Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-12-26
By VICTOR ROUSSEAU
illustrations by Irwin Myers


Lafe. "Most of our hands come from
there. It's tough place, Mr.. Askew.
l seen some tough towns in the West,
but this has got 'em all beat, with the
smuggling of brandy, and the drinking,
and the fights every Saturday night
there was a man knitted there last
week; and not a policeman within fif-
ty miles, and nobody except Father
Lucy, and he can't hold 'em."
'What want to know" said Hilary,
sis, what this company is that you
speak about, and how they come to use
the Rocky river for their logs"
Lafe hesitated, but only for a mo-
ment. Then he mentally cast Brous-
seau to the winds; for, after all, if
prevent it, Brousseau's Instructions
Notwithstanding.
''It's this way, Mr.. Askew," he said.
'eMr. Morris and Mr. Brousseau have
company of their own. Their limits
touch ours on the west, across the
river, and run ten miles or so back
into the bush, right alongside ours
down the river"
"And use the mill?'
"Mr. Morris leases the use of our
mill by the year to the company"
Hilary was staggered for the mo-
ment. Morris, as his uncle's manager,
leasing the mill to Morris, partner in
Brousseau's company, seemed a queer
role.
How do they tell our lumber from
theirs?" asked Hilary presently.
"Oh, that amt hard" said Lafe.
"You see, the jobbers. who suitcase
the tracts, know how much their men
have cut. And it's scaled in the
woods before they shoot it down
stream. 1 guess there amt no diff
Guilty there, Mr.. Askew. And you see,
Mr. Morris representing both concerns,
he naturally does his best by both of
'em."
Hilary's suspicious, dormant even
after the interview with Lamartine,
were now thoroughly aroused.
"And Mr.. Brousseau has no concern
with US, except for the lease of the
mill and the right-of-way down the
river" unused Hilary. "Who is this
Mr.. Brousseau?"
''Why, I guess he's the big man OF
the district" said Lafe. Hes the
nearest thing to boss they've got uI
here; tells 'erh how to vote and gets
'em out Of trouble. He amt good to
his father, though. That was OLD
Jacques Brousseau in the store, the
trapper."
81 didn't see him."
HE was Mr.. Rosny's slave, or what
ever they called them, in the OLD
times, before these people became
Free"
He tapped the ashes out of his pipe
and pocketed it.
"He's got old Rosny in his pocket
he said, leaning toward Hilary. "He's
got him bound and mortgaged after
leading him to throw your uncle's
money away in crazy investments. He
did it deliberately, Mr.. Askew. Wher
he was a kid, growing up among the
house servants up at the Chateau
he wanted to be big man, for which
!, I don't blame him. He got his way
but that wasn't enough. He wanted
the Seigneur's place, because he fount
that the folks up here thought NOR
of old Mr.. Rosny, with his broken
down house and debts, than they dit
of him with all his money. So he Sc
to work and got him cinched.
: 'The old man hates and despise
him, and he's been fighting against i
for a long time, but he seen what
coming to him and 1 guess he's mad
up his mind he'll have to stomach il
! Brousseau's staked old Mr.. Rosny'
pride against his love, and guess he
i. won his stake and won Mamzell
| Madeleine into the bargain"