The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-04-23
Chaptc- 36
SCOUTING TRIP

JJpITH awaited t,'e return of !" GeologiGt Kane, and the town of Big Tom seemed to wait with her; sensitive to the feeling of this mass thought, she knew they were wait ng for her to make q move.
 This fellow who's dealing with scoggins must have told item some hing," said Slim SaEscrd, as he sat on the step Of Judiths shack.
 "If We only knew what it was, said Larson, "wc might know how to deal with it. Work has actually slacked off; oh, not the hours of labor, but the efficiency
 He's probably spread the rumor that we're going to abandon the dam so Scoggins can drill for oil,' inter posed Judith wearily. "Scoggins made t plain to me that if we wouldn't stop work, they would ask for an injunction"
 But Judith," Slim interrupted, isn't the dam more important than n oil well?"
 We think so, but the rights of the individual are always important, and it would be up to the courts to iecide that. They'd probably have o set precedent with their decision because I'm sure such a problem never before has come up."
 And meanwhile" said Slim houghtfully, "the dam work would )e lying idle and that wouldn't look 70 good for you in court, would it, 1t the time of the will contest?" "She could prove it wasn't her ault couldn't she?" asked Larson.
 Yes" agreed Slim, but Lampere ,ould use the point against her case. He could say that had Big Tom been n his usual mental health, he wouldn't have overlooked protecting ,uch salient piece of land, from ,uch possible danger"
 And" added Judith, "he could say that os course one could not ex- oect mere stenographer to foresee and handle such an oversight, there ore proving her to be unworthy of her trust"
 What do you say we hop into my ship and fly up to Scathborne's field? /? 1t MoE't be as trying as sitting here waiting fer Kane. xa
 The2 followed the course of the !i.o Diablo up tc the point where it forked, one fork working it's way into the low lying hills. the other curviny aimlessly through a section of brown plain.
 Slim, eyes accustomed to reading tho far mystery of the earth's topog- raphy. sighted Scathborne's field be. low and started banking through the sanset to a height where the others could see it.
 The wooden derrick had been erected, and although the little shed housing the machinery which SUD- piled the dynamo was but half com pleted, the dynamo was evidently in working order, for as they watched lights flashed on and off on the der rick.
 Kane was waiting for them when they landed. Judith spied him first and set the rapid pace for the others. Eagerly the trio faced the geologist and waited for his verdict.
 "NT TOW of course" he parried, I'm l ' not psychic enough to tell whether there is oil any place. but l can tell you this much. There is every evidence of Scathborne's hay ing struck a lucky pool"
 And our land here, Scoggins' land?" interposed Judith.
 "There isn't any reason, geologi- ca! or otherwise, to allow anyone to believe there is oil there-"
 "Then why" began Max Larson.
 "Ill answer that" said Judith with sudden conviction. Its clear TOW. the whole thing. Lampere has had sp unbelievably lucky break. If Scathborne brings in a well and Scoggins is drilling. Big Toms dream of building a dam in this val ley, will he outiawed.
 ''If there is oil here and the people dcn't need the dam; don't vent il because 1t will flood lapd f-c;a which they can wir more mo3cv thsr Hey ctEi6 i'l thou saN0 yaars iiy farming it, t'iers will he ac moro :.aAi nf ny going cr with sfs 1aU anS 's.a lnGisal procedure ,e any iurv VII .-e tp rstrrn that 7svins nnnny 5aeK to Mathile and MYs. 8evins''