Evening star., 1921-10-02

be as surely theirs as IL they owned
every foot of it. Inasmuch as Scatter
good planned, himself, to control Cold
river valley. the prospect was not
pleasing to him.
Scattergood closed the atlas and put
on his shoes. 'Umr' he said. Gale
late that'll keep their minds oh'n
other things a spell. If they see me
dickerin there, they won't figger I'm
dickering some place else.'
history would have recorded that he
won his battles by making feints at
some vulnerable point in the enemy's
line. and then struck his major blow
at distance where he was not sus-
pected to be operating at all.
X 4 +
TT CHANGED that Crane & Keith were
cutting timber from the Bottle.
valley so named. Their rollways
were piled high, and it was time for
them to team to the river. To reach
the river they must pass through the
bottleneck and over the farm be-
longing to Old Man Plumm. There
public road-but 1T was a ffteen-mlie
haul. Old Man Plumm was a non
assertive person and good-natured
His farm was a ramshackle, down.
at-heels. worthless place, OF which ne
CLEANED the meagerest of livelihoods,
so that he had not been averse to per-
mitting Crane & Keith to traverse his
land for a nominal consideration. 1t
was cheaper for Crane & Keith than
purchase-and so the matter stood.
Scattergood went across the road
to Lawyer Norton's Office.
Coin up Bottleneck way pretty
soon?" he asked.
mot that 1 know of, scattergood."
Mice drive. Old Man Plumm's got
farm there"
Il know that, Of course
Don't fggsr o.tns to visit haninn,np a1mr to
see that Scattergood had something
in view. II could"
Wouldn't try to buy the farm,
would you?"
Norton hesitated. Il might
"Cash?'
why, suppose So"
"in your own name. eh?, Not in
anybody else's.
Folks always pays what they have
to-no more. no less. lmmediate
Got any money!"
"Cai1 at the bank. They'll give you
what's needed. Ought to be back
with the deed by night. Fast horse?"
Fast enough"
That night Norton returned with
the deed and with Old Man Plumm,
who took the morning stage TO Con-
necticut and his youngest daughter.
Hear folks is trespassin' on your
Keith. Haulin' logs acrost. No con-
tract with you. No contract with
Plumm?"
.:Hain't got right to do it, have
they?"
..If owned that land I'd give 'em
notice." said Scattergood. "G-by,
Norton. Coin to Boston today. Set
tight, Norton. G'by."
Twenty-four hours later both Crane
and Keith were in Coldriver. storm
ing up to Lawyer Nortons once
scattergood was in Boston and not
visible.
what does this mean?" clustered
Crane, displaying to Norton the notice
mailed at Scatter goods direction.
What it says"
river"
Norton shrugged his shoulders.
.sYou can use the state road"
Fifteen miles! You know it's I'M
possible We've got millions of feet
en- our rollways. It'll doze and spoil
If we don't get II out.
That's your lookout.
What do you want?"
Nothing"
IT'S some kind of hold-up. Whatn
you take for that farm?"
mot for SALE"
what will it cost US to haul across
you?"
+ you can't haul across. Not for
money, marbles or chalk. Use the
road"
That was the best Crane & Keith
could get out of Norton. though they
besieged him for a week, though
they consulted lawyers. though they
made threats and though they begged
and promised. Norton was a stub
born man.
Il X X
Turing this week Scattergood had
been in Boston. His first visit
had been to Linderman, president of