The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-06-16

side the room in reconnaissance. Will
ton recognized Lee Chambers.
Satisfied, apparently, that Wilton
was asleep in the next room, Chambers
began TO climb over the sill. Wilton
waited till he was balanced there, and
then, leaping forward, he drove his fist
with all his force into his face. He
felt the bone of the nose smash under
his hand.
With a muffled cry Lee Chambers
flung up his hands, slipped backward
and fell. As Wilton ran to the window
the ex-engineer leaped up and raced
toward the trees. The thought of his
treachery came into Wilton's mind and
turned his Sardonic humor into. red
rage. He reached into his desk drawer
and pulled out the loaded revolver
which he kept there. But by the time
he was at the window again Chambers
was gone. ...
Three months later an engine pushed
two ballast trucks from the west to
the east shore of Big Muskeg. The
swamp was spanned. The corduroy
had been laid upon the sink-holes. and
had borne the ballasting. The trestiing
ran from bank to bank and carried the
metals firmly, but the foundation was
only as yet laid halfway, and the final
proof had yet to be made.
However, Wilton had no doubts of
the result. He had tried out the dan
ger-spots The trestle would contain
the ballast. His work had been accom-
plished.
After the subsistence he had paid a
| flying visit to Clayton. He had not
seen Kitty, and Kitty had not returned
| to the camp, but he had had a stormy
meeting with the directors and, as he
| had foreseen, had been given his
| chance to try once more. There was,
| indeed, nothing @else to be done. Bow
| yer had made the most of the disaster;
! but it was to Bowyer's interest that
| Wilton should try again and fail. That
! would put the Missatibi promptly into
| liquidation.
Now Wilton had succeeded. Big
| Muskeg was conquered, and on the east
| shore the vanguard of the line was
driving the cleared way forward and
| pegging out the way for the metals
Soon grading would begin. Wilton's
camp would shrink, and the engines
| would be moved ahead, and-he would
| have time to think.
He dreaded that He had not seen
Molly or the factor since that night
| of the, subsistence. He knew that
| Bowyer had paid more than one visit
| to the store, but he shrugged his
shoulders and put it out of his mind.
The workmen, after their months
of arduous labor, had begun to grow
slack. There was restiveness in the
camp. Once or twice Wilton had seen
signs of liquor. He detected it in the
slowing up of work; he had smelled it
in the bunkhouses-the penetrating
odor of cheap alcohol, with it's sugges-
ton of gasoline.
Andersen, forestalling him, came to
him about the time of this discovery.
They're getting that rot-gut again.
Mr.. Carruthers," he said. Il don't
know where. I'm keeping my eyes
peeled, but 1 amt said nothing"
1.-THE best policy" said Wilton. 1.-THE
men have worked hard When this jobs
finished We'll let them slack up for
a day or two. Then We'll get down
to business on this proposition. But
if you find out anything let me know
at once"
A few days later came the spanning
of the swamp. On the same afternoon
a summons came from the court, to-
gether with a letter from Quain. The
police had at last picked up Papillon
and PaSsepartOut, and had recovered
the rifle and transit compass. Wilton
was wanted in Clayton to give evil
dence against the men.
The call was opportune. Wilton had
already determined to put into eXecu
ton a plan that he had formed. II
was now October, and little more than
two months remained before the loan
would be called. That would give
BOwyer the control of the Missatibi
Driven by the ironical realization that
he was working for Bowyer, Wilton
had resolved to go to Clayton as soon
as the trestling was completed, and
try to raise the money to pay Phayre
who, he knew, would not renew the
note.
Big Muskeg was spanned. And, or
the strength of that, Wilton believed
the time had come-to give Joe's secret
to the world. He would publish fan
and wide the secret of the wheat
lands. He would establish sufficient
confidence in the line to make the
raising of a loan a possibility.
Before leaving he placed a night
guard on duty over the Office, and ar
ranged with Andersen TO have three
or four reliable men on watch in the
event of the laborers attempting to
cross the portage He went to Clayton
and laid his statement before a di
| rectOrS' meeting They heard him liz