The Sky Pilot: A Tale of the Foothills

by Ralph Connor

  CHAPTER XX

  HOW BILL FAVORED "HOME-GROWN INDUSTRIES"

  The building of the Swan Creek Church made a sensation in the country,and all the more that Bronco Bill was in command.

  "When I put up money I stay with the game," he announced; and stay hedid, to the great benefit of the work and to the delight of The Pilot,who was wearing his life out in trying to do several men's work. It wasBill that organized the gangs for hauling stone for the foundation andlogs for the walls. It was Bill that assigned the various jobs to thosevolunteering service. To Robbie Muir and two stalwart Glengarry men fromthe Ottawa lumber region, who knew all about the broadaxe, he gave thehewing down of the logs that formed the walls. And when they had done,Bill declared they were "better 'an a sawmill." It was Bill, too, thatdid the financing, and his passage with Williams, the storekeeper from"the other side" who dealt in lumber and building material, was such asestablished forever Bill's reputation in finance.

  With The Pilot's plans in his hands he went to Williams, seizing a timewhen the store was full of men after their mail matter.

  "What do you think ov them plans?" he asked innocently.

  Williams was voluble with opinions and criticism and suggestions, all ofwhich were gratefully, even humbly received.

  "Kind ov hard to figger out jest how much lumber 'll go into the shack,"said Bill; "ye see the logs makes a difference."

  To Williams the thing was simplicity itself, and, after some figuring,he handed Bill a complete statement of the amount of lumber of all kindsthat would be required.

  "Now, what would that there come to?"

  Williams named his figure, and then Bill entered upon negotiations.

  "I aint no man to beat down prices. No, sir, I say give a man hisfigger. Of course, this here aint my funeral; besides, bein' a Gospelshop, the price naterally would be different." To this the boys allassented and Williams looked uncomfortable.

  "In fact," and Bill adopted his public tone to Hi's admiration and joy,"this here's a public institooshun" (this was Williams' own thunder),"condoocin' to the good of the community" (Hi slapped his thigh andsquirted half way across the store to signify his entire approval), "andI cherish the opinion"--(delighted chuckle from Hi)--"that public menare interested in this concern."

  "That's so! Right you are!" chorused the boys gravely.

  Williams agreed, but declared he had thought of all this in making hiscalculation. But seeing it was a church, and the first church and theirown church, he would make a cut, which he did after more figuring. Billgravely took the slip of paper and put it into his pocket without aword. By the end of the week, having in the meantime ridden into townand interviewed the dealers there, Bill sauntered into the store andtook up his position remote from Williams.

  "You'll be wanting that sheeting, won't you, next week, Bill?" saidWilliams.

  "What sheetin' 's that?"

  "Why, for the church. Aint the logs up?"

  "Yes, that's so. I was just goin' to see the boys here about gettin' ithauled," said Bill.

  "Hauled!" said Williams, in amazed indignation. "Aint you goin' to stickto your deal?"

  "I generally make it my custom to stick to my deals," said Bill, lookingstraight at Williams.

  "Well, what about your deal with me last Monday night?" said Williams,angrily.

  "Let's see. Last Monday night," said Bill, apparently thinking back;"can't say as I remember any pertickler deal. Any ov you fellersremember?"

  No one could recall any deal.

  "You don't remember getting any paper from me, I suppose?" saidWilliams, sarcastically.

  "Paper! Why, I believe I've got that there paper onto my person atthis present moment," said Bill, diving into his pocket and drawing outWilliams' estimate. He spent a few moments in careful scrutiny.

  "There ain't no deal onto this as I can see," said Bill, gravely passingthe paper to the boys, who each scrutinized it and passed it on with ashake of the head or a remark as to the absence of any sign of a deal.Williams changed his tone. For his part, he was indifferent in thematter.

  Then Bill made him an offer.

  "Ov course, I believe in supportin' home-grown industries, and if youcan touch my figger I'd be uncommonly glad to give you the contract."

  But Bill's figure, which was quite fifty per cent. lower than Williams'best offer, was rejected as quite impossible.

  "Thought I'd make you the offer," said Bill, carelessly, "seein' asyou're institootin' the trade and the boys here 'll all be buildin'more or less, and I believe in standin' up for local trades andmanufactures." There were nods of approval on all sides, and Williamswas forced to accept, for Bill began arranging with the Hill brothersand Hi to make an early start on Monday. It was a great triumph, butBill displayed no sign of elation; he was rather full of sympathyfor Williams, and eager to help on the lumber business as a local"institooshun."

  Second in command in the church building enterprise stood LadyCharlotte, and under her labored the Hon. Fred, The Duke, and, indeed,all the company of the Noble Seven. Her home became the centre of a newtype of social life. With exquisite tact, and much was needed for thiskind of work, she drew the bachelors from their lonely shacks andfrom their wild carousals, and gave them a taste of the joys of a purehome-life, the first they had had since leaving the old homes years ago.And then she made them work for the church with such zeal and diligencethat her husband and The Duke declared that ranching had become quite anincidental interest since the church-building had begun. But The Pilotwent about with a radiant look on his pale face, while Bill gave itforth as his opinion, "though she was a leetle high in the action, shecould hit an uncommon gait."

  With such energy did Bill push the work of construction that by thefirst of December the church stood roofed, sheeted, floored and readyfor windows, doors and ceiling, so that The Pilot began to hope that heshould see the desire of his heart fulfilled--the church of Swan Creekopen for divine service on Christmas Day.

  During these weeks there was more than church-building going on, forwhile the days were given to the shaping of logs, and the driving ofnails and the planing of boards, the long winter evenings were spent intalk around the fire in my shack, where The Pilot for some months pasthad made his home and where Bill, since the beginning of the churchbuilding, had come "to camp." Those were great nights for The Pilot andBill, and, indeed, for me, too, and the other boys, who, after a day'swork on the church, were always brought in by Bill or The Pilot.

  Great nights for us all they were. After bacon and beans and bannocks,and occasionally potatoes, and rarely a pudding, with coffee, richand steaming, to wash all down, pipes would follow, and then yarns ofadventures, possible and impossible, all exciting and wonderful, and allreceived with the greatest credulity.

  If, however, the powers of belief were put to too great a strain by atale of more than ordinary marvel, Bill would follow with one of suchutter impossibility that the company would feel that the limit had beenreached, and the yarns would cease. But after the first week most of thetime was given to The Pilot, who would read to us of the deeds of themighty men of old, who had made and wrecked empires.

  What happy nights they were to those cowboys, who had been cast up likedriftwood upon this strange and lonely shore! Some of them had neverknown what it was to have a thought beyond the work and sport of theday. And the world into which The Pilot was ushering them was all newand wonderful to them. Happy nights, without a care, but that The Pilotwould not get the ghastly look out of his face, and laughed at the ideaof going away till the church was built. And, indeed, we would all havesorely missed him, and so he stayed.