The Taney County republican., 1916-01-06
CHAPTER XIV.

opal bright, and with II came MISS
Ordway. Sandry was glad to see her,
but the critical point was at hand and
he scarce took time to eat or sleep
from the great work OF the contract.
The mammoth raft was ready, the
largest, according to Daily, that the
camp had ever sent out in all its life,
and a special boat from the Portland
Mills company would lay off YaQuina
to receive it on the sixteenth.
On the night of the second, Daily
caught a glmmer of white on the lin
tel. 1t was q paper, stuck In with
thumb-tack.
Watch your raft" it said, "tor pow
der"
That was all, and it was unsigned
Daily told Sandry of the incident and
showed the warning
So for the remaining nights the
great raft was lighted from end to
end and four OF the Indians patrolled
1t in shifts, armed with rifles and un-
der orders to shoot at the first sign Of
trouble.
The work went forward rapidly. The
Siwashes, born and raised in the tim
Der country, knew all the work Of the
camp and they needed no driving.
They were a godsend to Sandry in
the pressing days and he came to look
upon them with wide tolerance,
"In serving you we serve S'letz, i"
he quoted to himself, "'for she's your
woman" And an odd sensation
prickled his skin, tingled at the roots
| of his hair. Some way, somehow,
these were Siletz' people-these silent,
shiftless, well,taught creatures, who
made no use of their talents, yet who
did hard, unnecessary labor at the call
OF the blood.
That night with the raft and even
the two engines under guard and all
the length of track patrolled, he came
in tired, worn to a thin edge with
sleeplessness, tense and taut as sing
ing wire, to meet Miss Ordway.
She slipped her hand into his arm
with a little, familiar gesture and
turned him about.
Come along and relax" she said
you're almost hysterical."
Il believe I am" said Sandry wea
rily, though as he stepped out into the
night, soft already with the breath OF
spring as is the way with the coast
country, where the seasons shoulder
each other. suddenly for place, ht
looked uneasily for Siletz,
Lets go up to the old rollway. lt't
deserted and l have things to tel
you--oh, many things!"
She laughed. her little ripplint
laugh that was so soft and rich, and 1
soothed the mans strained nerves likt
q narcotic.
Miss Ordway sat down, or rathe
climbed up, on log that lay beside
the rollway and drew her gray broad
cloth aside.
Sandry settled himself beside he
and took off his hat The soft, changed
breath of the night air was grateful
to him.
"Whe.ew! I'll be thankful when thi
strain is over, that raft headed out +
sea and my contract fulfilled! neve
knew business was so strenuous"
Miss Ordway looked at him throug
the dusk with admiring eyes.
But look how you're succeeding
Why, it's great!"
"Yes-but for how much Of II ca
thank myself? Hampden has me
, bad hole about my great East Belt
I the best timber in the region and tn
| base, practically, of the Dillingworth
+ future-and but for these Indians
- would be now--well, hate to thin
n where Id have been"
|. "S'h!" said Miss Ordway; mot 6
. fast about that bad hole. Instead, NJ
@ Walter Sandry, we've got your frien
e Hampden in the deepest hole he We
ever in in all his life. In fact, whe
f we say the word, he'll turn over II
@ East Belt with both hands"
q Sandry held out hand and Mi!
@ Ordway took 1t, not after her usu
d manner of hail.fellow, but with
gentle, proprietary motion. She tappe
s the breast OF her princess gown.
o Il have right here copies Of flint
+ on sixteen claims, all duly put throug
G by cash entry by as many differel
men-and 1 know that Hampden owl
e all these numbers, that he furnisht
9. the money for building the cabins, I,
d filing fees. for advertising, for fin
D. proofs at the land Office and for Il
Y government price OF the land. In T
,f turn for all this these bogus entr
Ie men-your drifting gentry OF Il
spiked boots and the turkey in mo
AZ cases-received four hundred dolla
le each for the breaking OF their fai
,e with the government. No wond
lg Hampden is rich!''
le For a long moment Sandry sat
er a silence so deep that he ceased
is breathe. He was grasping the magl
tude OF the mans daring-the gigant
ne risk he ran with his safety in the u
It certain hands OF sixteen men.
And also he was beginning to CO..
he prehend. wonderingly. the daring
nj this woman, her finesse, her clev'
ness and her success.
g. Wonderful" he said at last; ut
E- Ii l.IlnEi To- Aha ln1rn