The Man in the Twilight

lided through the still waters. The cockleshell of the Atlantic billows had become a thing of pride i

its proportions. The bridge was set high and possessed a spacious chart h

ficers occupied the starboard side of the bridge,

cle that makes this place. It'ud take a ten-thousand tonner with fathoms to spare right away up to

pea-jacket he was wearing was welcome enough. His keen eyes were searching, and no

he finest of 'em lack. Those headlands we passed away back. Why, the Atlantic couldn't blow a storm big enough t

kipper grinned

'd maybe lay off days to get inside, only to find yourself snow or fog bound for weeks on end. We make it because we have to with mails. But you can't run cargo bottoms in wi

a moment later the engine-room teleg

t with his b

ality was staunch and picturesque, and pointed much of the climate rigour they were called upon to endure. But they only formed a background to, perhaps, the most wonderful sight of all. A road and trolley car line skirted each foreshore, and the mind behind the searching eyes wa

orld of buildings, occupying all the lower levels of the territory on both sides of the

dredfold by his self-interest. This place was to be in his control, possibly his p

are figure. His patient kindliness and sympathy, and yet with the will and force behind it which could fling the muzzle of a gun into a man's face and force obedience. He had se

t. I've spent my life on this darn coast, an' never guessed to see the day when trolley cars 'ud run on Labrador, and the working folk 'ud sit around in their dandy houses, with electric li

full well the answer. He wanted to hear, he wa

hook hi

self Bat Harker. They never talk a heap. But since Leslie Standing passed out o' things eight years back-the time I was first handed command of this kettle-the mill's jumped out of all notion. Those tr

essively. Then h

then when that happened along. But it was jest talk. Canteen talk. Something sort of happened. No one seemed rightly to know. They guessed Bat was a tough guy who'd boosted him out-some way. Then I heard his wife had quit and he was all broke up. Then they said he'd made losses of millions on stock market gambles. But the yarns don't fit. You see, the mill's gone right ahead. The capital's there, sure. They've just built and built. There's more than twic

to his telegraphs. The business of running

*

berth. The engine-room telegraph chimed its final order, and the vessel's busy heart came to

pea-jacket, he bulked enormously. His more than six feet of height was lost against his massive breadth of shoulder. Then, too, his keen face

g about him to single him out from those who stood on the quay. The rough clothing of his original calling was very dear to him, and he clung to it tenaciously. He seemed to have aged not one whit in the added eight

hen it shook his purpose. But with him Sachigo was a religion, and his faith saved him. For a while, in both letter and spirit, he obeyed his orders, and Sachigo stood still. Then his philosophy carried the day. It was his

up the cove was still on him. His pre-occupation left him

l your b

t. He was gazing down into the upturned face of Bat Ha

somewhere," Bull replied indifferently, tak

te it up. Best come right along. It's quite a p

ter for Mr.

one set a genuine gri

aybe you don't guess I look it.

rding him some amusement. His interest in Sac

said. "I surely took you

and glanced down at hi

on't need to wait around though. The skitters are mighty thick down here. Sach

r tore it open. Bat glanced at the contents and jumped to th

no doubting his good will. "Glad to

*

ap was gone. The room was warm, and the sun beyond the window was radiant. Beyond the desk Bat was seated, where his wande

aiting and wondering, speculating as to the hard-faced, uncultured creature who had built up all

e letter away

letter for you? He just hande

how," Bu

st have wrote that letter years, and held it

lau

er and mother to every darn lumber-jack that haunts the forests of Quebec, and it don't worry him if his children are hellhound or honest. There's that to him set

ou came along. We've a wir

warned you I was c

e darn ya

aughed

ot me to small meat if

ut homicide from you

," Bull regretted.

ht sort of feller woul

regret was unnot

whimsical, half incredulous, lit his eyes. He thrust his

in two seconds of breaking a man's life-the rotten camp boss. And now? Why, now I'm sitting around in dandy tweeds in the boss chair of a swell office, with a crazy notion back of my head I'm here to beat the game with the greatest groundwood mill in the wor

o a chew from a frag

ho wants to learn. They're the rough things. And I like rough things. I've some grip on groundwood. And the making of groundwood's the main object of my life. That, and the notion of licking hell out of the other feller. That's me, and

ent suggested an easing of mind and a measure of enjoyme

ne mighty foolish, extravagant female. That sort o' woman who don't care but to please the notion of the moment. And when that's done, goes right on to please the next. Wal, anyway I guess she's got her uses if it's only to hand chances to the guy that's lookin' on. Take a look right down there below," he went on. "That's the truck the guy lookin' on has sweppe

Bull was smil

g as he ruthlessly masticated his to

ot harnessed on this great little old river that falls off the highlands. That power is ours winter an' summer. It don't matter a shuck the 'freeze up.' It's there for us all the darn time. Then we've forest limits to hand us the cordage for that output that could give us three times what we're needing for a thousand years. Labour? We got it plenty. And later, by closing in our system of foresting, I figger to cut out present costs on a sight bigger output. The plans for all that are fixed in my head. Then we come to the market for our stuff, an' I

n's enthusiasm found refl

ing skipper's power to navigate it with any sort o' safety. The headlands are desperate narrow, and-well, there it is. We've four months in the year to get our stuff out. It's a sum. Figger it yourself. Set us goin' full. Six thousand tons in the week. What is it? Three hundred thousand in the year. How many trips at ten thousand tons? Or p

e-I

dded a

hich leaves us workin' half capacity. As it stands it's a dandy enterprise. We're m

in to the window with that fasci

the r

the other sharply, an

the Canadian, inside th

ther

e country that can and sho

kandinavian ring," cried Ba

them-back o

leant acros

de Canada an' built the Canadian. He set him right here to help himself to the things He gave him. It's being filched by these foreigners-his birthright. They're fat on it. D

sure

back in his chair a

r. It's all planned and laid out by the feller that started up this proposition. It's scheduled for you. Guess you'll find the l

to discover it. The wide, clear eyes of the younger man returned his regard unwaveringly. The uncultured lumberman had stirr

it," he said, with a smile. "Y

stood up and spat his mangl

ters of this mill an' all it means. And while you're playin' your hand there's one big fat salary for you to draw. This house and office is yours, an' me an' the mill's ready to do all we know all the time, just the way you need it. Down in Abercrombie th

ight left him towering ove

undown to-morrow and I need to get a swift look around before then. Say, y