Turtle Junction. Durham.
the gray old timber fox that had
charge of that bureau. sent for the
representatives OF the Badger I.um.
Der company. and of. Findlay 4
brother Careiff and FindIay, the rep
reS@ntatives, came the next morning TO
Dunham's Office.
Now, boys" he said as the rivals
Siowered at each other through the
smoke fog. seeing that we are all
mere together we might as well drop
sentiment and have little medicine
task' The S, & w. wants those ties
at bedrock price. and it wants them
as soon as man can deliver them.
hat are Your figures, Cardin?"
Ihlrty thousand dollars" said
Sardlff, as he thievea a quick glance
at his rival from across the Manito
wish.
And yours, John?"'
. Twenty-Five thousand"
Then III call ii twenty-five thou.
SAND. too. responded Cardiff. prompt.
~. Externally Durham remained
cool, but internally he was aslow
WITH warm, glad smile.
Well. | guess the price is near
enough right, boys, If we can only
get together on the question of de-
livery. or course. 1t is understood
that time is the essence of this con
tract. When can you deliver those
ties in our yards at Archer. Mr. Car
diff?"
me black browS of the Badger repre-
sentative contracted as he gaZed deep
into the silent woods. Between Apr1l
LIST and 10th, depending on how soon the
breakup comes" Findlay sat looking
at them in grim silence, and Durham,
after giving him plenty of time In
which to make a bid. husked dry
cough from his voice and went on
thoughtfully:
Pretty late, but l don't suppose |
can ask you to deliver them by airshtp
at those figures. Our minds have met
as to the price, and, of course, which
one OF you gets the contract makes no
difference to me. But inasmuch as Mr..
Cardiff spoke first and MIR. Findlay can't
better the bid l suppose might as well
let Cardiff"
Hold on" broke in Findlay as his
jaw suddenly thrust itself out IF give
you $4,000 bond that l will deliver
those ties at Archer. March LIST, 80 days
before Mr. Cardir's date, do l get that
contract"
Durham glanced at Cardirr, and Car
diff. staring stupidity at his rival, said
nothing at all. So. presently, Durham
answered yes" and at that word Find
lay arose.
So. with that the incident ended. and
John Ffndlay strobe away, as many an
other victor has done, his heart thump-
ing triumphantly and mis- brain sick
with fear.
Long and bitter had been the fight
that he and his half invalid brother Joe
had wagod in those cold north woods.
and to lose out now spelled ruin Just
as their star OF hope was rising brightly
above the horizon.
"Of course, there is only one way to
carry out that contract Joe." said John,
and that is to build an ice road from
Camp to Archer. When I fixed the
date with Durham I thought you and l
could hgure out route through this
swamp and ridge country. but 1t seems
that we can't make good. And there is
only one man know who can and he Ia
James Livingston Flint. White Horse
we used to call him-and, of course, as
our luck would have 1t, he is way up
in Alaska country somewhere. But I'm
going after him. I'll be back before
the first of December and I'll bring him
with me. alive if possible, but anyway
I'll bring him. I'd rather have Flint
dead than any other man in the pin
cries alive"
So that night John Findlay packed
his grip and departed for the white
land. 1t was way out Seminow way
that Findlay found his man.
White Horse built the road in a lit
tie less than three weeks, but he only
slept on an average Of four hours a
night while he did it. AS for the men
who worked under him during that
frenzied period. they cursed him with
out intermfssion while the work was
going on, and are still Dragging about
having had hand and foot in it.
OF course it seems incredible, but It
is astonishing how much 20 hard-driyen
men and 20 good teams can do in three
weeks when they work Is hours a day.
The road was finished on the oath or
December, and 1t was good thing to
look at.
Christmas morning came clear ana
bitterly cold. Heavy feet crunched the
brittle snow without the cook shon or
Camp 3. and at the first sound White
Horse thrust a heavy, automatic pistol
into his pocket and then leaned In
dolently against the logs with his
hands buried deeply in his pocket.
The next instant the door was hurst
open and in lurched a body of woods
men who. crOwdine into tho oo-r,o