We might have saved a lot of good timber. As it
was, we couldn't do much. Every time the wind changed, it would break
out in a new place--too often to be accidental. Damn him!"
"How is it going to end, the fire?" Stella forced herself to ask. "Will
you and Jack be able to save any timber?"
"If it should rain hard, and if in the meantime the boys keep it from
jumping the fire-trails we've cut, I'll get by with most of mine," he
said. "But Jack's done for. He won't have anything but his donkeys and
gear and part of a cedar limit on the Tyee which isn't paid for. He had
practically everything tied up in that big block of timber around the
Point. Monohan made him spend money like water to hold his own. Jack's
broke."
Stella's head drooped. Benton reached out an axe-calloused hand, all
grimy and browned from the stress of fire fighting, and covered her soft
fingers that rested on his bed.
"It's a pity everything's gone to pot like that, Stell," he said softly.
"I've grown a lot wiser in human ways the last two years. You taught me
a lot, and Jack a lot, and Linda the rest. It seems a blamed shame you
and Jack came to a fork in the road. Oh, he never chirped. I've just
guessed it the last few weeks. I owe him a lot that he'll never let me
pay back in anything but good will. I hate to see him get the worst of
it from every direction. He grins and doesn't say anything. But I know
it hurts. There can't be anything much wrong between you two. Why don't
you forget your petty larceny troubles and start all over again?"
"I can't," she whispered.
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