Alma record., 1916-08-24
CHAPTER xl.
A Place of Many Wonders.

" OhltO 1OhDON - men DrOke
camp upon his return from
~ Omar, and by taking the east
bank OF the Salmon river press.
Ell through 10 the upper valley. HeSe
they recrossed to the west side and
completed their survey, with the ex.
ception OF the three mile gap which
Dan Appleton held.
Gordon continued TO smart under the
sting or his defeat, however. ONeil
had got the better OF him In argument
and Natalie's simplicity had proved
more than a match for his powers OF
persuasion. At no time had he serious
ly considered making Mrs. Gerard his
wife, but he had thought TO entice the
two women back under his own roof In
order to humble both them and their
self appointed protector. he felt sure
that Natalie's return TO Hope and her
residence there would injure her Sc
riously in the eyes OF the community,
and this would be a stab TO O'Neil. AL
though he had failed for the moment
he did not abandon the idea.
Gordon's business career had con.
sisted of a series of brilliant manipu-
htions whereby, with little to go upon
he had forced financial recognition f9I
himself. No one knew better than he
the unstable foundation beneath his
Alaskan enterprises. yet more than
once he had turned as desperate ven
lures into the semblance Of success
BY his present opera tons he sought
not only to hamper O'Neil, but to ere
ate an appearance Of opposition to
both him and the trust that could be
coined into dollars and cents. There
are in the commercial world money
wolves who prey upon the weak and
depend upon the spirit OF compromise
in their adversaries Gordon was one
OF these.
BY purchasing for n song the McDer
mott rights at Kyak he had placed
himself in position TO share In the
benefits of the Heidlemann breakwa-
ter, and by rapidly pushing his tracks
ahead he made his rivalry seem for
midable. AS means of attack upon
O'Neil he adopted procedure common
in railroad building. He amended his
original survey so that It crossed that
OF the S. II. and n. midway between
the lower bridge over the Salmon river
and the glaciers and at that point be
gan the hasty erection Of grade.
II was at the cost Of no little incon.
venience that he rushed forward a
large body OF men and supplies and
began 10 lay track across the s. Il. and
N. right Of way. If Appleton could
hold a hillside, he reasoned. he himself
could hold crossing. If not perma-
nently at least for n sufficient length OF
time TO serve his purpose. His action
came as n disagreeable surprise 20
Omar These battles for crossings
have been common i'm the history Of
railroading. and they have not infre
quently resulted I'm sanguinary affrays
Toward Gordon's stronghold Murray
O'Neils men worked. laying his road
bed as straight as an arrow. and as
the intervening distance decreased
anxiety and speculation at Omar In
creased.
Among those who hung upon the ru-
mors Of the approaching clash with
greatest interest was Eliza Appleton.
Since Dams departure for the aront she
had done her modest best to act the
part he had forced upon her, and in
furtherance OF their conspiracy she had
urged O'Neil TO fulfil his promise OF
taking her over the work.
She was greatly excited when O'Neil
announced one evening:
I'm ready TO make that trip to the
front II yon are. have business at
Kyak, so after we've seen the glaciers