The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-03-08
CHAPTER IV-Continued


so it stands. after all these years."
He rubbed his face again.
Now, that's that. The thing that's
stuck in the minds of some of us is
this: that McManus. under no circum'
stances, ever showed a quarrelsome
streak, let alone giving evidence of be-
ing killer. However,"-with
shrug-"he'd been on a long, long
drunk"
He paused and shook his head.
Then went on:
Brandon carried on the partnership
and his own interests, buying his own
logs in the name of the firm and saw.
Ing them in the mill. He bought right
and left, left and right
Finally 1t came down to this one
the last which Brandon wanted and
that he didn't have He commenced to
jockey so he could get title to it. Ho-
mer Campbell was judge of probate
then. Nick went to Homer with a petit
ton to have McManus declared legal.
bated and this timber disposed Of
Mac had been gone seven years and
such an arrangement could be brought
about according TO law, you see.
However, Homer got the notion that
Brandon was a mite too anxious, salts
fled himself that while Brandon was
getting rich personally the partner
ship was in a bad way. and decided
that he wouldn't be a party to any
scheme to rob an estate.
THAT ended Homer politically. Nick
put up another candidate and trimmed
us properly and we knew that when
the new judge came in he'd take orders
from Brandon. SO Homer surprised
Brandon by reopening the McManus
matter. declaring him legally dead and
appointed me administrators for the
estate and guardian for Dawn.
Mick was pretty mad, all right!
commenced to pry into things, found
that the partnership books certainly
did look bad and decided to take a
licking there and sold out the Nc
Manus interest. We were stung, all
right, but there was no use squealing.
i took the money. paid up the mort
gage on the Hoot Owl. sent Dawn off
to school in the East where she
wouldn't be known as the daughter of
Smurderer-a cloud which was mis-
shaping her whole life-and tried to
make some money for her.
ssrThot' hoxu etopde 49,.
failed. We're on the ragged edge; the
estate right now, considering the loca.
ton of this timber in Brandon's terri
tory as liability, is insolvent. Dawn's
had to come back here to live where
she's unhappy and what's ahead of us
depends on you"
Ben gave wry smile.
"This killing thing, now. Did
anybody ever suspect Brandon?'
Able shook his head.
f"Faxson and McManus were alone.
And McManus disappeared. I know
what's in your mind, Ben. But there
was nothing to support the suspicion"
He sat silent a moment and then
asked drily: @
Haven't read old Don's letter YETI"
.".Nor yet"
swell. it's your message. that let
ter; your property" Able said "And
the nuts going to get tougher fast. 1
hate to think -what'd happen if we had
to stop saving for two or three days
right now. shutdown certainly
would put temper into the shell of the
nut. Ben, and"
He stopped short. Into the stiffness
of the room came muffled shout. Ben
started to his feet and Able turned
bewildered face in the direction of the
sound.
"Fire!" wailing voice cried. 9Th
mills on fire!"
Butler could be heard bounding from
his bed in the next room. Able lurched
to the door to see Ben Elliott flying
toward the mill-yard, silhouetted
against the dull glow of angry flame
which showed through cracks in the
mill.
A water barrel stood beneath the
slide. its bucket dangling from stick
laid across the top, but the barrel was
empty. Ben seized the bucket, smashed
the thin ice that had formed over the
hot pond. filed his pail and rushed
through the open doorways into the
smoke. He had a clear sense of Bull
ler's voice crying the alarm and of an
swering shouts as the men began turn
ing out of their blankets.
Do h;
the heart of the burning area and 1t
scattered the blaze. with wooshing
sound. The flame did not go out; 1t
only scattered. A belch of steam
screened it for an instant, putting a
blot on the savage brilliance. but In
the next breath the flame had hold
again, licking hungrily through the
water. bordering the orange glow with
red and blue streamers.
His eyes and his reason told him.
then, what his nostrils had failed to
register in his first excitement
st'Gasolinei" he painted as he ran
out, colliding with Butler in the door
way. sSomebody touched her off |! :.
Soaked with gasoline in there.
Look, it's spreading fast,"
Men were coming. shouting as they
ran through the Darkness. q In all
stages of partial dress they came
crowding close TO Elliott and Butler.
&s"Stand still. You. and keep still Y
Ben snapped You MrFee. and Won
and -,eou 's,---poiptiPs- to inaiviIlu;tis
..R ~ ni snt =
49, ~ 3 ~ ffttr isA y