The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-01-06
CHAPTER XII.
An Unreccrded Deed.


The Preacher proved to be the
s%trangest thing in all this strange
country to Sandry as he watched him
In the days that followed. He spoke
but seldom and then with q quaint pre-
cision, a beauty Of speech and thought
that amazed the man from the East.
But they were old thoughts, Sandry
found at last, thoughts formulated in
the fire and enthusiasm of youth, hence
still burning when youth had fed and
age had brought its empty seeming.
And it is there" he said to himself
that Sletz gets her name Of speech,
though her visions are her own, born
of her centered soul"
At the end of the week Sandry went
to Salem. When he returned his face
was drawn as if from loss of sleep,
and he summoned Daily to the office
Sandry pulled open a drawer in his
desk and took out the deed to the East
Belt.
This" he said tensely, has never
been recorded. searched the records
at the land Office and our deed is not
there. Instead there is q brand new
homestead filing in the name Of T. j..
O'Connel. Daily, either old Frazer was
crooked or a fool"
There was a strained note in the
owners voice. His foreman sat in the
tip-tilted office chair, open-mouthed
and roUnd-eyed.
Then Hampden's got tn strangle-
holt-damn his soul to hell! He
knows about the contrack an he'll blk
it if he can. But Frazer wasn't crook.
ed, Mr.. Sandry, I'd stake my life on
that"
Then why did he sell me the East
Belt stumpage-the prize card in the
Dillingworth pack-without a record
ed deed? This isn't worth it's paper.
He waved the folded slip.
"And why didn't you verify all pa
pers, Mr.. Sandry, when you made the
deal?"
Daily was entirely earnest and u n
conscious Of the effrontery of his
words. Sandry's boyish face flushed
painfully.
inexperienced" he said bluntly;
faith in men, though by all the signs
I should have lost that, and lastly no
conception that such a thing could be
done. Our first move now, however,
Is to find Frazer"
Daily shook his head.
THAT new bucker we took on yes
terday in the bunch Of new men told
me last night that Frazer was in
Frisco two weeks ago, and was goin'
south. Sailed on the mail boat for
Panama"
Sandry regarded his foreman grimly
put of sparkling blue eyes.
Then" he said, after a moments
thought, well save our contract first
md fight for our stumpage later
He rose and began gathering up the
papers on his desk.
"At noon" said he, thinking rapidly
n with astonishing ease in this, his
first business crisis, you will take
every man off the present work. We
will build no more trail toward the
East Belt now. Instead we will lay
track as fast as possible into the tim
Der at the head of the valley there to
the north. You know that contract
calls for six million feet of logs to be
in raft at Yaquina bay by the sixteenth
of March. If it is not there we lose
u big profits and the connection with
this powerful company. Now get busy"
SnnnllIafinn and cnrppnnrt nnrn r;Po
in camp when Daily announced at
noon that all work along present lines
was to be dropped and that all hands
were to fall to laying track to the
north.
by jingo," grumbled Collins openly,
we're gettin' scairt out by tn Yella
Pines! Eff it amt plum disgustin'l"
"Quit?" cried Jim Anworthy, "let q
bunch o. cutthroats call us cutters?
What's eatin' you, john"
ORDERS" said the foreman warning
ly, and the men buzzed like a nest of
hornets. Among the old hands at the
camp it was almost q personal affair
and they took it to heart, criticizing
with that freedom which characterized
their kind and laying the blame upon
the new owner, the tenderfoot from
the East. Feeling at the abrupt Civ
ing up of operations at Hampden's
threats ran so high that three old
timers-including Smith the hook
tender, q Jewel in the crown OF any
logging camp-rolled down their
sleeves and called for their time.
Cant stand the atmosphere" said
little Smith, settling his round. mar
row-brimmed felt hat q trife forward
on his bullet head, its gettin' too cul-
tured. Wen be asked to stop swearin'
next, an eatin' with our spoons. Me
fer tn timber right. / don't like civili-
cation"
Let them co." said Sandry grimly.
I'll learn how and tend hook myself
II necessary"
Days slipped by so swiftly that San
dry scarce found time to count them,