Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

. Pee a ' xo . MP fa LH ANY, ‘ £5 (rei ; y 588 , be tes Lo eae OP Bat bP stig Fad LY et ESM eine Ce St | MU) ft Pay) Ae, Were) A AN See PUR 4) HATHA TUL hChtak ae hy « . ’ ) ‘ . ; v ' v) v ; | \ 1 fut. Niver a cint av damages did he pay me, an’ whin Oi lawed um, Oi got bate. He'd too much money f’r the likes av me _ te bate him, wid his witnesses all swearin’ *twas me own fault th’ log W was dropped on me fut.” A half hour before train time the Bled. gett’s logging locomotive drawing the ca- boose puffed onto a side track, but the oc- cupants did not leave the car until the ticket agent unlocked the door of the de- pot. Then Bledgett- stepped across and puchased the tickets, and returned to the caboose. A few minutes later Neely pur- chased the tickets fer the three and wired the attorney at Little Falls. When the single, long whistle of the big train answered the flag signal the three started from the hotel. As they reached the door they were joined by MacCor- ~ mack who, clad-in a severe black suit, was carrying a very a suitcase. “Where you goin’ te?” asked Nay in surprise. ““Who, me?” answered the landlord. “Orm goin’ to St. Paul. Oi know some- thin’ about MacAlister’s timber, an’ th’ time he’s spint workin’ ut, an’ th’ results he’s got—an’ av an-ny word Oj cud say wud do harm to owld Blodgett, Oi’m the boy ll be there wid a mouthful.” As the heavy train ground to a stop at the wooden platform of the station, the two opposing factions came face to face at the vestibuled door of the ear. Standing between her father and Neely the girl studied the faces of the men who stepped on board. Blodgett, the collar of his fur coat turned up about his ears, kept his eyes severely to the front, noticing neither by word nor look the four who stood side by side on the platform. Sam King, carry- ing his employer’s leather bag, followed, - grinning fatuously as he eyed the Mac- Alister crowd. Last came Leonard who, with eyes averted, crowded hastily aboard the car. On board the train Neely led the way to a day coach where, turning a seat, the four sat facing each ‘other. A desultory conversation waxed and waned as the train clicked over the rails sca! the long hours as of the forenoon. = 2 ARGOSY-ALLST ORY WEEKLY. Outside, oe eount cut-over sale: = ward—a desolate waste of scrub eak and — maple, with occasional stands of jack pme or hardwood that had not yet been laid dewn by the saws of the fallers. It was desolate, indeed, to these men who knew the country as it had been only a few years ago, and as if to accentuate the desolation, bare, white squares showed at intervals— squares that were the snow-buried fields of settlers, who, attracted by the low price of the cut-over lands had built their houses, cleared the land of the stumps and brush, and were fighting the long, losing battle with the sand. At Little Falls Neely stepped from the train and returned presently with a paper bag filled with sandwiches and doughnuts. “Where’s your friend, the lawyer?” asked the girl, as the boss resumed his seat. “‘ He'll be along pretty soon. I seen him git on the train, but I was afraid Id miss gittin’ this grub 7 I didn’t hurry. Seen old Blodgett, too. He was at the telegraft office when I come through from the res- taurant.” - Nearly an hour passed before the at- torney, a squat man, with an ill-fitting suit of store clothing, and necktie awry, ap- proached down the aisle and halted beside the boss. “ Hello, Mr, Jenkins,” Neely greeted, “Folks this here’s Mr. Jenkins the lawyer I was tellin’ about. ‘This is MacAlister, an’ Miss MacAlister, an’ Pat MacCormack.” The man in the aisle acknowledged the introduction with a bob of the head that in- cluded the group, and addressed Neely. “What was It you wanted of me!” he asked. ~ MacCormack arose from his seat. “ Set here where ye kin chin between yez. Oi'll be goin’ to the smoker f’r a bit av a smoke.” Jenkins slouched into the proffered seat, and Neely preceeded to enlighten him. When the boss had finished Jenkins scratched the side of his neck wath a black nailed thumb. “¢ Fest leave it all to me, Neely,” he said, complacently. “We've got ‘em beat a mile. They ain’t got a leg to stand on. You folks rest easy. You won’t even need to appear before: the committee. Vil cS = EO im: =cO micboo S