Carnac's Folly, Volume 1.

he water with wonder and admiration. He sees a cluster of logs gather and climb, and still gat

en the pike-pole, or the lever, reaches the heart of the difficulty, and presently the jam breaks, and the logs go tumbling into the main, while the vicious-looking berserker of the water runs bac

Grier's gang had been needlessly offensive. Bunder had been stupidly resentful. When Grier's men had tried to force his hand also, he had resisted. It chanced that, when a

evitable. What he did remained a river legend. By good temper and adroitness, he reconciled the leaders of the two gangs; he bought the freedom of the river by a present to Bunder's daughter; he won Bunde

n face, the clear, strong brown eyes and the brown hatless head rose up

things than that in your t

n't it?" He waved a hand to the workmen on the river, to the tumbling rushes of logs and timber. Then he looked far up the stream, with hand shading

, and what's your nam

ime! I don't believe you could have done it, Mr. Grier. No master is popular in the

drink." Now he laughed broadly. "By gosh, it's all good! Do you know, Mr. Grier, I came out here a wreck eight years ago. I left Montreal then with a spot in my lungs, that would kill me, they

do in the w

ng it from love of the life that's been given back to me. Yes, this is the life that makes you take things easy. You don't

d heard of him under another name. Now Grier had seen him, and he felt he would like to tell John Grier some

I don't chew; but I eat -by gosh, I eat! Nothin

med John Grier. "Good

l right, and I read a

he old library a

sse. He was a great man, Father Labasse. He helped me. I was there three years, and then was told I was going to die. It was Labasse who gave me this tip. He said,

th your wages?" as

ur hundred acres twenty miles from he

s it

uppose I'd keep a fa

run

and there he is-making money, and making the land good. I've made him a partner at last. When it's good enough by and by, I'll pro

own sharply again, noting the splendid physique, the quizzical, mirth-provo

ht years; I'm as hard as nails; I'm as strong as steel

ps and the dirty, drunken vill

t. I take them in, b

times when you first c

ht with the men

they liked that. I used to make the stories up, and they liked that also. When

rd of you, but

of me as

nder I never came acr

the reason. When you came north,

eagerly. "Do you do these things in the Garden of Eden w

the big ones, or if we were at war with-Belloc, eh!" A cloud came into the eyes of Tarboe. "If I

ciously, his eyes hardened. "You people don't play your gam

you chang

s boss like you, I'd cha

to my

his face and eyes. "I've never met anybody like you b

better than everything else in the world, and when you've go

. I believe in war." He waved a hand. "What's the difference between the kind of thing you've done to-day, and doing it with the Belloc gang-with the Folson gang-with the Long

y-almost t

n Grier. His eyes seemed to pierce those of the younger man. "I like you," he continued, suddenly catching Ta

ed. "By gracious, we're well met! I never was in a bigger hole in my life. O

ow," remar

o earn it. When Fabian left me, I tried Carnac. I offered to take him in permanently. He tried it, but he wouldn't go on. He got out. He's twenty-six. The papers are beginning t

he things that Shakespeare, or Tennyson, or Tit

bigger," wa

at it, I suppose. Think the thing you do is better t

ou ever had. You've found your health; come back and keep it. Don't you long for the fight, for your finger at somebody's neck? That's what I felt when I was your age, and I did it, and I'm doing it,

ment, with a sudden thirst in his throat and bit