Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-03
CHAPTER XX-(Continued)

"vAIr MOSI SCI tHe SWllteSt man
w you've got in camp after Bill
linger, and get word to the other par
ties you sent out as quickly as we can.
They'll probably get in too late. Bill.
linger may arrive in time"
Hes been gone a week. It's doubt.
ful il we can get him back within
three" said MacDougall. "IIl send
st. Pierre's cousin, that young Grow
Feather, after him as soon as he
can get a pack ready. You'd better go
to bed, Phil You look like a dead
man."
Philip was not sure that he could
sleep, Notwithstanding the physica,
strain he had been under during the
past twenty.four hours. He was filled
with a nervous desire for continued
action. Only action kept him from
thinking of Jeanne and Thorpe. After
MacDougall had gone to stir up young
Crow Feather he undressed ano
stretched out In his bunk, hoping that
the Scotchman would soon return. Not
until he closed his eyes did he realize
how tired he was. MacDougall came
in an hour later, and Philip was
asleep. 1t was nine o'clock when he
awoke. He went to the cooks shanty
ate hot breakfast of griddlecakes
and bacon, drank pint of strong
coffee, and hunted up MacDougall.
SANDY was just coming from Thorpe's s
house.
Hes queer guinea, that Thorpe
said the engineer, after their first
greeting. He doesn't pretend TO do
o. pounds work. Notice his hands
when you see him again, Phil. They
| look as though he had been drumming
piano all his life. But love o. mighty,
how he does make the others work.
You want to go over and see his
gang throw dirt"
That's where I'm going" said
Philip. "Is Thorpe at home?"
Just leaving. There he is now!"
| At MacDougall's whistle Thorpe
turned and waited for Philip.
Coin over?" he asked, pleasantly,
when Philip came up.
Yes. l want to see how your men
work without leader" replied Philip
He paused for a moment to light his
pipe, and pointed to q group Of men
down on the lake shore. "See that
gang?" he asked. They're building a
scow. Take away their foreman and
they wouldn't be worth their grub
They're men we brought up from Win
nipeg."
Thorpe was rolling a cigarette
Under his arm he held pair of light
gloves.
Mine are different" he laughed
quietly.
II know that" rejoined Philip
watching the skill Of his long white
fingers. That's why.I want to see
them in action, when you're away"
my policy is to know to a cubic
foot what certain number Of men are
capable Of doing in a certain time. "
explained Thorpe, as they walked to-
ward the plain. '.My next move is to
secure the men who will achieve the
result whether I am present or not
That done, my work is done. Simple
isn't it?"
There was something likable about
Thorpe. Even in his present mood
Philip could not but concede that. He
was surprised in Thorpe, in more ways
than one. His voice was low, and
filled with a certain companionablt
quality that gave one confidence In
him Immediately. He was apparently
a man of education and of some little
culture, in spite of his vocation, which
usually possesses a vocabulary OF
it's own as hard as rock. But Philips
| greatest SURPRISE CdIlle NIleIl re
garded Thorpe's personal appearance
He judged that he was past forty. per
haps forty.five, and the thought made
him shudder inwardly. He was twice
almost three times--as old as Jeanne
| And yet there was about him some
thing irresistibly attractive. O. fascina
tion which had its influence upor
Philip himself. His nails dug into the
flesh of his hands when he thought OF
this man-and Jeanne.
Thorpe's gang was hard at work
when they came to the end OF the
rockbed. Scarcely a man seemed tC
take notice when he appeared. There
was one exception, wiry, red.facet
little man who raised hand to his
cap when he saw the foreman.
"That's the subforeman," explained
Thorpe. "He answers to me-" The
little man had given a signal, ant
Thorpe added: Excuse me for a mo
ment. He's got something on hi!
mind
He drew few steps aside. ant
Philip walked along the line Of labor
ing men. He grinned and nodded t.
them, one after another. MacDou
gall was right. They were the tough
lest lot of men he had ever seen II
one gang.
| LOUD NOlteS turned HlIn dDOuI, dut
he saw that Thorpe and the subfore
man had approached a huge, heavy
shouldered man, with whom they
seemed to be in serious alteration
Two or three OF the workmen haS
drawn near and Thorpe's voice ranl
out clear and vibrant.
You'll do that, Blake, or you'll
shoulder your kit back home. Ant
what goes with you goes with YOU
clique. 1 know your kind. and yol
can't worry me. Take that pick anC
dig-or hike. There's no two way
about it."
Philip could not hear what the biz
man said, but suddenly Thorpe's fis
shot out and struck him fairly on tn
jaw.
In another instant Thorpe ha,
jumped back, and was facing half 1
dozen angry, threatening men. H
had drawn a revolver, and his whit
teeth CLEANED in cool and menacini
smile.
Think it over, boys" he said, quiet
ly. "And il you're not satisfied com
In and draw your pay this noon. Wei
furnish you with outfits and plent.
Of grub IL you don't like the work VI
here.S l don't care to hold men lik
you to your contracts"
He came to meet Philip as though
nothing unusual had happened.
THAT will delay the completion o