The evening world., 1914-02-20

.fHESkETA PRicHARo@

lotB or good rooms, and standing way
back on a mountain slope with miles
the very door. Father bought Il last
year. and with It all the sporting
rights julius Fischer claimed. The
woods are full Of moose and there are
beaver and Ottcr--and that's where
the trouble came In
But Fischer had trouble from tho
day he went up to shoot at Kalmacles.
He had to run for 1t. SO ! was told.
Didn't your father know that2 Why
did Mr.. Petersham have anything to
do with the placer"
"Oh. II was just one Of Pops no.
ttons. ! suppose" said Linda. with
the rather weary tolerance Of the
modern daughter.
They are "a dangerous lot round
there!"
HE knew that. They arc squat.
among those woods and hills for gen.
erations. OF course they think ths
country belongs to them. Pop knew
that, and In his opinion the cOmpen-
sation julius Fischer offered and gave
them was inadequate"
1T would b." ] commented. I
could without effort imagine julius
Fischer's views on compensation, for
l had met him In business.
We'll. father went into the matter.
and he found that tho sQuatters had
a good deal to be said for their side
Of the case. so that he did what he
thought was fair by them"
l nodded. III l know him. no did
more than that!'
That's nice Of you, James. Any
way, he paid them good high prices
for their rights. or what they con-
sidered to be their rights. for In law.
OF course. they possessSd none. Every
one seemed pleased and satisfied. and
We were looking forward to going
there this spring for the fishing, when
news came that one u fathers game
wardens had been shot at"
shot at?"
Linda nodded the Greek head ! ad-
mired SO much.
Eyes. Last autumn father put on
q couple Of wardens to look after the
game and they have been there all
winter. From their reports they have
got on quite we'll with the squatters.
and now suddenly. for no reason that
they can guess. one Of them. William
Worke by name. has been hred upon
In his camp"
KILLED." I asked.
mo, but badly wounded. He said
he was sure the bullet could have
been put into his heart just az easily,
but II was sent through his knee. by
way Of Il notice to quit. he thinks"
savages."
'They are, hut that's not all. Three
days ago letter came, meant for
father. but addressed TO me. Who
ever wrote II must have seen father
and knew that ne was not the kind
OF man who could he readily fright
ened, so they thought they would set
at him through me. II was horrible
letter."
Can I see ~.
Linda unlocked a drawer and hand
ell me q piece Of soiled paper. The
words were written upon q sheet torn
from an old account book. They ran
AZ follows:
You, Petersham. you mean
skunk! Don't you come In our
wods unles yor willing to pay five
Thousand dollars. Bring tho goods
and you'll be told wher to put It.
so II will como into the hands Of
riters. Dollars amt nothin' to
you. but they can keep an ex-
panding bullet out yor hido.
What do you think Of that" asked
Linda.
m may be hoax
Now. James. what Ia tho good Of
saying such silly thing to me?
Father pretendS to think tho sapIe.
But, Of course. I know these men
mean business. And equally, OF
course. you agree with me?"
I hesitated.
"Do you think II Is n hoax"
Well, no, ! can't honestly say I
do"
Which means. in plain language,
that II father does not pay up TINT
tive thoucand dollars he will DO
shot"
NOT necessarily. lie nncd not go
M ~ knlmacks this fall"
But OF course he will go! Hos
more set on goins than cyor. You
know father when he's dealing with
I,en. And he persists In his opinion
that the letter IL probably only
hI.R."
DOCS no guess who wrote III"
mo, he has no idea Mt all."
I considered for "a little before I
spoke. LINDA. have you really sent
for mo to try to persuade your father
thnt II would be wiser tor him not to
80 to Kalmacks7'