Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-01-02

the price is satisfactory, you can nave
this tract"
Leblanc stared at him insolently
with his good eye, the other fixing
tree on Hilary's right. 81 work for
Mr.. Morris. 1 make arrange with him."
he answered
"See here, Leblanc, you didn't catch
who this gentleman is" said Lafe.
This is Mr.. Askew, the nephew of
the late Mr. Askew. He has come into
the property. He's boss. You get me,
don't you,. Leblanc?"
Leblanc shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh, yes, understand" he answered,
and, turning without another word,
walked back toward the lumbermen,
accompanied by the short man, who
was chuckling maliciously at Hilary's
| discontinue.
Hilary flushed, but Lafe laid his
hand on his wrist, closing the fingers
| about it with a viselike grip.
STEADY, Mr.. Askew. Don't let those
fellows get you riled," he said. eff
you're coming into this game it means
steady work. You've got to hold back
and hold back, until you've got things
ready"
They re-entered the buggy and, turn
| ing the horse, drove back
Presently Hilary cooled down. "Who
was the little man?" he asked.
'That's Pierre neutrality-suspicious.
Black Pierre, he's called. He's Brous-
seau's chief crook. He's a trouble
some man, Mr.. Hilary. He'll bear
watching:'
''We1l fire him first thing" said Hill
ary.
why, he amt hired by u.s." an
swered Lafe.
''Then what in thunder is he doing
on my concession, talking to my chief
| jobber?"
''Well, there amt no law against
it," said Lafe, with humorous lock
on his face. 81 guess them two are
pretty thick together.
"You see, Mr.. Askew, it's this way"
he went on. eff you're going to clear
up this mess, it amt a bit of good
going for the little fellows. They're
the tail that Brousseau wags. Once
you get Brousseau's hand out of your
pie, the others follow him. When
Pierre sees there amt no more pick
ings out of the st. Boniface land he'll
go back to the smuggling business"
Brandy -smuggling?"
| "Why, he's the bad man of Ste. Ma
rie. He runs cargoes of gin and brandy
ashore from the south coast, and
there's never been a revenue officer in
this district within human memory, nor
would one dare to show his face here.
Say, I'll take you through Ste. Marie
on the way back to the mill l''
They had reached the main road
again; they went on a little way and
then turned westward over a rough
track through burned-over district
densely covered with fireweed and
white starved asters. Soon another
rig appeared before them. topping the
hill. Lafe pulled in as it approached
''Bonjour, Father Lucy" he called
to the elderly priest, who sat inside
"This gentleman is Mr.. Askew, the new
owner of the Rosny concession. He's
old Mr.. Askew's nephew"
The cure looked Hilary over, then
he leaned forward and extended his
hand, which Hilary grasped.
Il am please to meet you, Mr.. AS
kew" he said. 81 'ope we shall be
come friens, like Mr.. Lafe here, an mo-
quarrel so much.'
"Ah, Father Lucy, you make me tiret
| i
der's the use of praying for rain wher
the forests are burning, instead o.
getting busy and putting out the fire? p
"Mr. Lafe, there is many thing yol
do not understand" said the cure, pat
ting the Yankee on the shoulder be
nevolently. "Mr. Lafe is fine fellow
he added to Hilary, "but he want to q
too quick all the time"
1t was evident to Hilary that tn,
two were fast friends. Father Lucie1
clucked to his pony, took off his ha
with a flourish, and resumed his jour
ney.
"Father Lucy's good Sort" NUT
tered Lafe, 'but he makes me tire,
sometimes. Slow as the devil, Mr
Askew. And yet, now come to thinl
of it, he does get results in his owl
: time. He amt equal to cleaning III
Ste. Marie, though"
After a pause he added: "Some
times I've thought that Father Luc,
had something up his sleeve about Ste
Marie after ALL"
An hours drive brought them within
sight of the village. Ste. Marie wa
almost a replica Of st. Boniface ex
ternally, with the same shacks, clus
: tered about the brick offices Of tn
company.
''Not much to see now," said Lafe
but on pay night it's fierce, Mr.. AS
2 kew. ! guess this place is a real hell.
!, "Rowdy, Connell, you mean?"
e II didn't mean that, Mr.. Askew. It
e that, God knows; but what meant b
: hell was a place where everybody
D a law to himself with nothing to re
strain him. A place where everybod
does what he wants to do. That's m
idea of hell, sir"
e The road wound along the shor'
$ Presently st. Boniface came int
e sight. 81 think I'll go into the offic,
d COnnell," said Hilary.
s. Il guess you'll have to break
h open, then" said Lafe. "Mr. Morri
r took the keys with him."
k "When's he coming back?"
1t I'VE were expecting him on the bos
:; this afternoon"
t Hilary considered for moment. "T
e wait till tomorrow then," he salt
, Hello, Monsieur Baptistei"
1. The little scaler and timekeeper ws
e. hurrying toward the buggy. "Mol
le sieur ~ he gasped. Monsieur Aske0
yesterday 1 did not know who yC
1t were. Excuser
1t That's all right, Baptiste," a
swered Hilary. "Just remember th
or I'm running things here now, that
e. all. And, by the way, that order abo1
ID trespassers and visitors is at an en-
There's going to be nothing done he
a. that we'll be afraid of people findiI
se out. Got it?"