The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-07-18

arc many men. The log. he Il pile
all about tho mill. Three thousand
tie. already they are stack up"
And the woman--she has caused
no troubles~
mo. Feuffi I have no seen her.
Mebhe 80. Get was a mistake"
Maybe. Ba'tiste. but I was sure
recognised her. The Blackburn crowd
hasn't given up the ghost YETI"
"Ah. no. Hut eet viii. sim they
think that we cannot fin tho con.
tract, They think that after the
first shipment or SO. then we will
have 20 quit
They may be right. Batiste. II
would require nearly 1000 men 20
keep that mill supplied with logs.
once we set into production. outside
OF the regular mill force. under con.
ditiona such a. thcg are now. II
would be sainoua. We've got 10 find
some other way. pa'tiste. of getting
our product TO the mill. That's all
there 10 70 a."
''iiatecse, no have think OF way
that he have keep secret. nateese
he have a. what-you@ay. hump"
"Hunch. you meanFe
"Ah. oui. Eet Ia this. We will
not bring the log to the mill. We
will bring the mill 20 tho log. We
have TO build the new plant. yes.
QUIZ Thea. ben. we shall build cot
IN tho forest. where there Is the
lumber"
quite so. And then who will build
a railroad switch that can negotiate
the hills TO the milly"
AIR Ba'tiste ciapped a hand to
his forehead 'svcritas. am the
prize. whatyou-say. squaxhl Batcese
he never think OF ectt" A moment
he HAt gium. only 10 surge with an.
other idea But. now. liatccse have
ceti lie shall 10 "a Mcdaniel He
shah tell her 10 write to the district
attorney OF Boston--thAt be viii toll
her
1T was part OF my agreement.
Ba 'tlste. that he DO forced TO make
no statements regarding my inno-
ccnce-
~Ah. but---
III was either that or lose tho ma.
chineFy. He's In business Hes
afraid of notoriety. The plain. cold
truth Is that he tried 10 railroad mo.
and only my knowledge of that fact
he'd him into doing decent and hon.
orable thing. But scaled any chance
OF his moral aid when / made my
bargain. ~ was my only chance
slowly fia'us,n nodded and slap
ped tho relns on tho back Of the
horse.
~Ba'teese win not eco MedAine."
came at last. and they went co.
Again the waiting game. but q
busy game. however. enc which kept
the Ice roads polished and slippery:
which resulted. day b. day. In q con.
Mfantly growing mountain OF logs
about the diminutlve sawmiiL One
IN which plans were drawn. and
shellliko buildings of mere Stats and
slab sidingn erected. while heavy.
stone foundations were laid in the
firm. rocky soil to support the ma
chinery. when Il arrived. A game IN
which Houston hurried from the for.
eats 10 the min and back again. now
riding tho log sicds az a matter o.
swlfter locomotlon. instead OF for the
thrill. as its once had done. Another
month wrnt By. 20 bring with II tbs
bin 81 iading which told that the
SAWS. tho ocitiugS. the planners and
edgers and trimmcrs. and the half
hundred other items OF machinery
were az last on their way. a month Of
activities and--of hopes.
For 10 Ba'tlste Rsnaud and Barry
Houston there yet remained one faint
chance. The Blackburn crowd had
taken ON a gamble. one which. at the
time. had seemed safe enough: the
investment OF thousands OF dollars
for a plant which they had believed
firmly would be free 81 competition.
That plant could not hope for suffi.
csent business TO keep IL alive. with
the railroad contract gone. and the
bigger mill OF Houston and Remand
In successful operation. There would
come the time when they must for
felt that lease and contract through
non payment. or agree To release
them to the original owner. But
would that time arrive soon enough7
II Was n grim possibility gam.
bling wager that held forth hope;
AT the same time threatened them
with extinction. For the same thing
applied 70 Houston and Ba'tixte that
applied to Blackburn and Thnyer. II
they could not make good on their
contract. the other mill was ever
ready 20 step In.
"Eet all depen'.~ said Ba'tlste more
than oncr during the snowy. frost
caked days In which they watched
every freight train that pulled.
white. coated. over the range into
Tabernacle. 'Eet all Deepen on the
future. Mebbs. no. we make Get.
Mebbe 80. We do not. But we
gamble. Ell. mon Baree7"
with our last cent" came the
answer OF the other man. and In the
voice was grimneas and enthusiasm.
II was a game Of life or extinction
now.
March. and a few warm days.
which melted tho SHOWS only that
they might crust again. Back and
forth Travelled the bobsied TO Taber.
nacie, only to meet with disappoint-
ment
1--WE wired the agent at Denver
three times about that stuff" came
the announcement OF the combined
teIegrapher and general supervisor OF
freight st the little station. He's
told me that he'd let me know as