The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-08-18

THANK you. Marie" he said. "May-
be there are things I'll be asking OF
you laterl Just do your Job and wait
If have to see you. I'll write note
and let you plan the meeting.
"Tm awfully obliged. Good night"
He went then. leaving her In the
doorway. She watched him go and
finally turned into the house with a
sigh.
Gosh I" she said. "Gosh. AS
hard to make as million dollars !"
But as she climbed the stair her dis
appointments casual sort OF emo
tion-gave way to hard joy. She
lighted her room and took off her coat
with quick. angered movements.
"You got gay with the wrong party.
you double-crosser! she muttered,
and her weak. pretty little face was
unlovely to behold. Woman scOrned
In his room at the boarding house
John wrote letter before he turned In
II was to Bradshaw. brief and to the
point. And the concluding paragraph
read:
"And so send the following message
to 7. A. Wolcott, St. Anthony's Trust
Co., Minneapolis. He Is an old friend;
open his reply and follow any leads
he may give you.
"'Please find out at once all you
can about investors In and officers
of North Star Lumber Co., ST. Paul,
also advise me of its local standing
stop Send reply to Nat Bradshaw,
this address-JOHN BELKNAP.'
Paul Gorbel had not attended the
dance. He had had other matters to
occupy him. Neither had Baxter been
in the recreation hall, though on
other Saturday nights he had cccu-
pied his place by the fire and made
his uncouth observations of women for
the benefit of boys and low-grade men,
Tonight he stood in the shadow of
a lumber pile with Gorbel and took his
orders, but he took those orders.
snapped at HON coldly, with grace.
"But s'pose it kills hint" the man
muttered.
$50 much the better "
"Good Cd, Gorbel, | don't want to
kill any of old Tom Belknap'si'
I'm giving you your orders. If you
don't go through with it remem-
Der, I know who has your thumb
prints and your pictures"
THAT crowds me, Gorbel. / s'spose
I'll have it to do. You've got me in q
hole"
Good guess. This week. re-
member. You've every chance in the
world, to get away with it."
And so while John Belknap toiled at
the hotpond in a fever of suspense and
excitement, death stalked him. wait
ing. skulking in the shadows. But this
morning he was on the far side of the
pond; that evening he worked close to
another man of the crew. This day.
one man alone could not handle the
stake trips on the tilted, heavily laden
cars; the next, the pond was full and
no loads had been set in. SO on.
until Thursday.
Thursday afternoon, then. with the
yard engine setting in more cars; pull
ing out, leaving the loads on the
canted track beside the pond to throw
dark shadows beyond them. A prowl-
er could come through the lumber
yard then he could slip forward ST.
-lently in the snow, squatting on the
dark side of the trucks +. waiting,
watching.
Arcoss the pond was Ole, tooling
log slowly towards the slide where
other workers were busy. And now
John Belknap. walking swiftly. pike
pole over his shoulder. He was
abreast the car now, and the prowler.
hands on the trips. bent low to look
beneath, saw his legs.
hiss of breath. jerk with great
hands and logs were careening down
upon that man beneath theml
On the first stir, John looked sharp
ly. He had a glimpse of smooth
beech log bursting from the chains
that had held it, hurtling at him
through the air. outrider of score
of others, rolling, bouncing. leaping
towards him!
No place to go, therel Eight feet
ahead would put him In the clear;
eight feet backward, and he would be
safe. But eight feet are two
strides. 1t takes man time to get
under way.
One other place, then; the pond
Eyes open, hands extended, he cut
the water His hip brushed one log
and as he went under swimming
nightly, he felt the first of the down.
rolling deck touch his leg. Touch It'll
That was all. He had found an open.
ing. He had missed catastrophe by
inches. !. IS. And he was under the
logs, swimming. cropping for way out
Ole had seen. With a cry he saw
John disappear. With shrill yelp he
leaped to a maple, danced along q
hemlock, skipped over a trio of small
birches Close together the logs lay In
the pond; scarcely room for a man to
slip between them anywhere therei
He gagged the distance. He swung
his pike-pole. He brought his weight
to bear on a high-riding log. and
showed it with all his strength, crowd
ing It away with the pole. showing the
one on which he stood In the opposite
direction with his feet.
Above him a bright electric light
glowed from its pole. The opening
water was sable velvet, stippled with
eddies.
Hi !" he yelled. "Hi, joint"
A hulpino SWirlino An aru