The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-03-09
Poor mi a M
Rock

BEHrRAND w, SINCLAIR
cep-r,ss,. 1889. ny IaAi.. prc~r a CO


ly got tired OF him. She went away
with another man. Norman IL get.
ung divorce-the decree absolute
viii be granted In March next. lie
wants me to marry him.
"win your
Dolly looked up TO meet MacRae's
wondering stare. she nodded.
You're a tripie-plated foot" he
said roughly.
II don't know" abe replied
thoughtfully. Norman Cover has
made me dreadfully unhappy. But
loved him before he went away.
and l love him yet I want him
Just the same And he says-hc
says-that he never stopped carin.
for me-that II was like a bad
dream. I believe him. And | can't
punish him without Furnishing my.
self"
so you7i marry him eventually ?"
MacRae asked
Dolly nodded
III he doesn't change his mind"
she murrnured. ''oh. shouldn't
say ugly things like that. II sounds
cheap and mean. But Il hurts. a.
hurts mo TO think OF IL feel
ohcated--cheaiedr'
Her eyes giowcd somberiy. look.
Ing away thru distant spaces.
And MacRae. conscious that she
had said her say. feeling that she
wanted to be alone. as be himself
always wanted to figh, a grief or a
hurt alone and In silence. walked
out into the sunshine.
lie went up the path around the
Cove , head 10 the porch of his own
house. sat down on the top stcp.
and cursed tho Covers, root and
branch lie hated them. everything
Of the name and blood. with pro
found and active hatred
To hts own score against the
Covers he now added this hurt OF
Doiiy's and the thing which burned
in his soul spurred him on night
and day.
ny the tine Jack MacRae was
writing August on hts sales slips he
was conscious OF an important fact.
namely. that nearly a hundred gas
boat fishermen. trolling Sauitty hal.
and the tssllenaS. Gray Rock. even
farther afield to Yellow Rock Light
and Iamber, channel. were com
pactiy behind him. In the territory
his two carriers covered. Macfsae
was becoming the uncrowned sai.
mon king. Other buyers cut In
from tune TO time. They did not
fare well.
The Folly. bay collectors Jared
little better than outside buyers. In
Iaiy Cover met MaeRae's price by
two successive raises. lie stopped
a, that. MaeRae did not, Each
succeeding run OF salmyn averaged
greater pourdss~. They we're worth
more. AacHaa paid soc. sse.
The salmon were worth the price.
They were worth double to a can
merry that lay mostly Idle for lack
OF fish. The salmon. now. were
running close TO SIX pounds each
The finished produce was SIS a
case in the market. There are ~
onepound cans In . case. To q
man familiar with packing coats .,
Il . simple sum. Macfsae often
wondered why Cover stubeornly
refused to pay more
Marllae 20, a little further light
on this attitude from stabby Abbott.
The old boy In sore AZ boil at
you and me-" stuhby chuckled. II
don't blame him much. lie has had
a cinch there 70 long he thinks ia
his private pond. You've certainly
put crimp In the Folly bay blue
back pack--;o my grca, benefit"
III you can pay 80 cents a fish and
pack profitably. why can't Folly bay
meet that competiuon7 Rather. why
won't they
Matter Of policy. maybe Stubby
haxarded. Cover may figure that
he viii eventually get these fish at
his own price. II were eliminated.
he would"
I'D Sun be on the job MaeRas
veutured.
would you. tho stubby asked
doubtfully.
Yea" MacRae made his reply
positive in tone.
You could buy all right That
sqnItty island bunch Of trollcrs seefn
convinced you are the whole noise
in the salmon line. But without
Grow harbor where could you I'M
load such quantities Of fish,"
II struck MacRae that there was
something more than mere casual
speculation In stubby's words
"a good general" he said with n
dry smile. don't advertise his plan
OF campaign in advance. Without
Crow harbor as a market could not
have done what ! have done this
season. But Grow hsrbor could shut
down tomorrow--and I'D 10 on Just
the same"
stubby poked thoughtfuiy with a
pencil at the bIotter on his desk.
We'll. Jack. may as well be quite
frank with you" he said at last IL
have had hints that may mean
something. The big run will be over
at squitty In another month. / don't
believe I can be dictated 10 on short
notice. But I cannot positively say.
II you can see your way 10 carry
on. II will quite relief to me. An.
other season II may be different"
Il think I can"
But tho AacRae said this conf.
IDENTITY. he was privately not 40 sure.
From the very beginning he had cI.
pected pressure to come on Stubby,
as the active head OF the Crow har.
Dor. A man like Cover did not lie
down and submit passively to being
beaten at his own game.
For first move MacRae hired an
engineer. put Steve Fcrrara in
charge Of the Blsckbird. Then he
took the next train to Bellingham,
a cannery town which looks out on
the southern end Of the Gulf Of
Georgia from the American side OF
the boundary. He extended his jour.
ney TO Seattle. Altogether. he was
gone three days.