The Land of Strong Men by A. M. Chisholm
Page 1 of 209
THE LAND OF STRONG MEN
BY A. M. CHISHOLM
AUTHOR OF _"Precious Waters" and "The Boss of Wind River"_
ILLUSTRATED BY FRANK TENNEY JOHNSON
New York THE H. K. FLY COMPANY Publishers
Copyright, 1919, by THE H. K. FLY COMPANY
[Illustration: _Before the heavy snows these bunches were rounded up and driven to the ranch._]
CONTENTS
I Lost and Found
II A Death Bed
III Angus Asserts Himself
IV Judge Riley--Drunk and Sober
V Angus in Love and War
VI Gain and Loss
VII The Frenches Again
VIII Old Sam Paul Makes a Proposition
IX Dorgan
X Before the Race
XI A Hold-up
XII The Race
XIII Mainly About Chetwood
XIV A Fight with a Grizzly
XV Faith Winton Turns Up
XVI A Talk with Judge Riley
XVII A Crisis
XVIII Christmas at the Frenches
XIX Introducing Mrs. Foley
XX An Enemy at Work
XXI Watching
XXII Brother to Brother
XXIII Faiths's Farm
XXIV A Demand and Answer
XXV Cross Currents
XXVI Conspiracy
XXVII While Shelling Peas
XXVIII Mrs. Foley on Marriage
XXIX Sudden Death
XXX Strangers Ask Questions
XXXI The Auction
XXXII Chetwood Unmasked
XXXIII Another Surprise
XXXIV A New Complication
XXXV Braden Misses Some Papers
XXXVI Turkey Plays a Hand
XXXVII Duplicate Deeds
XXXVIII Garland Plays a Hand
XXXIX The Turning of the Screw
XL Signs and Omens
XLI Terror
XLII Outlaws!
XLIII Taking the Trail
XLIV The Red Avenger
XLV The Great Show-Down
XLVI Strong Men
XLVII Peace
ILLUSTRATIONS
Before the heavy snows these bunches were rounded up and driven to the ranch
He turned the corner, and came full upon a huge, old-man grizzly
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: The Land of Strong Men by A. M. Chisholm
- 2: And that his apparent ungainliness was due to age merely
- 3: Rising from benchland to benchland
- 4: And the buck pitched forward sprawling
- 5: Do you mean old Godfrey French's ranch
- 6: He found two small saplings close together
- 7: Angus Mackay returned with contempt
- 8: Young Mackay shook hands limply
- 9: He and young Mackay were friends
- 10: You see your daddy he wants you
- 11: For though Adam Mackay had never seen Scotland
- 12: Ever were the Mackays good haters
- 13: Rennie was not much of a farmer
- 14: Braden got down to business at once
- 15: Braden broke in with dignified severity
- 16: Braden took out of it he did not immediately speak
- 17: He was not sober when Angus entered his untidy little office
- 18: So Braden wants to rent the ranch
- 19: The judge interpreted his thought
- 20: Braden thought he saw fit to adopt a different tone
- 21: But meantime who pays the mortgage
- 22: Braden from his window looked after the bulky
- 23: In that year Angus had grown physically
- 24: Angus' rescuer was Gavin French
- 25: Garland laughed contemptuously
- 26: Angus demanded between his teeth
- 27: Utterly dismayed Angus stood helpless
- 28: Angus had grown into a young man
- 29: Rennie rode the range for stock
- 30: You think Injun kapswalla them moos moos
- 31: And so all through the cold weather they made cordwood
- 32: Angus predicted apprehensively
- 33: Angus dropped his arm from her waist
- 34: Angus went for Kathleen's trunk
- 35: Angus I hope you don't mind being called that
- 36: Which Angus never saw without something akin to pain
- 37: Gavin French came around the corner
- 38: The last thing Angus saw as he wheeled the colts for home
- 39: Injun boy don't kumtux the game
- 40: Rennie stroked the velvet nose
- 41: And the big chestnut which Dorgan christened Chief
- 42: If you had treated me as Dorgan did
- 43: Kathleen laughed at this frank statement
- 44: Dorgan interrupted with contempt
- 45: The players being Gavin and Gerald French
- 46: But as it did so Gavin thrust the table forward violently
- 47: Said Dorgan nodding toward Blake
- 48: But insisted that Angus should hold it literally
- 49: Chetwood uttered an exclamation
- 50: Chetwood laughed at this ambiguous testimonial
- 51: Angus put his hand in his pocket and gasped
- 52: Chetwood offered to lend it to me or endorse my note
- 53: It appeared that she had met Chetwood
- 54: And old Dorgan was grinning at him
- 55: Chetwood observed in disappointment
- 56: And Angus sent his team into their collars
- 57: During this time Chetwood was an intermittent visitor
- 58: Chetwood regarded her whimsically
- 59: Angus had not seen Chetwood for nearly a fortnight
- 60: He could just remember Felix Tetreau
- 61: Then why does Braden ask so much
- 62: Chetwood glanced at him keenly
- 63: Angus had had no first hand experience with grizzlies
- 64: He trotted around the bunkhouse
- 65: This fact Angus knew very well
- 66: The icy water cleared away the last of the fog
- 67: Where had he heard that faint lisp
- 68: While the old Tetreau place comprised some five hundred only
- 69: Angus did not argue the point further
- 70: Will you act like a sensible girl
- 71: Couldn't Miss Winton claim the difference
- 72: Tetreau was the original grantee of that
- 73: Now Braden and French are working together
- 74: Angus had seen little of Faith Winton
- 75: Angus stared at him in angry amazement
- 76: Angus grabbed a coil of lash rope and a couple of lariats
- 77: As he came in Angus saw that his mouth was set
- 78: Angus looked at him with narrowing eyes
- 79: Angus and Rennie found themselves alone on the ranch
- 80: When Angus ran across him at last
- 81: Kathleen was swinging around from the piano
- 82: Angus listened in grim silence
- 83: Said Angus struck by a brilliant thought
- 84: Willoughby maintained doggedly
- 85: He locked his long arms around Gavin
- 86: Where Chetwood presently joined him
- 87: I want An' do I care phwat yez want
- 88: Where do ye get this gyurl friend thing
- 89: I like a banjo better than a piano
- 90: As if in the gut and parchment there dwelt a wayward
- 91: She asked casually about Chetwood
- 92: But Angus had more important things to think about
- 93: Dae whole dam' sidehill ban vash to hal
- 94: Mebbe she come anoder slide an' take dae flume
- 95: Angus frowned at the junk impatiently
- 96: Angus stared at this artillery
- 97: While Angus listened it was repeated
- 98: Leaving the sidehill with the new flume
- 99: Saw Rennie stoop and pick up something
- 100: There was a light in the shack
- 101: Angus swung his arm against it
- 102: Angus stared at his young brother in amazement
- 103: She was cased against the rain in a long slicker
- 104: They be all a growin' green in our ain countree
- 105: Angus evaded the direct challenge
- 106: He don't know much about a rench
- 107: Foley announced with conviction
- 108: Once more Angus did some swift thinking
- 109: I told Braden to try to sell it
- 110: Angus Mackay agreed with a grim smile
- 111: He watched Godfrey French drive away
- 112: Angus laid his great hands on her shoulders
- 113: For Angus never loafed around the house
- 114: Braden continued with virtuous satisfaction
- 115: And I think Braden will try to see that you have
- 116: Angus rode homeward thoughtfully
- 117: Angus had his own levels checked by a surveyor
- 118: Braden will get his judgments and sell
- 119: Braden replied in regretful tones
- 120: Braden expressed no undue anxiety to hear
- 121: Angus had connected him with it
- 122: That put Mackay further in the hole to him
- 123: Chetwood looked down at his feet
- 124: Chetwood commented with deep resentment
- 125: Chetwood ground a set of perfect teeth
- 126: What do you think Angus is going to do
- 127: Foley returned uncompromisingly
- 128: An' voylent min come to quick ends
- 129: Wid none but herself to gyard an' care for
- 130: Faith thought she had known Angus before marriage
- 131: I know it must be Braden who wants to buy that
- 132: Braden were comfortably seated
- 133: There isn't a better natural townsite anywhere
- 134: Braden stared at his associate horrified
- 135: Braden found himself driving homeward
- 136: He held no particular ill feeling toward Godfrey French
- 137: And both were strangers to Angus
- 138: It seemed that Braden might have opposition
- 139: Braden was already there with his lawyer
- 140: And they would make a townsite elsewhere
- 141: And what's this about his working for Mackay
- 142: I represent the Northern Airline
- 143: Did you ever hear of Sir Eustace Chetwood
- 144: I'm glad that Braden didn't get the ranch
- 145: And at the sound of wheels Jean ran out
- 146: She fooled herself about Chetwood
- 147: Chetwood protested desperately
- 148: An' what else is a gyurl's waist an' a man's arrum for
- 149: An' divilmint shortens a man's days
- 150: I'm afraid you'll have to see Braden about that
- 151: It appeared that Braden claimed it
- 152: Your land is part of a larger block owned by Braden
- 153: It would include the coal deposit claimed by Braden
- 154: Angus felt that he was up against a blank wall
- 155: Braden quavered shrill denunciation
- 156: But Gerald stopped and held up his hand
- 157: Braden asked somewhat nervously
- 158: The papers which Braden had taken
- 159: What was Braden doing with them
- 160: Turkey thereupon saddled his blue mare and clattered away
- 161: The startled Turkey responded defensively
- 162: Turkey suggested with sudden enthusiasm
- 163: You own the coal prospect that Braden is developing
- 164: Braden thought he was safe enough
- 165: A misdescription of the property
- 166: And why was Braden talking to him
- 167: Braden knew that he hated Angus
- 168: Braden concluded that he had bluffed Garland
- 169: Braden began and checked himself suddenly
- 170: Braden without noticeable regret
- 171: They were written on the same legal forms
- 172: They walloped ladies with clubs and abducted them
- 173: But when Angus reached the judge's office it was closed
- 174: A notch or two above the ordinary klootch
- 175: My bill will have a sufficiently high watermark to suit you
- 176: Angus could picture Faith waiting
- 177: Obviously it was not Braden himself
- 178: He caught her wrist with one hand
- 179: And into the room bounded Angus Mackay
- 180: Blake chattered with quivering lips
- 181: I am going after Blake French and Garland
- 182: I thought they were with the bunch that did up Braden
- 183: Braden commanded in a voice which shook badly
- 184: Gavin turned the huddled figure over and swore afresh
- 185: Gerald and Larry nodded to her
- 186: And wait till she heard from Gavin
- 187: With a swift pang of pain she thought of Angus Mackay
- 188: I figger they'll resist arrest
- 189: Rennie and Bush nosed among the signs like old hounds
- 190: Rennie returned with conviction
- 191: Gavin knows a lot about these hills
- 192: I don't savvy it bein' Gavin French
- 193: Gerald regarded the blaze through half closed eyes
- 194: Gavin eyed him in silence for a moment
- 195: But Gavin was already cooking breakfast
- 196: One time this country all Injun
- 197: And the haft stood out of Blake's breast
- 198: And the brothers had divided with Blake
- 199: We want to get Gavin if he killed father
- 200: But Gavin was apparently unhurt
- 201: Here and there bowlders loomed blackly
- 202: Gavin French uttered a deep malediction
- 203: Gavin French did not reply immediately
- 204: Angus knew that Gavin meant it
- 205: Gavin said with something very like emotion in his voice
- 206: Angus realized vaguely a part of the truth
- 207: I wish you and Gavin had known each other better
- 208: Chetwood and Turkey had borne them company
- 209: Hame to yer hame in yer ain countree