Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-19
CHAPTER XIX
YakimOv Reveals Himself

1t was with some misgivings that
Peter left his cabin, leaving Hawk
Kennedy there to sleep off the effects
OF his potations, but the situation at
che lumber camp was SO hazardous
that his presence was urgently required.
Hawk had awakened early, very early,
and very thirsty, but Peter had told
him that there was no more whisky
and threatened to throw over the whole
affair Of he didn't sober up and behave
himself. And so, having exacted a
promise from Hawk Kennedy to leave
the Cabin when he had had his sleep
out, Peter had gotten the "fivver"
from McGuire's garage Gas was his
custom) and driven rapidly down to-
ward the camp.
He had almost reached the conclu-
sion that the copy Of the partnership
threat over Mcclure had ceased to ex :
ist-that 1t had been lost, effaced or
destroyed. But he wanted to be more
certain of this before he came out into
the open, showed his hand and Nc
CURES and defed the blackmailer to
do his worst. He felt pretty sure now
from his own knowledge Of the man
that, desperate though he was in his
intention to gain a fortune by this ex-
pedient, he was absolutely powerless to
do evil without the signature of Nc
Guire. The question as to whether OF
not he would make a disagreeable pub.
licity of the whole affair was impor-
tant to Mcclure and had to be avoided,
II possible. for Peter had given his
promise to bring the affair to a Quie.
conclusion.
Until he could have a further talk
with Mcclure, he meant to lead Hawk
Kennedy on to further condolences, and
with this tend In view and with the
further purpose Of getting him away
him late that afternoon at fork Of the
road to the lumber camp. the other
prong of which led to settlement of
several shanties where Hawk had man
aged to get lodging on the previous
night and on several other occasions.
In his talk with the ex-waiter he
learned that on his previous visits the
man had made a careful survey Of the
property and knew his way about al
most as we'll as Peter did. II appeared
that he also knew something Of Peters
problems at the lumber camp and the
difficulties the superintendent had al
ready encountered in getting his sawed
humber to the railroad and in complet-
ing his fire. towers. Indeed, these difh
culties seemed only to have begun
again, and 1t was with great regret that
Peter was obliged to forgo the oppor-
tunity of seeing Beth that day. per.
haps even that evening. But he had
told her nothing Of his troubles the
night before, not wishing to cloud
day so fair for them both.
The facts were these: Flynn and
jacob, the men he had dismissed. had
appeared again at the camp in his alb
sencs. bent on fomenting trouble, and
Shad Wells, already infiamed against
the superintendent had fallen an easy
prey to their Vaccinations. Accidents
were always happening at the sawmills,
accidents to machinery and implements
eliminating at last In the blowing out
of a tube Of one of the boilers. 1t was
this misfortune that had held the work
up for several days until q spare boiler
could be installed. Peter tried to find
out how these accidents had happened,
but each line of investigation led up
a blind alley. Jesse Brown, his fore
man, seemed to be loyal, but he was
easy going and weak. With many Of
his own friends among the workers both
at the camp any mills he tried to hold
his Job by carrying water on both
shoulders and the consequences were In
evitable.
sistance and the trouble grew. Peter
saw his weakness and would have picked
another man to supersede him, but
there was no other available. The truth
was that though the mems wages were
high for the kind of work they were
doing. the discomfort that they had
brought with them was In the air.
The evening papers brought word Of
trouble In every direction, the threat
ened railroad and steel strikes and the
nrospect of coalless winter when the
miners went out as thy threatened 70
do on the LIST Of NoS hber,
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