Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-07-13

dld not permit OF delay. Not only We're
his W needs imperative, but if Poult-
ney Ills had come from London TO
confer with his rivals there was little
time to spare.
Remembering the Englishman's hab-
its, O'Neil turned up the avenue to
another fashionable hotel, where he
asked for the manager, whom he we'll
knew.
Yes, Mr.. Hills is here he was in
formed, "but he's registered under q
different name. No doubt he'll be glad
to see you, however"
A moment later. Murray recocnized
the voice of Ills valet over the wire
n greeted him by name. Another
brief delay and the capitalist himself
was 1T the phone.
Come right up" he said. and O'Neil
replaced the receiver with q sigh of re-
lief.
Hills greeted him warmly, for their
relations had been close.
Lucky you found me-" he said. .I'm
going back on the next sailing"
"Have you signed up with the Arc
tic Navigation %company?' Murray in.
CURED, and the other started.
BLESS me! What do you mean?'
Ills caller laughed. 81 see you haven't,
1 don't think you will, either, after
you've talked with me-"
Without the tremor Of an eyelasb
His exclaimed:
MY word. What are you driving
at?''
THAT agreement owe freight rates.
of course"
The Briton eyed him for a
then carefully closed the door leading
from his sitting room and, seating him.
self, lit a cigar.
"What do you know about that mat
ter" be asked quietly.
about all there is to know-enough
at least to appreciate your feelings"
Il battered myself that my affairs
were private. Where did you get YOUR
information"
I'll tell you if you insist, although
I'd rather not. There's no danger Of
it's becoming public"
Hills showed his relief. "I'm glad.
You gave me a start. Awful fix for q
man to be in. Why, I'm here under an
assumed name! Fancy! But He
waved his hand in a gesture which
showed his acceptance of the inevita-
bic.
"You haven't made your new agree
ment?"
I'm to meet Blum and Capron to-
morrow"
why didn't you take the S. r. and
N. when I cabled you last month";"
II couldn't. But what has that to do
with the matter?"
Don't you see? It's so plain to me
that 1 can't understand how you failed
to realize the value-the necessity Of
buying my road"
Explain, please"
GLADLY. The North Pass and Yukon
Is paying a fabulous blackmail to the
river lines to escape q ruinous rate
war;"
Fright! It's blackmail, as you saw"
Under the present agreement YOU
handle the Dawson freight and keep
out OF the lower river. They take the
whole Tanana valley and lower Yu-
kon."
Correct"
didn't it occur to you hat the S. r.
and N, which starts 400 miles west Of
the North Pass and taps the Tanana
valley. can be used to put the river
steamers of that section out Of bust
ness?'
Lets have a look at the map" Mr.
Hills hurried into an adjoining room
and returned with a huge chart, which
he unrolled uRon the table. "To tell
you the truth, l never looked at the
proposition from that angle. Our peo-
pie were afraid of those glaciers and
the competition Of the copper trust.
They're disguised. too. with our treat
ment."
"The trust is eliminated. Kyak har-
Dor is wiped off the map, and I'm alone
in the field"
Chow about this fellow Gordon?"
He'll be broke in q year. Incidental
ly, that's my trouble"
But I'm told you can't pass the gla-
GERS"
81 can. Parker says he'll have the
bridge done by spring"
''Then I'd bank on it. I'd believe
Parker if 1 knew he was lying. If you
both agree I haven't the slightest
doubt"
'This is a bigger proposition than
the North Pass, Mr.. Ills. You made
money out Of that road, but this one
will make more" He swiftly outlined
the condition of affairs, even to~the at
titude assumed by the Heidlemanns,
and Ills, knowing the speaker as he
did, had no doubt that he was hearing
the exact truth. "But that's O all"
continued O'Neil. "The S. r. and N. is
the club which will hammer your enc
mics into line. That's what T came
to see you about. With a voice in it
you can control the traffic Of all central
Alaska and force the San Francisco
crowd to treat the N. P. and Y. fairly,