Calumet K""

rt of a place Manistogee was. The clerk replied that he had nev

oad ove

tty

can get through

n getting a good deal of rain. That packs down the sand. You o

go, is it? Well, I'll se

ar is

call it eig

hanks and went back

," said the magnate. "Find out

ED THE WHOLE G.&M. SY

ig fist. When the whole situation was made clear to him, he stopped walking and cursed the whole G.&M. system, from the ties up. "I'll make 'em smart for that," he said. "They haul those planks whether they want to or not. You hear me say it. There's a

mn for the G.&M. I

I'll have the law

t five years from now, when

ay to get it, acco

stogee in wagons and

a chance to get some of it

to bet on tha

a luxury. Now he was thinking seriously of the scheme. "It sounds like moonshine,"

eady. It leaves M

ruptly he went on: "Where are your wagons coming from? You haven't got

't so very fond of the G.&M., are they? Don't they think the railroad discriminates against them-and ain'

, in this part of t

., and call on the farmers to hitch up and drive to your lumber yard.

He made a false start or two, but presently got something that seemed to pleas

on. "That's when the procession moves," he

the office boy. "What are you going to do

en, and we ought to start for

hould think no

e over with that fast ma

"Look at it r

d road," said Bannon. "And we'll w

e miles over there-t

"We ought to get there by

s-a sawhorse! She never took more tha

mouth twitched expressiv

up to me this

e to tell them to print a full-sized reproduction of hi

a little, won't

d. "That helps 'em

lled up his impatient mare before the office door, the e

etty wet ye

ly want a handful. Send

what to do

went on deferentially. "You have expr

"The reorganized G.&M. decided they didn't w

ntence, and swore appreciatively over the next. When he had finished, he buttoned the waterproof a

ched the city limits and were starting out upon the rain-beaten sand. She was a tall, clean-limbed sorrel, a Kentucky-bre

han this in your life." They sped along as on velvet, noiselessly save when their wheels sliced through s

n pulled up and Bannon sprang out with a hammer, a mouthful of tacks, and three or four of the posters. He put them up o

henever Sloan halted the mare. The west wind freshened as the evening came on and dashed fine, sleety rain into their faces

hen Sloan spoke to her and drew her to a walk. Bannon reached for his hammer. "No crossroad here,

Bannon sharply.

ed. We'll make

hundred feet of lumber make

eturned. "It's nothing that can't be fixed

p the road to

d up against the wind so that he could have shelter while he waited. Then he pulled a spare blanket from u

r all right," he said. Then he turned so that the light shone full in Sloan's face. "Good even

an smiled. "I'd ba

ith satisfaction. "

e. I'll have it

rded the stream and were back on the road.

't any lumber. Couldn't think of it. I told him to pull down the lee side of h

ha

ll to MacBride. I knew your name

it was half-past seven before t

ime to rub down the mare and feed

n slowly he shook his head. "All right, I'm no quitter. But

ed, and was gone nearly an hour. "It's all fixed up,

s low as possible in his ulster, dozing. But he roused when the m

s fixed." So they drove straight across, the mare f

there was a little light, and Bann

f the message from the

abru

rse signals like print.

un

t do

ang." Bannon paused.

t. I couldn't figure out what I was going to do till I was on the ground, and then I didn't have time to. My only order was, 'Clear the road-and be damn quick about it.' What I said went. I've set fire to fifty thousand dollars' worth of mixed freight just to get it out of the way-and they never kicked. That

u could take piano lessons?" Sloan laughed as he

chanic, so I resigned. I didn't exactly resign, either," he added a moment

Syracuse, New York. I never worked up any higher than that. I had ambitions to be pro

of it. You seem to ow

un

tty

ce I could creep, and never slighted a job yet, but here I am-can't call my soul my own. I have saved f

harp for opportunities. I suppose you are too busy. You've got a chan

m too thick-he

the next two months. A big elevator like yours will be almost decisive. The thing's right in your own h

lean job and walk off with the pay roll." He laughed. "I'd look pretty, wouldn't I, going to old MacBride with my tail between my legs, telling him that the job was too much for me and I couldn'

s the trouble with you," said Sloa

irst, but later in the day the stream of wagons became almost continuous. Farmers living on other than the Manistogee roads came into Ledyard and hurried back to tel

at Blake City," he said, "raising hell. The general manager gets here at nine o'clock tonight to talk with me

ttempt to boycott could be proved, and in the second that Page & Company were getting what they wanted anyway-while they talked a long procession of

hen he and Bannon were left alone at t

n't, I'll come up here again an