Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-01-06
CHAPTER II.
Lafe conneII Explains.


After breakfast the next morning
Hilary hired Monsieur TremDlays
buggy and started out with Lafe, with
the intention of covering a portion OF
the limits and seeing the operations OF
the :pbbers; he also meant to keep
his eyes open as to the nature OF
the timber.
che buggy surmounted hill, 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 territory?" asked Hilary.
yep, Mr.. Askew. The two runs
neck and neck back into them noun
tains. We turn off presently. We haven
touched this district yet"
Hilary noted the first-growth spruce
along the banks. "Why don't we cut
this, anyway, If the rest is mainly
fr?' he asked. There's enough lum.
Der here to fill our( dam instead OF
the Ste. Marie company's logs"
Lafe answered voIubly, but did not
meet Hilary's eyes.
you see, Mr. Askew," he began to
explain, ''it's this way. There's a
good deal of fir on our property, and
what pine and spruce there is Is small
ssh. There was a big fire over this
district fifteen years or so ago. Now
Mr. Morris calculates that if we 60
slow for a while and give the trees a
chance to grow, they'll be worth twice
as much in a few years. We're de
veloping the property slowly, Mr.
ASkew'"
Hilary's hand fell on Lafe's shoul-
der. "Connen," he said, 81 brought
you up here with me to learn the truth
from you. You're going to sign on
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"
LATE stammered and hung his head
like a schoolboy caught in wrong
doing. But Hilary's hand was grip
ping his shoulder. and at last LATE
raised his head and looked straight
at Hilary.
eff l thought you'd stick here" he
said, 81 guess I'd back you to the lin.
it. But you'll never stand for st
Boniface, Mr.. Askew. They're so in.
formally slow here, they amt got hui
man ways, sir. And they're crooked
1 thought, when 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'll be my finish"
you're dead wrong, Connell," an
swered Hilary. 81 like the looks OF
this country, and I'm here to stay
Now suppose you forget about Mr.
Brousseau/ for a 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 LATE COnnell's keen gray eyes
met his searching inquiry; then he
took Hilary's hand and wrung it.
81 believe you mean what you say
Mr.. Askew," he returned. "And you
can reckon on me so far as my duty
goes"
81 suppose that tale about the Ros-
ny seigniory being nothing but fir is
a lie, Connell?" asked Hilary pres
emily, as the pony ambled through a
valley overgrown with red pine.
Mostly" said LATE. There is q
deal of fir, but there's enough spruce
and pine to make the concession pay
If Mr.. Morris wanted it to-"
$50 Morris has been playing double? p
LATE nodded. "You see, Mr.. Askew
it's this way" he said. "When Morris
came up here l 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
It in his hands, he naturally fell for
the game Brousseau was playing.
''Brousseau is the big man I'D here
and he'd had his eye on the Rosny
seigniory for long time. He wanted
10 buy, but RoSny was sore on him
and he closed the deal with your uncle
;pefaad puf a torxra-1 p,o,.o~...-. - -.
the mortgage on the Chateau and the
little bit of land round it, to keep hold
on ROsny.
''Well, the Rosny seigniory is the
only piece of freehold up this way. Be
yond it's government land, and all
round it's government land. Brous.
seau started in TO squeeze your uncle
out. And Morris went with him. He
played double as you were saving
NJ. Askew. The point of the whole
game was to freeze out your uncle
and get the property for a song
That's how it stands. Here we turn
or into Mr.. Leblanc's lease"
"Who'S hep
'Your chief iobber," said LATE.
The buggy turned off through the
forest along new road. Here was
some splendid timber, black and white
spruce and tall white pine. The sound
of axes began TO be audible. and pres
emily they reached a clearing, in which
a number of frame shacks were under
construction. experimenting the work
was tall, rather fair man of about
forty years, with a cast in one eye;
and with him WIS short, thicksei
man of great muscular power. The
two looked up as the buggy APP
preached, and the short man scowled
''This is Mr.. Leblanc" said Lafe
'Mr. Leblanc, this is Mr.. Askew, the
owner"
Leblanc put out his hand Imply, Out
Hilary. nettled by his manner, did not
take IL.
Mr.. Leblanc is clearing camp 70.
his next years lease" continued LATE
"But the lease is not signeds" asked