Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 100: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

442 his dinner-pail down upon a stump, ‘‘ come with me, to the north of the camp—some one has been chopping there all the morn- ing.” : “‘ Chopping?” he echoed. ‘“ But it is full of young poplar there, and Théophile Bedard, of whom I took this contract, said he would not have any of it cut for five years more!” “Truly!” Mme. Grondin permitted more than a touch of sarcasm to creep into her voice. ‘Perhaps you will refuse to believe that any one is wicked enough to steal that poplar?” “Tt could be done,” replied Grondin slowly. “ Drawn down by the road that goes on the other side of Grande Montagne, and no one would be any the wiser.” “What are you going to do about it?” “Stop it!” he answered with decision; and as soon as he had eaten they set out. Before they had traveled a quarter of an hour ax-blows came ringing out of the forest, and in a few minutes more they rounded a little knoll and saw a red-shirted chopper who had already cut down a dozen of the valuable poplars. He stood half- facing toward them, and Grondin recog- nized a man called Pierre Gagnon, of Belle Riviére—a man given to dealings which had several times brought him in danger of Jail. : Telling Céleste to remain out of sight, Grondin walked toward him with no effort at concealment. A twig broke under one of his snow-shoes. Gagnon paused with his ax in mid air, guilt written plainly on his face. He let the ax down and stood with its head resting upon one of his bottes sauvages. “ Sacré!” he swore. “‘ Jacques Grondin!” “Yes,” acknowledged Jacques. ‘How do you happen to be cutting poplar on the land of Théophile Bedard?” “Bedard?” awkwardly. ‘‘ Does this land belong to Bedard?” “Tt does. What are you doing here?” ‘There are three of us in a camp on the ~ other side of Grande Montagne — we’re going to cut sixty cords for a man in Ste. Anne de Beaupré.”’ Gagnon was recover- ing from the effects of the surprise. ‘‘ What have you got to do with Bedard’s wood?” ARGOSY. AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE, ““Tve been here all winter, working for him.” “ Alone?” “ Yes.” He did not think it necessary to mention Céleste. Gagnon grew more and more assured. “ Name of the devil!” he exclaimed. “I don’t know anything about Bedard’s land— this is where we’re supposed to chop, and Tm going on with it.” “You will step now!” said Grondin Guietly. He slipped his feet out of the snow-shoe harness and advanced. Gagnon took a step backward and flung up his ax. Then Jacques, who had expected just that, leaped and caught the helve as the shining blade descended toward his head. He sent the ax flying twenty feet away, and seized Gag- non by the shoulders—had the man meant murder or had his movement been merely a threat? : For a moment he shook him until his head flopped on his shoulders. Then, al- most gently, he lifted Pierre Gagnon and set him down with his face toward the direction of Grande Montagne. “Go back to your camp,” he com- manded, “‘ and if I see you or the others chopping here, I'll — I'll treat you worse than this!” Without a word Gagnon shuffled off; while even in his own ears Grondin’s words sounded foolish, like the threat of a small boy. And when he again faced Céleste, he read confirmation in her eyes. “Mon Dieu!’ she cried. ‘“ A man tries to kill you and you shake him! Thank Heaven he will suffer when Bedard knows of this!” “ But,” protested Jacques, ayoiding her gaze as they turned toward home, “ Gag- non, you understand, has a dozen children. Théophile Bedard is a hard man—he would send him to prison because of the wood!” “Prison! Certainly.” ve But—” “ Jacques!’’ Céleste stopped and pulled at his sleeve until he faced her. “ For ten years I have endured your folly! You might have been as rich as Bedard, and instead you are poor! Are you going to send word to him by the teamsters when comicbooks.com