Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-02-01
CHAPTER ll-continuea

did not come. Instead of fgurative-
ly falling on his neck and hailing
him as the savior of the day, :she
folded her small hands and looked
at him with a gaze as searching as
1t was level.
Perhaps you're asking for more
than you understand In the
way of trouble, | mean. | need help
and right away, but | wouldn't want
any man to come to work for me with
out knowing just how desperate the
situation Is. That, you see, wouldn't
be fair to to the sort of mar
/ need.
People who have known this
company for years figure that we
are through. Even the men on the
job have the notion that we're
marked paid. Perhaps they are
right; I'm trying to prove them
wrong.
Il II might be simpler If
j knew just how much you have
heardf"
he told her tersely the gossip he
had listened to in the past hour,
and she nodded slowly.
Those things are all true. There's
a fundamental problem of finance.
however. which is behind Ii all. The
Bank of Kampfest. now owned by
Belknap X Gorbel. holds enough of
our paper to make our statement
look very bad. We can hope for
nothing but embarrassing demands
there. The only way we can meet
those obligations and keep from be
ing sold out to satisfy them Is TO
keep the mill saw ing. | can borrow
on lumber in the yard from Milwau
kee banks, largely because we have
some very favorable contracts. How
ever, the contracts will be voided
unless we are prepared to meet
their terms of regular and prompt
deliveries.
THE way out now goes back to
keeping the mill logged and run
ming. Things haven't been any too
smooth al the woods end you know
what we are up against In the mat
ter of transportation, evidently. We
can't spend a dollar for more equip.
ment- We must keep afioat with
what we have or go down"
She paused and John had a queer
feeling: annoyance at her apparent
competence.
"Snow came early and we're GO.
Ing to have trouble with it. We
have fourteen miles of railroad
through choppings where drifting
will be certain. | was worried to-
night and went looking for Tiny and
Way-Bill-my engineer and conduc-
tor-to have them take the pillow out
Ii 1t didn't LEI up. That's how |
happened TO see your reception. The
snow has stopped; we're safe for
tonight. How long we're safe, no
one can tell Without fighting snow
we've been unable to build up a
reserve of logs In the millyard. A
three-day shut down would ruin US"
She paused again and her eyes
shifted N moment from his intent
scrutiny. She talked like a a
q business man. but that change In
her face indicated to John that she
was playing up TO a part, downing
her weaknesses and limitations with
an effort which gave her a superb
cial veneer Of GOODNESS. hardness.
mo. things haven't been going so
well in the woods. | kept Royce.
my fathers old superintendent, on
because | could trust him absolutely
and | | need men can
trust"-the shell she had built about
herself giving way ever so little for
the moment. I'VE were lust get.
ting along when Mr.. Belknap him
self came to Kampfest."
Johns mouth frightened and his
brow gathered closer.
"He seems to have arranged
things very well. For a year Mr.
Gorbel. his partner, has been ask.
Ing ME to put a price on the prop
erty. | have refused. After MIR.
Belknap left. the process of forcing
us out began. They overtaxed our
railroad with their logs; then Mfr
Belknap's hired thug put my super
intendent out of the picture. The
camp foreman. Mark Saunders. isn't
up 10 the Job. Two others who are
good l0ggers won't come now that
the story has got around that Tom
Belknap is after the Richards hide.
"That is the situation" she end
ed abruptly. That's what a super.
intendent will have to confront
Who are you to do III"
He smiled. despite the unpleas.
ant conviction that this Ellen Rich.
ards was going to be amazingly
hard to deal with. and reached into
a pocket for his bill-fold.
"A fellow doesn't like to polish his
own medals" he laughed. a bit ner
vously. as he considered the thin
ice on which he was treadlng
"Tve only held one job that amount
ed to Notwithstanding through
the papers in the wallet I've had
four years In forestry school, ,uf
the value 0f that remains to be
proven. | suppose" He handed ove