The Dolores star., 1921-04-01

Its wonderful" Sac said presently
spropos Of nothing.
Aye" he replied In HIS deep. melo-
dious voice. I've been sitting here. my
dear. listening to your thoughts. You
know something. now. of the tie that
binds my boy TO Sequoia. Thls"-he
waved his arm abroad in the dirk
| ness-"this is the true essence OF life
10 create, TO develop the gifts that
God has given us--to work and know
the blessing of weariness-to have
dreams and see them come true. That
Is life. and | have lived. And now |
am ready to rest" He smiled visit
fully. "'The king Is dead. Long live
the king wonder II you. raised as
you have been, can face life In SeQuoia
reSolutely with my son. II is dull.
drah sawmill town where life unfolds
gradually without thrill-where the
years stretch ahead of one with only
trees. among simple folk. The life
may be hard on you, Shirley; one has
to acquire n taste for II, you know
al have known the lit Of battle,
John-partuer, she answered; "hence
I think can enjoy the sweets OF vic
tory. | am content"
"And what run you did give that
boy Bryce"
She laughed softly. 81 wanted him
TO fght: had a great curiosity to see
the sun that was In him." she ex-
planned.
Next day Bryce Cardigan, riding the
top log on the end truck of long
train just in from Cardigan's woods
In Township Nine. dropped from the
end of the log as the train crawled
through the mill yard on its way to
the log dump. He hailed Buck Ogilvy.
where the latter stood in the door of
the office.
Big doIngs M on Little Laurel
creek this morning. Buck"
"Do tell" Mr.. Ogilvy murmured
morosely
at was great" Bryce continued
"Old Duncan McTavish returned.
knew he would. His year on the
mourner's bench expired yesterday.
and he came back to claim his old Job
OF woods boss"
Hes one year too late" Ogilvy de-
clared. 81 wouldn't let that big Cana
dian Jules Rondeau quit for farm.
Some woods boss. that-and his first
job with this company was the dirtiest
you could hand hiIn-sineuring grease
on the skid road ut n dollar and half
i,y
to lose out now. l don't care what his
private morals may be. He can get
out the logs. hang his rnscally hide,
and I'm for him"
I'm afraid you haven't anything to
say about it. Buck" Bryce replied
dryly.
II haven't Ell? Well. any time you
deny me the privilege Of hiring and
firing you're going to be out the serv-
ice OF rattling good general mana
ger, my son. Yes, sir! II you hold
me responsible for results | must Sc
lect the tools ! want to work with"
"Oh, very we'll" Bryce laughed.
"Have 1t your own way. Only II you
can drive Duncan McTavish out of
Cardigan's woods I'd like to see you
do 1t. Possession is nine points of
the law. Buck-and Old Duncan is in
possession"
what do you mean-ln pOssession?''
81 mean that at ten o'clock this
morning Duncan McTavish appeared
at our log landing The whisky fat
all ha
peared forty years old instead of the
sixty that he Is. With II whoop he
came jumping over the logs. straight
| for Jules Rondeau. The big Canuck
saw him coming and knew what his
! visit portended-so he wasn't taken
| unawares. 1t was case of fight for
| his job-and Rondeau fought"
1.-THE devil you say"
81 dO-and there was the devil To
| pay. II was rough and tumble and
no grips barred-just the kind of Il
| fight ROndeau likes. Nevertheless Old
| Duncan tioOred him. While he's been
away somebody taught him the ham
mer lock and the crotch hold and Il
few more fancy ones, and he got tC
work on Rondeau in hurry. In
fact he had to. for II the tussle had
| gone over five minutes Rondeau's
youth would have decided the issue.
And Rondeau was whipped?"
ITO whisper. Mac foored him
! and choked him until he beat the
ground with his free hand in token OF
surrender; whereupon old Duncan lei
him up. and Rondeau went to his
shanty and packed his turkey. The
last saw OF him he was headed ovei
the hill to Camp Two on Laguna
Grande. He'll probably chase that as
sistant woods boss hired after tn,
consolidation out of Shirley's wood.
and help himself to the fellows Job
] don't care If he does. What interests
me Is the fact that the old Cardigan
woods boss is back on the Job in Car
dignns woods, and I'm mighty glad OF
| It. The old horsethief has had hi,
lesson and will remain sober here
after. ] think he's cured"
"rhe Infamous old outlaw!"
"Mdc knows tho Gan uodrlr ~. ,