The Secret of the Reef

by Harold Bindloss

  CHAPTER XII--READY FOR THE FRAY

  The train was held up on its way to the Canadian frontier by a wash-outfarther along the track. Devereux Clay stood in the noon sunshinetalking to Osborne at a small wayside station while groups of impatientpassengers strolled about the line, stopping now and then to glance at agap in the somber firs where the rails gleamed in the strong sunshine;the engineer, leaning out from his cab, had his eyes turned in the samedirection. There was, however, nothing to be seen but climbing trees,whose ragged spires rose one behind the other far up the steep hillside,and the fragrance the hot noon sun drew out from them mingled with thesharp smell of creosote from the ties. Except for the murmur of voicesand the panting of the locomotive pump, it was very quiet in the narrowclearing, and the sound of falling water came up faintly from a deephollow where a lake glittered among the firs.

  Clay leaned against the agent's wooden shack, with his watch in hishand, for time was of value to him just then.

  "Twenty minutes yet, from what that fellow said," he grumbled. "Give mea cigar--I've run out--and you needn't wait."

  "Oh, I'm in no hurry," said Osborne, glancing toward his automobile,which stood outside the station. "I suppose it's the labor troublethat's taking you to Vancouver?"

  "You've hit it," Clay answered in a confidential tone. "I'm a bitworried about things; but I've spent the last two days wondering whetherI'd go or not."

  He was seldom so undecided, but Osborne thought he understood.

  "It looks as if the unions meant business," he said, "and in thisagitation against alien labor they seem to have public sympathy. Haveyou any Japs at the mill?"

  "I believe so. That's partly why I'm going. Until I read the papers thismorning I thought I'd stay away. I figured it might be better to let theboy worry through alone and see what he could make of it."

  "Let him win his spurs?"

  "That's right. I told him to sit tight, and so long as he made good I'dfoot the bill; but after the big row in Vancouver yesterday, I thoughtI'd go along. Still, my notion is to keep in the background unless Ifind I'm badly wanted."

  His manner was half apologetic, and Osborne smiled. Clay was notaddicted to hovering in the background when things were happening; butOsborne knew the affection he bore his son.

  "It might be wiser for you to be on the spot; the white mob seems to bein an ugly mood," he said. "How is Aynsley getting on?"

  "Better than I expected. The boy has the right grip and he's takinghold." Clay turned abruptly and fixed Osborne with his eyes. "I was abit puzzled about his making up his mind all at once that he'd run themill. Do you know of anything that might have helped to persuade him?"

  "Since you ask, I have a suspicion," Osborne answered.

  "So have I; I guess it matches yours. It's like the young fool that aword from a girl who knows less than he does should have more effectthan all the reasons I gave him."

  "It's not unnatural," Osborne smiled.

  "Then suppose we're right in our idea of what this points to? You knowmy boy."

  "I like him. Perhaps I'd better say that if I found that Ruth shared mygood opinion, I shouldn't object. But I can't guess her views on thematter."

  "I know Aynsley's," Clay said dryly. "We had a talk not long ago, and Ioffered to see what I could do."

  Osborne gave him a searching glance and his expression changed. Helooked on his guard.

  "So far, you have been able to get your son everything he wished for;but you must understand that you can't dispose of my daughter. Ruthshall please herself."

  Clay's eyes gleamed with rather hard amusement.

  "It's curious that my boy said much the same thing. In fact, he warnedme off. He knows how I've indulged him and seemed to think I might putsome pressure on you."

  "In the present instance it wouldn't have much effect; but what you saygives me a better opinion of Aynsley than I already had."

  "That's all right," Clay rejoined, dropping his hand on the other's armin a friendly manner. "We certainly can't afford to quarrel, and I don'tknow that it's unfortunate our children are more fastidious than we are.Anyway, we don't want them to find us out. I'd feel mean if my sondisowned me."

  Osborne winced at this allusion.

  "Aynsley stands prosperity well," he said.

  "In my opinion, it's considerably less damaging than the other thing.I'm thankful I've done the grubbing in the dirt for him. I've put himwhere it's easier to keep clean. So far as I can fix it, my boy shallhave a better time than was possible for me. I've put him into businessto teach him sense--I don't know a better education for any young manthan to let him earn his bread and butter. He'll learn the true value ofmen and things; and when he's done that and shown he's capable ofholding his own, he can quit and do what pleases him. I've no nearrelations, and there was a time when my distant connections weren'tproud of me. Everything I have goes to the boy; and if your daughterwill take him, I'd know he was in good hands. If she won't, I'll besorry, but he must put up with it."

  Osborne felt reassured. Clay had his good points, though they were notalways very obvious, and perhaps the best was his affection for his son.Before Osborne could reply, Clay glanced again at his watch and resumedhis usual somewhat truculent manner.

  "If they get me into Vancouver after the trouble begins, I'll see theroad bosses in Seattle and have the superintendent of this divisionfired!" he announced.

  At that moment the telegraph began to tick in the shack, and shortlyafterward the agent came up to Clay.

  "They're through. We'll get you off in five minutes, and I have ordersto cut out the next two stops," he said.

  While he gave the conductor his instructions a shrill whistle rangthrough the shadows of the pines and a big engine with a row of flatcars carrying a gravel plow and a crowd of dusty men came clatteringdown the line. As they rolled into the side-track Clay climbed to theplatform of his car, and almost immediately the train started. His facegrew hard and thoughtful when he leaned back in a corner seat; and hehad emptied the cigar-case his friend had given him before he reachedVancouver, where he hired the fastest automobile he could find.

  ----

  While his father was being recklessly driven over a very rough roadwhich ran through thick bush, Aynsley sat on a pile of lumber outsidethe mill with his manager. It was getting dark, the saws which hadfilled the hot air all day with their scream were still, and the riverbank was silent except for the gurgle of the broad, green flood thatswirled among the piles. A great boom of logs moored in an eddy workedwith the swing of the current, straining at its chains; there was a redglimmer in the western sky, but trails of white mist gathered about thethinned forest that shut the clearing in. Only trees too small forcutting had been left, but the gaps between them were filled withmassive stumps. Tall iron stacks, straggling sheds, and sawdust dumpstook on a certain harsh picturesqueness in the fading light; and thekeen smell of freshly cut cedar came up the faint breeze. But Aynsleyhad no eye for his surroundings. He was thinking hard.

  After a brief experience, he had found, somewhat to his surprise, thathis work was getting hold of him. The mechanical part of it inparticular aroused his keen interest: there was satisfaction in feelingthat the power of the big engines was being used to the best advantage.Then, the management of the mill-hands and the care of the business hadtheir attractions; and Aynsley ventured to believe that he had made fewmistakes as yet, though he admitted that his father had supplied himwith capable assistants. Now, however, he must grapple with a crisisthat he had not foreseen; and he felt his inexperience. There was, heknew, an easy way out of the threatened difficulties, but he could nottake it. He must, so far as possible, deal effectively with an awkwardsituation, and, at the same time, avoid injustice, though that wouldcomplicate matters. The problem was not a novel one: he wanted tosafeguard his financial interests and yet do the square thing.

  "You think the Vancouver boys will come along and make trouble for usto-night, Jevons?" he ask
ed presently.

  The young manager nodded.

  "That's what I'm figuring on; and it's quite likely the Westminstercrowd will join them. They've been making ugly threats. I found thispaper stuck up on the door when I made my last round."

  Aynsley read the notice.

  _This is a white man's country. All aliens warned to leave. Those who stay and those who keep them will take the consequences._

  "I suppose our keeping the Japs on is their only quarrel with us?"

  "It's all they state."

  "Well," Aynsley said slowly, "if we give way in this, I dare say they'dfind something else to make trouble about. When you begin to makeconcessions you generally have to go on."

  "That's so," agreed Jevons. "It looks to me as if the boys were drivingtheir bosses, who can't pull them up; but those I've met are reasonablemen, and when the crowd cools off a bit they'll get control again.They'd give us leave to run the mill if you fired the Japs."

  Aynsley frowned.

  "I have received their deputations civilly, and during the last week ortwo I've put up with a good deal. We pay standard wages and I don'tthink there's a man about the place who's asked to do more than he'sable. But I can't have these fellows dictating whom I shall employ!"

  "You have some good orders on the books for delivery on a time limit,"Jevons reminded him. "You'll lose pretty smartly if we have to stop themill."

  "That's the trouble," Aynsley admitted. "I'd hate to lose the orders;but, on the other hand, I hired these Japs when I couldn't get whitemen, and I promised their boss I'd keep them until we'd worked throughthe log boom."

  "You might call him up and ask what he'd take to quit. It might work outcheaper in the end."

  Aynsley pondered this. Though he had not suspected it until lately, hehad inherited something of his father's character. He had seldom thoughtmuch about money before he entered the mill, but since then he hadexperienced a curious satisfaction in seeing the balance to his creditmount up, and in calculating the profit on the lumber he cut. Now hefound the suggestion that he should throw away part of his earningsfrankly impossible. It was, however, not so much avarice as pride thatinfluenced him. He had taken to business seriously, and he meant to showwhat he could do.

  "No," he said decidedly. "I don't see why I should let the mob fine mefor being honest. I'd rather fight, if I'm forced to; and I'm afraidyou'll have to stand in."

  Jevons laughed.

  "I don't know that I'm anxious to back out. I tried to show you theeasiest way, as a matter of duty; but there's a good deal to be said forthe other course. I don't think there are any union boys still in themill, and my notion is that the rancher crowd don't mean to quit."

  Labor had been scarce that year, and Aynsley had engaged a number ofsmall ranchers and choppers, who, as often happens when wages are high,had come down from their homesteads in the bush. They were useful men,of determined character, and were content with their pay.

  "Well," he said, "we may as well ask what the Japs think of doing; butthey're stubborn little fellows, and seem to have some organization oftheir own. Anyway, they whipped the mob pretty badly in Vancouver a dayor two ago."

  Their leader, being sent for, explained in good English that, as theirhonorable employer had hired them to do certain work which was not yetcompleted, they meant to stay. On being warned that this might provedangerous, he answered darkly that they had taken precautions, and thedanger might not be confined to them. Then, after some ceremoniouscompliments, he took his leave; and Aynsley laughed.

  "That settles the thing! They won't go and I can't turn them out. I havesome sympathy with the opposition's claim that this is a white man'scountry; but since they couldn't give me the help I wanted, I had to getit where I could. Now, we'll interview the white crowd."

  They found the men gathered in the big sleeping-shed where the lamps hadjust been lighted. They were sturdy, hard-looking fellows, most of whomowned small holdings which would not support them in the bush, and theylistened gravely while Aynsley spoke. Then one got up to reply for therest.

  "We've seen this trouble coming and talked it over. So long as you don'tcut wages, we've nothing much to complain of and see no reason forquitting our job. Now, it looks as if the Vancouver boys were coming toturn us out. We'll let them--if they can!"

  There was a murmur of grim approval from the rest; and Aynsley, dividingthem into detachments, sent them off to guard the saws and booms andengine-house. Then he turned to the manager with a sparkle in his eyes.

  "I think we're ready for anything that may happen. You'll find me in theoffice if I'm wanted."

  On entering it he took down a couple of books from a shelf andendeavored to concentrate his attention on the business they recorded.It was the first serious crisis he had had to face, and he felt thathanging idly about the mill while he waited for the attack would be tootrying. Somewhat to his surprise, he found his task engross him, and anhour had passed when he closed the books and crossed the floor to theopen window.

  It was a calm, dark night, and warm. A star or two glimmered above theblack spires of the pines, but the mist that drifted along the watersideblurred the tall stacks and the lumber piles. There was no sign of themen; and the deep silence was emphasized by a faint hiss of steam andthe gurgle of the river.

  Leaning on the sill, Aynsley drank in the soft night air, which struckon his forehead pleasantly cool. He admitted that he was anxious, but hethought he could keep his apprehensions under good control.

  As he gazed into the darkness, a measured sound stole out of the mist,and, growing louder, suggested a galloping horse. It approached themill, but Aynsley did not go down. If anybody wanted him, it would bebetter that he should be found quietly at work in his office; and he wasseated at his table with a pen in his hand when a man was shown in. Thenewcomer was neatly dressed except that his white shirt was damp andcrumpled. His face was hot and determined.

  "I've come to prevent trouble," he explained.

  "I'm glad to hear it, because, as we both have the same wish, it oughtto simplify things," Aynsley responded. "Since yours is the party with agrievance, you'd better tell me what you want."

  "A written promise that you won't keep a Jap here after to-morrowmorning."

  "I can't give it," said Aynsley firmly. "I'll undertake to hire no moreand to let these fellows go when they have finished the work I engagedthem for, if that will do."

  "It won't; I can't take that answer back to the boys. You must fire theJaps right off."

  Aynsley leaned forward on the table with a patient sigh.

  "Don't you understand that when two parties meet to arrange terms theycan't both have all they want? The only chance of a settlement lies in amutual compromise."

  "You're wrong," said the stranger grimly. "The thing can be settledstraight off if one of them gives in."

  "Is that what you propose to do?"

  "No, sir! I don't budge an inch! The boys wouldn't let me, even if Ithought it wise."

  "Then, as I can't go as far as you wish, there's no use in my making amove," Aynsley answered coolly. "It looks as if we had come to astandstill and there was nothing more to be said."

  "I'll warn you that you're taking a big responsibility and playing afool game."

  "That remains to be seen. I needn't keep you, though I'm sorry we can'tagree."

  He went down with the man, and as they crossed the yard the fellowraised his voice.

  "Come out from the holes you're hiding in, boys!" he cried. "Are yougoing to back the foreigners and employers against your friends?"

  Aynsley touched his shoulder.

  "Sorry, but we can't allow any speeches of that kind. You have anenvoy's privileges, so long as you stick to them, but this is breakingall the rules."

  "How will you stop me?" the fellow demanded roughly.

  "I imagine you had better not satisfy your curiosity on that point,"Aynsley answered. "The man yonder has your horse. I wish yougood-night."

  The envo
y mounted and rode away into the darkness; and Aynsley soughthis manager.

  "I suspect his friends are not far off," he said. "We had better goround again and see that everything's ready."