Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-06
~ The. ~
BY REX BEACH.
Copyright, 1909, By Harper s Brothers


**V" EN1SHV - y -
CHAPTER xxIV.-Continuedo
Your persecution, you meant cried
the other. II can explain. They Will
wait another year. will raise more
money, and they will stand by me-
Perhaps I know more about that
than you do"
Emerson strobe toward the desk me-
nacingly, crying, in quavering voice:
81 warn you to keep your hands OH
of them. BY God! don't try any OF
your financial trickery with me, or
I'll"
Wayne Wayland leaped from his
chair, his face purple and his eyes
flashing savagely.
Leave this Yacht he Numbered.
~ won't allow you to insult me;
won't stand your threats. I've got you
where want you, and when the time
comes, you'll know it. Now, get OUT!
He stretched forth a great square hand
and closed it so fiercely that the fing-
ers cracked. t1'll crush you-like
that"
Boyd turned and strobe from the
cabin.
Half-blinded with anger, he STUN
bled down the ladder to his launch.
Back to the pIant!" he ordered.
then gazed with lowering brows and
defiant, eyes at The Grande Dame as
she rested swanlike and serene at her
moorings. His anger against Mildred's
father destroyed for the time all
thought of his disappointment at her
own lack Of understanding and her
cool acceptance Of his failure. He saw
only that his affairs had reached a n
nal climax where he must bow to the
inevitable. or-Big Georges parting
words came to him-strike one last
blow in reprisal A kind Of siclening
rage possessed him. He had tried to
fight fair against an enemy who knew
no scruple, partly that he might win
that enemy's respect. Now he was
thoroughly beaten and humbled. After
all, he was merely an adyenturer,
without friends or resources. His long
struggle had made him the type of
man of whom desperate things might
be expected. He might as well act the
part. Why should he pretend to higher
standards than Wayne Wayland or
Marsh? Georges way was best. BY the
time he had reached the cannery. he
had practically made up his mind.
1t was the hour of his darkest des-
pair-the real crisis in his life. There
are times when it rests with fate 10
make strong man stronger or turn
him altogether to evil. Such man
will not accept misfortune tamely, He
is the reverse of those who are good
through weakness; it is his nature 10
sin strongly.
But the unexpected happened, and
Boyd's black mood vanished in amaze
ment at the sight which met his eyes.
Moored to the fsh-dock was lighter
awash with cargo that made him
stare and doubt his vision, He had
seen his scanty crew of gill-netters
return empty handed with the rising
sum- exhausted, disheartened, depleted
in numbers; yet there before him were
thousands of salmon. They were
strewn in great mass upon the dock
and inside the shed, while from the
scow beneath they came in showers As
the handlers tossed them upward from
their pues. Through the wide doors he
saw the backs of the butchers busily
at work over their tables, and heard
the uproar Of his cannery running full
for the first time.
Before the launch had touched he
had leaped to the ladder and swung
himself upon the dock. He stumbled
into the arms Of Big George.
.''Where-did those - fish come
from?" he cried, breathlessly.
"From the trap" George smiled as
he had not smiled in many weeks.
They've struck in like know they
would, and they're running now by the
thousands. I've fished these waters for
years, but never seen the likes of 1t.
They'll tear that trap to pieces.
They're smothering in the pot, tons
and tons Of en- with millions more
milling below the leads because they
can't get in. It's sight you'll not see
once in lifetime
"That means that we can run this
plant-that we'll get all we can user"
Hell! We've got fish enough to
run two canneries. They've struck
their gait. tell you, and they'll never
stop now night or day until they're
through. We don't need no gill-netters;
what we need is butchers and sinners
and handlers. There never was trap
site in the north till this one; told
Willis Marsh that years ago. He flung
out long, hairy arm, barred half to
the shoulder. and waved it exultantly.
well build this plant to cook forty
thousand salmon day. but I'll bring
you three thousand every hour, and
you've got to cook 'em. Do you hear?'
"And they couldn't cork us, after
ALI" Emerson leaned unsteady
against pile, for his head was whirl-
ing.
mo! Well show that gang what
cannery can do. Marsh's traps will rot
where they stand" Big George shook
his tight-clinched fist again. We've
won. my boy! We've WON'T
"Then don't let us stand here talk
ing!" cried Emerson, sharply. Hurry!
Hurry" He turned, and sped up the
dock.
He had come into his own at last
and he vowed with tightshut teeth
that no wheel should stop, that no
belt should slacken, no man should
leave his duty till the run had passed.
At the entrance to the throbbing,
changing building he paused an instant,
and with a smile looked toward the
yacht floating lazily in the distance.
Then, with knees sagging beneath him