The Rice belt journal., 1920-05-08
CHAPTER VII.
"kook to Your Boom!"

"Look to Your Boom!"
Baptiste worked all the next Monday
on the boom, fiercely and unsparing of
himself or his men. Hilary, a little
puzzled by the little mans sullen man.
ner toward himself, attributed it to his
personal distress at what had hap
pened in Ste. Marie. He did not know
thPt Baptiste was aware of his pres
ence there, and felt happy in the con-
SciOuSness that he had done him some
service. Nothing would have pleased
him better than to have seen his suit
with Marie Dupont successful.
The strengthening Of the boom was
finished. The wooden structure had
been immensely fortified with great
trunks. lashed and nailed together,
resting In concrete which had been
nodded into the creyices Of the rocks
on either side Of the cataract. Hilary
examined and approved of the work.
1t seemed to remove all possibility Of
danger.
Everything depended on the first
minute after the jam was broken. If
the torrent could be carried off through
the sluice gates, in the main, the logs
would find an easy passage over the
dam into the lake. But actually the re.
enforced boom seemed to resist the
torrent without any likelihood of
breakage
The charge was to be exploded at
three in the afternoon. That day Hi
ary was kept busy in his Office, going
over the pay roll in preparation for
the October changes. Gangs Of men
had been returning from the south
shore, and he had signed on a number.
He was aware that some of Brous-
seau's agents had been at work at
tempting to disSuade them; however,
the men wanted work, and even
Brousseau could not hire them and
keep them idle upon his skeleton COM
pany at Ste. Marie. Hilary discOv.
cred that the Ste. Marie enterprise eX-
listed only upon that of st. Boniface,
and, like the parasitic plant, withered
when its prop and sustenance was
withdrawn.
1t was two o'clock by his watch
when he pushed his papers aside and
strolled up the path that led through
the woods toward the gorge. Hilary
had, left st. Boniface behind him and
was approaching the gorge, from which
he could hear the shouts of the gang
making preparations for the discharge,
when he saw Madeleine Rosny riding
along the road toward him.
She had evidently been to the Ste.
Marie territory, and, he suspected, on
visit to Brousseau. The path was
narrow, with the descending bank Of
the wooded gorge on one hand and a
steep, shelving ascent, overgrown with
young spruce and pine, upon the other.
Hillary drew to one side, to give the
girl passage. He was watching the
trotting horse, now swiftly nearing
him, and wondering whether he ought
to make any sign Of recognition, when
he was almost thrown from his feet
by q vibration Of the ground, followed
by a dull roar that grew into an in
fernal crescendo and rolled away un-
derground in a prolonged reverbera-
ton. The charge had been exploded.
Hilary saw the horse rear, curvet,
and then, maddened with fear, leap
wildly forward. An instant later it be-
came clear that it was no longer un-
der control. The terrified animal bolt
ed at full speed along the road to-
ward him, while the girl pluckily kept
her seat and pulled with all her might,
but unRvailingly, on curb and snaftle.
She was a practiced horsewOman,
for none other could have kept her
seat when the horse went rearing
backward; but no amount of skill
could avail unless the beast were got
under control before the downhill into
the village was reached, There was
gate across the track, which Hilary
had closed. Flung over this, it would
be miracle If the girl escaped with
her life.
Hilary made his decision In an In
stant, made it with the roar Of the
released torrent in his ears, and the
thunder of the breaking jam, the crash
of logs hurled free and rebounding
from and buffeting one another. He
planted himself directly in the course
Of the maddened animal, whose hoofs
churned up shower Of stones.
Keep your seat" he shouted to the
girl.
For one instant he saw her, pale,
with frightened eyes, but firm in the
saddle, stiIl pulling against the curb,
while the open mouth, distorted by
the bit and chain that pressed the un-
derlip, foamed, and the white Of the
eyes cleaned wickedly beneath the