Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-07

tack us in another way. Their forces
were already moving into the north
country. Their object was to stir ur
the country against us, to bring about
that condition Of unrest and antag'
onlsm between the people Of the north
Government to take away our license,
Remember, this license was only pro
visional. 1t was, In fact, left to the
people of the north to decide whether
we should remain among them or not.
II they turned against US there would
be only one thing for tho Government
to do.
AT first Brokaw's letter caused me
no very great uneasiness. l knew the
people up here. ] knew that the In.
dian, the Breed, the Frenchman, and
the White OF this Gods country were
as invulnerable to bribery as Brokaw
himself is to the pangs Of conscience.
l loved them. I had faith in them. ]
knew them to possess an honor which
Is not known down there, where we
have a church on every four corners,
day and night on the open streets. /
felt myself warming with Indignation
as I replied TO Brokaw, ~resenting his
insinuations as to the crimes which a
to commit for n little whisky and a
little money. And then"
Whittemorc wiped his face. The
lines settled deeper about his mouth.
"Greggy, a week after ] received this
letter two warehouses were burned
on the sanle night at Blind Indian
Lake. They were three hundred yards
apart. There is absolutely no doubt
that it was incendiarism.'
lie waited in silence, but Grcgson
still sat watching him in silence.
THAT was the beginning-three
months ago. Since then some mys.
terious force has been fighting US at
every step. A week after the ware.
houses burned, q dredge and boat.
building yard, which we had con.
structed at considerable expense at the
mouth OF the Gray Beaver. was de-
stroyed by fire. 4 little later a pre-
mature explosion Of dynamite cost us
ten thousand dollars and two weeks
labor Of fifty men. I organized a
special guard service, composed of
fifty of my best men, but 1t seemed TO
do no good.
Since then We have lost three miles
of roadbed, destroyed oy Il ~
terrific charge of dynamite had been
used to let down upon us the water of
a lake which was situated at the top
of a ridge near our right of way. Who
ever our enemies are, they seem TO
know our most secret movements, and
us whenever we leave Il vul-
nerable point open. The most sur
part OF the whole affair Is this:
In spite Of my own efforts to keep our
losses quiet the rumor has spread for
hundreds OF miles around MS. even
reaching Churchill, that the northern.
crs have declared war against our
enterprise and are determined 10 drive
us out. Two.thirds Of my men believe
this. MacDougall, my engineer, be-
lievcs it. Between my working forces
and the Indians, French and half.
breeds about us there has slowly de-
veloped a feeling Of suspicion ana re.
1t is g~rowing-every day,
every hour. If it continues il can re-
suit in but two things-ruin for our.
triumph for those who arc get
ting at us in this ~dastardly manner. If
something Is not done very soon
within a neutrality-suspicious. less-the
will run with the blood of
vengeance from Churchill to the Bar
rens. If what / expect to happen does
happen there will be no Government
road built to the bay, the new build.
ings at Churchill will turn gray with
disuse. the treasures Of the north will
remain un~disturbed, the country itself
will slip back IA hundred years. The
forest people will be filed with hatred
and suspicion so long rs the story of
great wrong travels down from father
to son. And this wrong, this
crime"
Philips face was white, cold. almost
passionless In the grim hardness that
had settled in il. lie unfolded a long
typewriter letter, and handed it to
Gregson.
That letter is the final word" he
explained. at will tell you what ]
have not told you. In some way 1t
was mixed in my mail and I did not
discover the error until I had opened
t II is from the headquarters Of u
enemies. addressed to the man who is
in charge of their plot up here"
Gregson bent over the typewriter
pages. lie noted the slow tightening
of the others fingers as he turned
from the first sheet to the second; he
watched G~rcGson'S face, the slow eb-
bling Of color. the gray white that fol.
lowed it, the stiffening Of his arms and
shoulders as he finished. Then Greg
son looked up.
Good Cod" he breathed.
For a full half.minute the two men
Sazed at each other across the table,
without speaking.
(TO BIZ COSTINUED)