Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/138

 tangled swamps about Weasel Pond. Guess he won’t trouble us for a while,” explained Abner, his tongue beginning to loosen as Charlie deftly prepared fresh coffee and a spider of potato and bacon.

“Then he’s gone for good,” gladly exclaimed Stanley.

“Looks that way,” said Abner.

“No gone. Come back, by’mby,” declared Charlie.

“What did you find?” asked Bub, now eager for details.

“Wal,” slowly began Abner; “we found that the Nace gang has cut the public lot in Bill town. They burned it over, but they couldn’t cover up the stumps. Guess Nick was trying to keep us from drifting in there.”

“Can you prove it against Nace?” asked Bub, his eyes lighting.

“Not very well unless I can find his men. It was cut years ago. He probably got his men up Megantic lake way in Canada and took care to git only Frenchmen who couldn’t talk English. After they finished he hustled them across the border. If I could find some of ’em and take ’em up there it could be proved so close that he’d compromise before he’d stand a lawsuit.”