Cheyenne record., 1920-07-15
CHAPTER u.
Lafe conneII Explains.

Hilary nireu n1OuSlcuT 4ichhDhoJ
buggy and started out with Lafe. with
the intention Of covering portion of
the limits and seeing the operations OF
the jobbers; he also meant to keep
his eyes open as to the nature of
the timber.
The buggy surmounted a mill. and
another hill appeared in the distance.
Here and there. scattered along the
roadside, were solitary cabins, with
little patches of cultivated ground
about them.
"And on the right Of the road is the
Ste. Marie territory2" asked Hilary.
"Yep, Mr.. Askew. The two runs
neck and neck back into them noun
tains. We turn or presently. We haven't
touched this district yet"
Hilary noted the first-growth spruce
along the banks. "Why don't we cut
this, anyway. II the rest is mainly
fir7" he asked. There's enough lam-
ber here to fill our dam instead of
the Ste. Marie company's logs"
Lafe answered volubly, but did not
meet Hilary's eyes.
"You see. Mr.. Askew," he began to
explain. "it's this way. There's
good deal of fir on our properly, and
what pine and spruce there is Is small
fish. There was big fire over this
district fifteen years or SO ago. Now
Mr.. Morris calculates that If we go
slow for a while and give the trees a
chance to grow. they'll be worth twice
rs much in few years. We're de-
veloping the property slowly. Mr..
Askew-"
Hilary's hand fell on Lufe's shoul-
der. "Connell," he said, II brought
you up here with me to learn the truth
again on October first, and it's me
you're going to sign with, not Mr..
Morris. Now tell me the facts about
all this"
Lafe stammered and hung his head
like a schoolboy caught in wrong
doing. But Hilary's hand was grip
ping his shoulder, and at last Lafe
raised his head and looked straight
at Hilary.
"If I thought you'd stick here" he
said. II guess I'd back you to the linn
1t. But you'u never stand for st.
Boniface. Mr.. Askew. They're SO in
fernally slow here, they amt got hu-
man ways. sir. And they're crooked.
I thought, when I heard you was COM
ing. you'd be like Mr.. Morris-I mean,
wise to the game-but you amt.
guess most business Is crooked every
where, but here It's crooked all
through. You'll be selling out to Mr..
Brousseau in a months time, and
that'l be my finlsh."
you're dead wrong. Connell," an
swered Hilary. II like the looks of
this country. and I'm here to stay.
Now suppose you forget about Mr..
Brousseau for while and consider
yourself to be what you are. my paid
employee. And you can count on my
standing by you"
He held his hand out. For a mo-
ment Lafe Connell's keen gray eyes
met his searching inquiry; then he
took Hilary's hand and wrung it.
II believe you mean what you say,
Mr.. Askew." he returned. "And you
can reckon on me so far Us my duty
goes"
II suppose that tale about the Ros-
ny seigniory being nothing but fir is
a lie, Connell?" asked Hilary pres
entity. as the pony anbled through
valley overgrown wiyh red pine.
MOSTLY" said Lafe. "There Is a
deal of fir but there's enough spruce
and pine to make the concession pay.
II Mr. Morris wanted 1t to-"
$50 Morris has been playing double?"
Lafe nodded. "You see. Mr.. Askew,
It's this way" he said. "When Morris
came up here I believe he meant to
run straight. But he'd been lumber
man in a small way up In Ontario, and
he wasn't wise to the game as it's
played here. Here it's graft, and It's
never been nothing else. So when
Morris found your uncle didn't know
nothing about the business. and left
1t in his hands. he naturally fell for
the game Brousseau was playing.
"Brousseau is the big man up here.
and he'd had his eye on the Rosny
seieniory for long time. He wanted
to buy, but Rosny was sore on him.
and he closed the deal with your uncle
instead. But afterward Brousseau got
the mortgage on the Chateau and the
little bit of land round 1t, to keep hold
on Rosny.
"Weli. the Rosny seigniory Is the
,nly piece of freehold up this way. Be
yond it's government land. and all
sount it's government land. Brous-
seau started In to squeeze your uncle
mt. And Morris went with him. He
stayed double as you were saying.
NJ AalEaW. Ths point Of the whole