DALE COMES INTO HIS OWN
"One thing we ought not to forget to do," said Dale. "That is to keep
an eye on Foxy Hildan."
"Yes, I'll watch him," replied Owen. "But it is more than likely that
he will make himself scarce when he finds out how the wind has shifted."
It soon became noised around that Owen had been appointed to represent
Mr. Wilbur at the camp, and that Andy Westmore had been made head
yardmaster. This was followed by a general order from Owen that all
lumber at the yards and at the flume should be shipped down to the
Columbia as fast as the cars and the creek could carry the sticks. In
addition to this a notice was posted up at the Tunley station that
fellers and sawyers were wanted immediately, and an advertisement to
that effect was likewise inserted in the Portland daily newspapers.
Some of the men, influenced doubtless by Ulmer Balasco, were inclined
to resent Owen's authority, but when one hook-tender was promptly
discharged, the others reconsidered the matter, and after that there
was little or no trouble among the hands. Some took the matter as a
joke, for lumbermen are as a class light-hearted, and the Scandinavians
waited on the new boss in a body, and demanded that he show his
authority in the proper manner--by giving them a spread with plenty to
drink.
"You shall have a spread," said Owen. "But it will be after this
railroad contract is filled. Get this through on time, and on Mr.
Wilbur's behalf I promise you that every worker shall receive a
substantial bonus for his labor."
This announcement caused a cheer, and the men went to work with renewed
vigor. Soon some new hands came in, and were taken on promptly by
Owen, and the ring of the axes and the sound of the saws came early
and late from the yards and the forest. The men on the railroad were
kept at work two hours extra out of twenty-four, and three extra men
were placed at the river to see that all the lumber went forward to the
railroad company without delay.
"Using more cars now, I see," said one of the railroad officials, to
Dale, at the end of the second day of the new order of things.
"Yes, sir, and you'll have to give us more yet by day after to-morrow."
"Balasco wasn't in such a hurry."
"Well, we are bound to make a sure thing of this contract. Remember,
thirty cars to-morrow, and forty after that."
Mr. Rice had come up and was much pleased to see that Owen had matters
in hand.
"You are doing just right," he said. "Keep it up, and you are bound to
come out on top."
"Did you arrest Ducrot?"
"No, he got away from us, but not before one of the men blackened one
of his eyes and broke his nose for him. You see, I fancy he smelt
a mouse, and one night he tried to leave our place on the sly. He
took with him a suit of clothing belonging to one man, and some gold
belonging to another. The clothes owner went after him and collared him
near the river, and they had a free fight. Ducrot had to give up the
stuff, and was nearly pounded to death before he escaped to a boat that
was leaving. We tried to trace him up, but it did no good."
"Well, I am glad the man gave him a sound beating," answered Owen.
"Perhaps it will do him good."
Philip Rice wanted to know what had become of Foxy Hildan, and was told
that he had gone away with Ulmer Balasco the night before.
"Balasco said he would be back to-night," said Dale. "But perhaps he
won't come."
"He gave me the combination of the safe," said Owen. "I didn't want
it, but he insisted that if I was going to run things, I should know
about everything."
"Humph! You just keep your eyes open."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know what is in the safe?"
"No."
"Then don't become responsible for it. If you do he may claim that you
took something out when he wasn't around."
This view of the matter worried Owen a good deal, but, as Balasco was
now away, he could do nothing.
Bruce Howard had been sent down the Columbia to bring some machinery
needed at one of the yards. He came back late that night, and at once
aroused Owen, who had just dropped asleep.
"What do you want?" demanded the young lumberman.
"I just came in," answered Bruce. "Mr. Balasco and that Hildan were
ahead of me, and they have gone into the private office. I thought
maybe you'd like to know about it."
"I do want to know about it!" cried Owen, and aroused Dale. In a few
minutes they were dressed, and then they walked toward the private
office, telling Bruce to come along.
A dim light was burning in the office, and they sneaked up noiselessly
and in a roundabout way, so as not to be seen should anybody be on
the watch. They saw Hildan appear at a window and look out for a few
seconds, then the curtain was drawn down.
"They are going to go through that safe, and I know it," muttered
Owen, and he was right. Peering under the curtain they saw Balasco and
Hildan on the floor in front of the safe, going through half a dozen
documents. Some of the documents Hildan placed in his pocket. Then
he brought other documents from another pocket and placed these in a
corner of the strong box.
"The rascals!" muttered Dale. "Owen, they are trying to pile up trouble
for you!"
"Well, both of you are witnesses to what they are doing," was the grim
answer.
"That's true enough," came from Bruce. "I'm mighty glad I spotted them."
At that moment they heard a noise some distance away. Looking forth
into the darkness, they saw the form of a man approaching on horseback.
Dale ran to meet him.
"Mr. Wilbur!"
"Hullo, is that you, Bradford? What are you doing out this time of
night?" And then the lumber merchant and capitalist rode nearer.
Owen now came up, leaving Bruce to continue watching those in the
office.
"I am awfully glad you've got here, Mr. Wilbur," Owen said warmly, as
he shook hands. "But I didn't expect you this time of night."
"I came in on the midnight Limited, and got a special order to have it
stop at Tunley. Did you get my telegram?"
"I did, and I am pushing the work as well as I can. But Mr. Balasco
is very sore, and I think he and that Foxy Hildan are plotting more
mischief. They are now in the office at the safe, and we were watching
them. You see, Mr. Balasco turned over the combination of the safe to
me, and he----"
"I understand." Jefferson Wilbur's voice grew stern. "I don't think,
though, that I'll have much trouble with him. Come with me."
Bruce was introduced, and the party of four walked to the offices. The
main entrance was unlocked, and they threw open the door and Dale lit
the large swinging lamp. Then the inner door opened, and Jefferson
Wilbur and Ulmer Balasco found themselves face to face.
For the moment there was utter silence, Ulmer Balasco staring mutely at
his partner, and Jefferson Wilbur eying the man before him critically.
"What are you up to at this time of night, Balasco?" asked Mr. Wilbur,
at length.
"I was--er--looking for some of my private papers," stammered the
other. "Now that you have placed this young fellow in charge, I didn't
want him to get mixed up in my private affairs."
"I don't wish anything to do with your private affairs," retorted Owen
quickly.
"We may as well come to an understanding to-night instead of
to-morrow," went on Jefferson Wilbur. "I know exactly how you have been
acting, Balasco. What have you to say for yourself?"
"I reckon I had a right to do as I thought best," growled Ulmer Balasco.
"And ruin me? No, indeed!"
"I wasn't going to ruin anybody."
"Yes, you were. I was to be forced out, and then you and Hildan were
going to run things to suit yourselves."
"So you think you are going to drag me into this," put in Foxy Hildan.
"Well, let me say, I won't stand for it."
"But you will," said Jefferson Wilbur sternly. "Do you know what
happened in Detroit yesterday? Radley Force was caught manipulating the
books and he made a confession concerning both himself and you. In a
few day the plain truth will be in the mouths of all, and lumbermen
generally will know exactly what sort of a man Foxy Hildan is. Hildan,
I was a fool to trust you and Balasco, but my eyes are open at last,"
added Jefferson Wilbur earnestly.
"See here, I won't stand for this sort of talk!" came blusteringly from
Ulmer Balasco. "Now you are here, I'll tell you what I propose to do.
Just as soon as this railroad contract is at an end, I shall withdraw
from our limited partnership, and then you can market your own lumber."
"Well, I imagine I can do that too," answered Jefferson Wilbur, and a
strange smile shone on his face.
"Can you? Well, we'll see. You'll have to go a long way around to get
to the river, or the railroad either."
"Not at all--that is, if I can make the necessary arrangement with Dale
Bradford here--and I think I can."
"An arrangement with me?" queried Dale, in bewilderment. "What do you
mean, Mr. Wilbur?"
"I mean this: this lumber tract is really divided into two parts. The
upper part, that away from the creek, belongs to me outright. This part
down here I always supposed belonged to Ulmer Balasco, for he said he
had purchased it from some mining company that had gone to pieces.
But when you sent out those documents about your late father's mining
claim, I had them investigated by my lawyers, and they have discovered
that this claim does not belong to Ulmer Balasco at all, but to you!"