Part 44 (1/2)
CHAPTER XX
WHEREIN ”FINGERLESS” FRASER RETURNS
Big George had lost no time, and already the tow-boats were overboard, while a raft of timber was taking form alongside the s.h.i.+p. As soon as it was completed, it was loaded with crates and boxes and paraphernalia of all sorts, then towed ash.o.r.e as the tide served. Another took its place, and another and another. All that night the torches flared and the decks drummed to a ceaseless activity. In the morning Boyd sent a squad of fishermen ash.o.r.e to clear the ground for his buildings, and all day new rafts of lumber and material helped to increase the pile at the water's edge.
His early training as an engineer now stood him in good stead, for a thousand details demanded expert supervision; but he was as completely at home at this work as was Big George in his own part of the undertaking, and it was not long before order began to emerge from what seemed a hopeless chaos. Never did men have more willing hands to do their bidding than did he and George; and when a week later _The Juliet_, with Willis Marsh on board, came to anchor, the bunk-houses were up and peopled, while the new site had become a beehive of activity.
The mouth of the Kalvik River is several miles wide, yet it contains but a small anchorage suitable for deep-draught s.h.i.+ps, the rest of the harbor being underlaid with mud-bars and tide-flats over which none but small boats may pa.s.s; and as the canneries are distributed up and down the stream for a considerable distance, it is necessary to transport all supplies to and from the s.h.i.+ps by means of tugs and lighters. Owing to the narrowness of the channel, _The Juliet_ came to her moorings not far from _The Bedford Castle_.
To Marsh, already furious at the trick the ice had played him, this forced proximity to his rival brought home with added irony the fact that he had been forestalled, while it emphasized his knowledge that henceforth the conflict would be carried on at closer quarters. It would be a contest between two men, both determined to win by fair means or foul.
Emerson was a dream-dazzled youth, striving like a knight-errant for the love of a lady and the glory of conquest, but he was also a born fighter, and in every emergency he had shown himself as able as his experienced opponent.
As Marsh looked about and saw how much Boyd's well-directed energy was accomplis.h.i.+ng, he was conscious of a slight disheartenment. Still, he was on his own ground, he had the advantage of superior force, and though he was humiliated by his failure to throttle the hostile enterprise in its beginning, he was by no means at the end of his expedients. He was curious to see his rival in action, and he decided to visit him and test his temper.
It was on the afternoon following his arrival that Marsh, after a tour of inspection, landed from his launch and strolled up to where Boyd Emerson was at work. He was greeted courteously, if a bit coolly, and found, as on their last meeting, that his own bearing was reflected exactly in that of Boyd. Both men, beneath the scant politeness of their outward manner, were aware that the time for ceremony had pa.s.sed. Here in the Northland they faced each other at last as man to man.
”I see you have a number of my old fishermen,” Marsh observed.
”Yes, we were fortunate in getting such good ones.”
”You were fortunate in many ways. In fact you are a very lucky young man.”
”Indeed! How?”
”Well, don't you think you were lucky to beat that strike?”
”It wasn't altogether luck. However, I do consider myself fortunate in escaping at the last moment,” Boyd laughed easily. ”By the way, what happened to the man they mistook for me?”
”Let him go, I believe. I didn't pay much attention to the matter.” Marsh had been using his eyes to good advantage, and, seeing the work even better in hand than he had supposed, he was moved by irritation and the desire to goad his opponent to say more than he had intended: ”I rather think you will have a lot to explain, one of these days,” he said, with deliberate menace.
”With fifty thousand cases of salmon aboard _The Bedford Castle_ I will explain anything. Meanwhile the police may go to the devil!” The cool a.s.surance of the young man's tone roused his would-be tormentor like a personal affront.
”You got away from Seattle, but there is a commissioner at Dutch Harbor, also a deputy marshal, who may have better success with a warrant than those policemen had.” The Trust's manager could not keep down the angry tremor in his voice, and the other, perceiving it, replied in a manner designed to inflame him still more:
”Yes, I have heard of those officers. I understand they are both in your employ.”
”What!”
”I hear you have bought them.”
”Do you mean to insinuate--”
”I don't mean to insinuate anything. Listen! We are where we can talk plainly, Marsh, and I am tired of all this subterfuge. You did what you could to stop me, you even tried to have me killed--”
”You dare to--”
”But I guess it never occurred to you that I may be just as desperate as you are.”