Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-03
By JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD

our work for a week at least" he
said, as he thrust his revolver into a
holster hidden under his coat. i've
been expecting trouble with Blake and
tour or flve Of his pals for some time.
I'm glad it's over Blake threatens a
strike unless ] give him a subfore-
manship and increase the mems wages
from six to ten dqxars a day. Think
of it. A strike-up here! 1t would be
the beginning Of history, wouldn't tit"
He laughed softly, and Philip laugh.
ed from sheer admiration of the mans
courage.A
You think they'll go?" he asked,
anxiously.
I'm sure Of IT," replied Thorpe. TITS
the best thing that can happen"
An hour later Philip was back In
camp. He did not see Thorpe again
until after dinner, and then the gang
foreman hunted him up. His face
wore a worried look.
IT'S little worse than 1 expected"
he said. Blake and eight others came
in for their pay and outfits this noon.
I didn't think that more than three
or four would have the nerve to
quit"
TN furnish you with men to take
their places" said Philip.
There's the hitch" replied Thorpe
rolling a cigarette. II want my men
to work by themselves. Put half a
dozen of your amateur roadmen
among them and 1t will mean twenty
per cent less work done. and perhaps
trouble. They're a tough lot. I con.
cede that. I've thought of way to
offset the loss of Blake and the others.
We can set a gang OF your men at
work over at Gray Beaver Lake, and
they can build up to meet U.S."
Philip saw MacDougall soon after
his short talk with Thorpe. The en-
gineer did not disguise his pleasure at
the turn which affairs had taken.
I'm glad they're going" he de-
clared. "If there's to be trouble I'll
feel easier with that bunch out of
camp. I'd give my next months sal
ary II Thorpe would take his whole
outfit back where they came from
They're doing business with the road
bed all right, but I don't like the
idea of having 'em around when there
are throats to be cut, one side or
t'other."
Philip did not see Thorpe again that
day.. He selected his men for the
Gray Beaver work, and in the after
noon dispatched a messenger over the
Fort Churchill route to meet Brokaw.
He was confident that Brokaw and his
daughter would show up during the
next few days, but at the same time
he instructed the messenger to go to
Churchill IL he should not meet them
on the way. Other men he sent to
recall the prospecting parties outfitted
by MacDougall. Early in the evening
the st. Pierres, Lecault, and Henshaw
Joined him for a few minutes in the
office. During the day the four had
done scout work five miles on all
sides of the camp. Lecault had shot
moose three miles to the south. and
had hung up the meat. One of the
St. Pierres saw Blake and his gang
on the way to the Churchill. Beyond
these two incidents they brought in
no news. A little later MacDougall
brought in two other men whom he
could trust, and armed them with
muzzle.loaders. They were the two
last guns in the camp.
With ten men constantly prepared
for attack, Philip began to feel that he
had the situation well in hand. 1t
would be virtually impossible for his
enemies to surprise the camp, and
after their first days scout duty the
men on the trail would always be
within sound Of rifle.shots, even If
they did not discover the advance Of
an attacking force in time to beat
them to camp. In the event of one
making such discovery he was TO
signal the others by a series of shots.
such as one might fire at G running
moose.
/ Philip found It almost impossible to
| fight back his thoughts of Jeanne. Dur
| ing the two or three days that fol-
| lowed the departure of Blake he did