The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-08-04
CHAPTER VI-Continued

an hOur. Ilny was only little late
getting out. OF course, they're not our
logs. What am going to do?"
He was grinning. This was not the
sort of thing to reveal wholly to a girl
yet. Tactics such as this are mems
affairs.
Il don't know. I've got to fix 1t up
with Burke somehow. don't see how
we can use their logs legally; don't
see how they're going to get them out
without jimmying us up. Wen have
to go carefully, Ellen"
Her oh" he thought, was bit dis
mayed.
Don't worry" he assured her.
This was not Ellen calling again.
1t was Burke as John had known the
man would call or come.
Steele? Burke talking. That was
nice one somebody pulledl"
am with youi Why the devil can't
your help block their loads so they're
not running away and cluttering up
other folks miIl-yards?"
"Say, you can forget that line right
now! You know id well that those
loads didn't run awayl'
swell, If you know it all, prove
something and suggest something"
"All right: we want our logs back I"
"Then go get 'em and send 'em
around by the main line"
"Wh-what! Why, that's a two-hun-
dren-mile haul. No, sir. We expect
you to deliver those logs back to the
crossing and stand a lawsuit If you
put single one of 'em through your
mill! :"
John grinned.
Were no common carriers" he said
you've got US on the haul in; you've
no hold on us the other way. It's up
to you to prove that those logs are
anything but a nuisance to the Rich
ards company. We can't litter the
yard with 'em. If you don't get 'em
out at once Wen have to saw 'em. Is
that all?"
''Wait a minutew
The man evidently turned aside and
cupped his hand over the transmitter
while he talked with another.
''Ive got nothing else to say ex-
cept this: we expect to have our logs
back at the crossing by the end of the
week."
And you tell whoever's there coach
ing you that logs are cluttering things
up down below. If they aren't loaded
out day after tomorrow Wen start In
saving 'em. Goodbye"
He slammed up the receiver and
turned away, eyes laughing.
He was on shaky ground, he knew,
but he had misgivings on only one
score: this was that he had been SO
firm in his stand that Gorbel might
take the matter out of Burke's hands
and make his protest in person. He
did not want to confront Paul Cor
bel yet; he was not ready to have his
identity known in the country. He
pondered the possibilities at length
and finally decided that the general
manager of an operation as big as
Belknap & Gorbel would not be chas-
ing up the employees of another COM
pany. He would let Burke do the
rest of the talking for him as Burke
had done just now.
He would not have been so comfort.
able had he been aware of one in
cident which transpired after supper
that night He was In the office with
Mark and Jack TAFT when a light
driving team came trotting silently
into camp. The driver stepped down.
tied the near horse to a sapling and
approached the little building with
AT the steps which led to the door
way he slowed. however. Light
streamed through window upon
him; he glanced inside and stopped
almost with jolt.
John was standing where the rays
of the hanging lamp fell full on his
face, holding pipe in one hand and
burning match in the other. The one
outside watched John, closely, and
after a moment he laughed softly to
himself.
A man came out of the cook-shanty
and walked towards the Office The
visitor tugged at the visor of his fur
cap and turned to meet him.
"Say, Jack" he said, where's
Steele?'
"Ain't he in the office there?" the
other countered "Sure he is That's
him, standin' up there"
"Oh, thanks" and with q muttered
word about tying his team the man
turned away from the buildings. He
did no tying; he united the one horse,
mounted the seat and drove away
smartly.
Then Paul Gorbel pulled the horses
to a walk and lighted a cigar He
smoked rapidly as he thought rapidly.
He had gone into the Richards woods
headquarters tonight TO threaten and
badger this stranger named Steele
who was going so far in upsetting the
fruition of carefully laid plan. But
he had not talked to him, had not
thought of stolen logs from the mo-
ment he looked through the window.
John Belknap. masquerading as John
Steele! He removed the cigar from
his mouth and laughed once. briefly
and without mirth. Then he cut his
team cruelty with the whip and drove
on past his camp where he had
planned to spend the night, speeding
for KampfeSt. {. =. Let Burke handle
the affair of stolen logs. Larger mat
tiers commanded his attention.