Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-12-29
CHAPTER XIII.
Linda Petersham.

"Spect you'll be back again, Mr..
Quaritch, as soon as you've fixed them
new mining contracts, and then, may
be, wem try a wolf hunt. There's a
tidy pack comes out on the Lac Noir-
ice when it's moonlight"
But the shackles Of business are not
SO easily shaken off. and the spring
had already come before another va
cation in the woods had begun to
merge into possibility. About this
time Linda Petersham rang me up on
the telephone and demanded my pres
ence at lunch.
But I am engaged" said I. What
is it,"
81 will tell you when you come. 1
want you"
I made another effort to explain my
position, but Linda had said her last
word and rung off. smiled as 1 call
ed up the picture Of a small Greek
head crowned with golden hair, pair
of dark blue eyes and mouth
wearing a rather imperious express
sion.
The end Of 1t was that went, for 1
have known Linda all her life. The
Petersham family consists OF Linda
and her father, and, though in busi-
ness relations Mr.. Petersham is pow
er to be reckoned with, at home he
exists for the sole apparent purpose
of carrying out his charming daugh-
ter's wishes. 1t is a delightful house
to 20 to, for they are the happiest
people know.
I found myself the only guest,
which surprised me, for the Peter
sham mansion has a reputation for
hospitality.
James, I want you to do this for
me. I want you to persuade pop not
to do something"
"I? I persuade him? You don't
need me for that-you, who can make
him do or not do anything, just as
you wish!"
"I thought I could. but I can't"
"How's that?"
We'll. he's set on going back to
Kalmacks."
"Kalmacks? I know it is the place
Julius Fisher built up in the noun
tains. He used to 60 shooting and
fishing there"
That is it. It's place you'd love
lots Of good rooms and standing
way back on a mountain slope, with
miles of view and a stream tumbling
past the very door. Father bought 1t
last year and with it all the sporting
rights julius Fisher claimed. The
woods are full Of moose, and there are
beaver and otter. and that's where the
trouble comes in"
But Fischer had trouble from the
day he went up to shoot at Kali
macks. He had to run for it. so /
was told. Didn't your father know
that? Why did Mr.. Petersham have
anything to do with the place."
"Oh, 1t was just one Of pops no
tions, I suppose" said Linda, with
the rather weary tolerance Of the
modern daughter.
They are a dangerous lot round
there"
He knew that. They are squat
ters-trappers who have squatted
among those woods and hills for gen.
erations OF course they think the
country belongs to them. Pop knew
that. and in his opinion the compen-
sation Julius Fischer offered and gave
them was inadequate"
kAI
could without effort imagine Julius
Fischers views on compensation, for
/ had met him in business.
well, father went into the matter,
and he found that the 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. He paid
them good high prices for their rights
or what they considered to be their
rights-for in law, Of course, they
possessed none. Everyone seemed
pleased and satisfied, and We were
looking forward to going there this
spring for the fishing when news
came that one Of fathers game ward
ems had been shot at"
"Shot at?"
Linda nodded the Greek head 1 ad-
mired so much.
Yes. Last autumn father put on
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 fired upon
In his camp"
KILLED." I asked.
NO, but badly wounded. He said
he was sure the bullet would have
been put into his heart just as easily
but it was sent through his knee by
way of a notice to quit, he thinks"
Those folks up there must be
half savages."
They are, but that's not all. Three
days ago, letter came, meant for
father, but addressed to me. Whoever
wrote it must have seen father and
knew that he was not the kind Of
man who could be readily frightened,
so they thought they would get at
him through me. 1t was horrible
letter"
The words were written upon
sheet torn from an old account book.
They ran as follows:
you, Petersham. you mean skunk!
Don't you come in our wods unles
your willing to pay five thousand dol
lars Bring the goods and you'll be
told wher to put it. so it will come
into the hands of riters. Dollars amt
nothin to you. but they can keep an
expanding bullet in your hide"
do you think it is a hoax"
well, no. / can't honestly say l
do"
(Which means in plain language.
that If father does not pay up that
$4,000 he will be shot"