The Adair County news., 1921-03-30


poker game to keep them busy in case
they don't go to bed before eight
O'clock" Bryce ordered. "In the mean
time, send man you can trust-Jim
Harding, who runs the big bull-donkey,
will do-down to the locomotive to.
keep steam up until arrive"
He had scarcely hung up, when
Buck Ogilvy came into. the office.
"Well?" he queried casually.
"Safe-o, BuckI" replied Bryce.
Nothing to do but get bite of din
ner and proceed to business"
Buck insisted on keeping an engage
ment to dine with Moira, and Bryce
agreed to call for him at the Bon
Gusto restaurant. Then Bryce went
home to dine with his father. Old
Cardigan was happier than his son
had seen him since the return Of the
latter to SeQuoia.
"Well, sonny, I've had q mighty
pleasant afternoon" he declared as
Bryce led him to the dinner table.
I've been up to the Valley, of the
Giants"
Bryce was amazed. 'Why, how
could your he demanded. "The old
skid road is impossible, and after you
leave the end Of the skid road, the
trail In to mothers grave is so over
grown with buckthorn and wild lilac
I doubt If rabbit could get through
it comfortably"
mot a bit Of It," the old man re-
piled. Somebody has gone to work
and planked that old skid road and
put up a hand rail on each side,
while the trail through the Giants has
been grubbed out and smoothed over.
All that old logging cable abandoned
in those chOppings has been strung
from tree to tree alongside the path
on both sides. I can go up there alone
now, once George sets me on the old
skid road; l can't get lost"
"How did you discover thisT' Bryce
demanded.
Judge Moore, representing the new
owner, called round this morning and
took me in tow. He said his client
knew the property held for me GER
tain sentimental value which wasn't
transferred in the deed, and so the
Judge had been instructed to have the
skid road planked and the forest tran
grubbed out-for me. 1t appears that
the valley is going to be a public
park, after all, but for the present and
while live, it is my private park"
'"This is perfectly amazing, partner"
"It's mighty comforting" his father
admitted. "Guess the new owner must
be one of my old friends-perhaps
somebody l did a favor for once
and this is his way Of repaying. I'd
like to know the name of the owner.
I'd like mighty well to say thank you
to him. 1t isn't usual for people now
adayS to have as much respect for
sentiment in an old duffer like me as
the fellow has. He sort of makes me
feel as if l hadn't sold at all"
Buck Ogilvy came out of the Bon
Gusto restaurant with Moira, just as
Bryce, with George Sea Otter at the
wheel of the Napier, drove up to the
curb. They left Moira at her board
ing house, and rolled noiselessly away.
At nine o'clock they arrived at
Cardigan's log landing and found Jim
Harding, the bull-donkey engineer,
placidly smoking his pipe in the cab.
Bryce hailed him.
"That you, JimY'
You bet"
"Run up to Jabe Curtis shanty and
tell him we're here. Have him gather
his gang and bring two pairs OF
overalls and two jumpers-large size
with him when he comes"
Presently the woods-boss, accom-
panied by thirty of his best men, came
down to the log landing. At Bryce's
order they clambered aboard the en-
gine and tender. hanging on the steps,
on the roof of the cab, on the cow
catcher-anywhere they could find a
toe-hold. Buck 0gilvy cut off the air |;
and the locomotive and tender began
to glide slowly down the almost Inn
perceptible grade. With slight click
, it cleared the switch and slid out onto
the Cardigan lateral, swiftly gather
ing speed. A quarter of mile down
the line Buck ogilvy applied the
brakes and eased her down to twenty
miles per hour.
At the junction with the main line
Buck backed briskly up into the
Lagunda Grande woods, and coupled
to the two loaded fat cars. The
woods gang scrambled aboard the
flats, and the train pulled out for Sc
quota. Forty minutes later they rum
bled down Water street and slid to a
grinding halt at the intersection Of B
street.
From the darkness Of Cardigan's
drying yard, where they had been
waiting, twenty picked men of the
mill crew now emerged. bearing Lam
terms and tools. Under Buck ogilyy's
direction the dirt promptly began to