A DAMAGED REPUTATION
BY HAROLD BINDLOSS
AUTHOR OF "ALTON OF SOMASCO" "MISTRESS OF BONAVENTURE" ETC., ETC.
[Illustration]
R. F. FENNO & COMPANY 18 EAST 17TH STREET, NEW YORK
Copyright, 1908, by R. F. FENNO & COMPANY
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. PAGE Brooke Pauses to Reflect 9
CHAPTER II. Brooke Takes the Trail 25
CHAPTER III. The Narrow Way 37
CHAPTER IV. Saxton Makes an Offer 51
CHAPTER V. Barbara Renews an Acquaintance 64
CHAPTER VI. An Arduous Journey 79
CHAPTER VII. Allonby's Illusion 91
CHAPTER VIII. A Bold Venture 104
CHAPTER IX. Devine Makes a Suggestion 121
CHAPTER X. The Flume Builder 135
CHAPTER XI. An Embarrassing Position 151
CHAPTER XII. Brooke is Carried Away 166
CHAPTER XIII. The Old Love 179
CHAPTER XIV. Brooke Has Visitors 193
CHAPTER XV. Saxton Gains His Point 209
CHAPTER XVI. Barbara's Responsibility 222
CHAPTER XVII. Brooke Attempts Burglary 236
CHAPTER XVIII. Brooke Makes a Decision 249
CHAPTER XIX. Brooke's Bargain 264
CHAPTER XX. The Bridging of the Canon 278
CHAPTER XXI. Devine's Offer 293
CHAPTER XXII. The Unexpected Happens 305
CHAPTER XXIII. Brooke's Confession 317
CHAPTER XXIV. Allonby Strikes Silver 334
CHAPTER XXV. Barbara is Merciless 350
CHAPTER XXVI. The Jumping of the Canopus 365
CHAPTER XXVII. The Last Round 381
CHAPTER XXVIII. Brooke Does Not Come Back 395
CHAPTER XXIX. A Final Effort 406
CHAPTER XXX. The Other Chance 419
CHAPTER XXXI. Brooke is Forgiven 431
A DAMAGED REPUTATION.
I.
BROOKE PAUSES TO REFLECT.
It was a still, hot night, and the moon hung round and full above the cedars, when rancher Brooke sat in his comfortless shanty with a whisky bottle at his hand. The door stood open, and the drowsy fragrance of the coniferous forest stole into the room, while when he glanced in that direction he could see hemlock and cedar, redwood and balsam, tower, great black spires, against the luminous blueness of the night. Far above them gleamed the untrodden snow that clothed the great peaks with spotless purity; but this was melting fast under the autumn sun, and the river that swirled by the shanty sang noisily among the boulders.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Damaged Reputation by Harold Bindloss
- 2: Bella was certainly pretty and wholly untaught
- 3: Brooke sat moodily silent awhile
- 4: Wherein no rancher accepts payment for a night's hospitality
- 5: I think it was the Cayuse stopped
- 6: He took a dingy fiddle from its case
- 7: Brooke made a little deprecatory gesture
- 8: A wall of clipped yews shuts it in
- 9: Then he said farewell to Major Hume
- 10: Several days later when he reached the ranch
- 11: And floundering waist deep through the ford
- 12: Who leaned on the planer table
- 13: The whirring millers took hold of it
- 14: I broke up the Kenawa planer in the Tomlinson mill
- 15: Devine had not only taken his dollars
- 16: Devine has been successful so far
- 17: The Surveyor also noticed the grimness of his wet face
- 18: While great cedars shrouded the other
- 19: Found Saxton sitting at a table
- 20: You have a kind of grievance against Devine
- 21: Brooke realized that it was a clever man he was dealing with
- 22: Barbara renews an acquaintance
- 23: But Barbara was satisfied with it
- 24: Miss Heathcote would like to see you
- 25: Whose was the estate in England
- 26: Brooke had a clear English complexion
- 27: Saxton and his friends tolerably well
- 28: The lights of the Elktail had faded among the pines
- 29: Then the leading teamster pulled up his mules
- 30: And the leading teamster was standing still
- 31: But the teamsters quickened their pace a trifle
- 32: Allonby showed no sign of drowsiness
- 33: But does the Dayspring belong to Saxton
- 34: Allonby leaned forward further
- 35: I knew the vein would approach the level here
- 36: Allonby smiled in a curious fashion
- 37: Allonby made a little gesture of impatience
- 38: Brooke straightened himself a trifle in his chair
- 39: Saxton shook his head reproachfully
- 40: It's on the Canopus I mean to strike him
- 41: It crossed the trestle on the opposite side
- 42: Brooke was accustomed to Western brusquerie
- 43: Brooke glanced at his companion
- 44: Know anything about the Dayspring
- 45: Brooke closed one hand a trifle
- 46: Devine appeared to be a reasonable man
- 47: And found Saxton expecting him impatiently
- 48: Saxton turned towards him resolutely
- 49: And sat still listening while Saxton
- 50: He was engaged in building a flume
- 51: And was scrambling across the debris beneath it
- 52: Brooke blinked at the questioner
- 53: Forgetting Devine and the flume
- 54: I wonder if you know what white samite is
- 55: But that is where Devine lives when he comes here
- 56: He meant to use whatever means were available against Devine
- 57: Devine regarded him thoughtfully
- 58: But he smiled somewhat curiously as Jimmy stitched away
- 59: It was one thing to wrest his dollars back from Devine
- 60: Devine made a little gesture of indifference
- 61: In the meanwhile a miner came for Devine
- 62: Devine has seen the new adit driven
- 63: Wilkins went back into the adit
- 64: And Devine noticed the little gleam in his eyes as he said
- 65: And he turned to Devine with a glow in his eyes
- 66: Devine looked hard at him again
- 67: Brooke turned his head and listened
- 68: I am really not used to climbing if Shafton is
- 69: Shafton is conventional and precise
- 70: Brooke's face was decidedly grim
- 71: And Shafton is never happy unless he is going somewhere
- 72: Devine appeared a trifle uncertain
- 73: Devine resolutely shook her head
- 74: Since it is typical of both countries
- 75: Be legitimately employed against timber righters
- 76: Devine climbed the steep ascent
- 77: And Saxton seemed to realize it
- 78: Since he expected to meet Saxton in another hour
- 79: Saxton looked at him curiously
- 80: Saxton made a little gesture of approval
- 81: Brooke straightened himself in his chair
- 82: Barbara Heathcote had a good deal of self restraint
- 83: You went through the Dayspring
- 84: And yet he jumped right at those contracts
- 85: When I took hold of the Canopus
- 86: Feel displeased with the flume builder herself
- 87: It was the flume builder her thoughts hovered round
- 88: The clustering pines shook off their duskiness
- 89: He did not wish to feel that he owed Devine anything
- 90: Then with hand clenched hard upon the bar Brooke sprang
- 91: A little filmy smoke still drifted about the room
- 92: They are the plans and patents of the Canopus
- 93: It will really be a kindness to Katty
- 94: It was a most unpleasant feeling
- 95: Brooke winced beneath her gaze
- 96: I believe I have heard of claim jumpers being shot
- 97: Which gave Saxton the hold he wished for upon Devine would
- 98: Devine came into the verandah with a packet in her hand
- 99: Slocum was naturally quite aware of this
- 100: To come in and confer with the agent of Grant Devine
- 101: For Slocum was ready with hand and heel
- 102: Why're you not taking the trail after Slocum
- 103: Devine appeared to laugh softly
- 104: After which the leader turned to Devine
- 105: Devine glanced at them both a trifle sharply
- 106: While the rope no longer oscillated
- 107: Until at last she gasped when Devine
- 108: But she noticed that Devine was standing still
- 109: Saxton opened the box he pointed to
- 110: Saxton surveyed him critically
- 111: It's part of the Dayspring Consolidated Mineral Properties
- 112: Then Devine made a little gesture
- 113: Counted for as little with Devine as it had done with Saxton
- 114: You knew what Devine meant to offer me
- 115: Had insisted on Brooke sitting up with him
- 116: Allonby made a deprecatory gesture
- 117: Then Allonby lurched unsteadily to the door
- 118: And Brooke sat idly watching Allonby
- 119: And took up the lawyers' schedule
- 120: I wonder if she asked you anything about Brooke
- 121: And confirmed what Devine had said
- 122: Lucy Coulson lifted her eyes to his a moment
- 123: Coulson stopped her with a gesture
- 124: And Shafton told me afterwards that he was
- 125: Devine departed for another wrap or shawl
- 126: Buy Dayspring on my account as far as funds will go
- 127: They've no use for being frozen
- 128: Allonby only trifled with his food
- 129: And smiled reassuringly when Allonby turned to him
- 130: Saw Allonby following him with comprehending eyes
- 131: Until Brooke flung the door of the shanty open
- 132: Brooke leaned out from the ladder
- 133: Devine or Barbara would receive him
- 134: It was a little rough on Allonby
- 135: Been buying the Dayspring shares
- 136: The story only mentioned the big glacier
- 137: As she had done during the sonata
- 138: When Shyanne Tom came plodding down the trail to the Canopus
- 139: The Canopus did not belong to him
- 140: Who saw the hand of Saxton in this
- 141: And the firs were whispering eerily
- 142: Saxton evidently lost his temper
- 143: I tell you Saxton can't make our time over the high trail
- 144: Important as it was that he should see Devine
- 145: Devine was in when he reached the office
- 146: Wasn't it a little inconsequent
- 147: Buy whisky bottles to make candlesticks of
- 148: Saxton here in another ten minutes
- 149: Fancied that Saxton was becoming uneasy
- 150: Devine made a little impatient gesture
- 151: Devine was evidently embarrassed
- 152: Devine met at breakfast next morning
- 153: The snow's melting tolerably fast
- 154: The wreckage of the higher forests was strewn upon it
- 155: Stained with mire and dripping water
- 156: And cannot be exploded without a detonator
- 157: Was apparently unable to ascend the gully
- 158: There was a big red smear on it
- 159: The Dayspring belonged to an English company
- 160: Cruttenden who first took us up
- 161: Reggie Ferris has had his lesson
- 162: And the case of Reggie Ferris was
- 163: Dying in the Vancouver hospital
- 164: Devine appeared a trifle disconcerted
- 165: Major Hume is punctuality itself
- 166: Miss Heathcote did not appear by any means pleased with me
- 167: That your kinsman met Barbara beside a river once before
- 168: Brooke glanced slowly round him
- 169: In the advertisement for The Spotter