The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-03-25
CHAPTER 10.
tafe ConneII Explains.


Hilary hired Monsieur Tremblay's
buggy and started out with Lafe. with
tho intention Of covering n portion of
tie limits and seeing the operations of
the tobbers: he also meant 10 Keep
his eyes open as to the nature of
the timber.
The buggy surmounted hill, and
another hill appeared in the distance.
Here and there, scattered along the
roadside, were solitary cablus, with
little patches of cultivated ground
about them.
"And on the right Of the read 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'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
fir2" he asked, "There's enough lum-
ber here to FIJI our dam instead of
the Ste. Marie company's logs"
Lafe answered volubly, but did not
meet Hilary's eyes.
'You see. Mr.. Aslsew," he began to
explain. ats this way. There's
good deal Of fir on our property. 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 IL we go
slow for a while and give the trees n
chance to grow, they'll be worth twice
as much In few years. We're de-
veloping the property slowly, Mr..
Askew--"
Hilary's hand fell on Lafe's shoul-
der. "Connell," he said. ~ 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"
Lafe stammered and hung his head
like schoolboy caught in wrong
doing. But Hilary's hand was grip
ping his shoulder, and at last Lnfe
raised his head and looked straight
at Hilary.
"If l thought you'd stick here" he
said. II guess I'd back you to the linn
II. But youll never stand for st.
Boniface, Mr.. Askew. They're so In
fernally slow here, they amt got hui
man ways, sir. And they're crooked.
I thought, when heard you was com
ing. you'd be like Mr.. Morrls--I mean.
wise to the game-but you amt. /
guess most blsi 1ess Is crooked every
where, but here It's crooked all
through. You'll be selling out to Mr..
Brousseau In months time, and
that1l be my finish"
'You're dead wrong, Connell," an
swered Hilary. ~ 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 Connelrs keen gray eyes
met his searching inquiry; then he
took Hilnry's hand and wrung II.
II believe you mean what you say,
Mr.. Askew," he returned. "And you
can reckon on me so fur as my duty
goes"
IL suppose that tale about the Ros-
ny selgniory being nothing but fir is
lie, Connellf" asked Hilary pres
emily, as the pony ambled through
valley overgrown with red pine.
"Mostly," said Lafe. "There is
and pine TO make the concession pay,
II Mr.. Morris wanted IL to-"
$50 Morris has been playing double?"
Lafe nodded. "You see, Mr.. Askew,
It's this way" he said. "When Morris
came up here l believe he meant 10
run straight. But he'd been lumber
man In 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
Il 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
seigniory 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 Hosny.
'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 lund Brous-
s"au started in TO sqgseze your uncle
out. And Morris went with him. He
played double as you wera saying.
hf. t-o,.. mn -.