E-text prepared by Suzanne Lybarger, Brian Janes, Jacqueline Jeremy, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) JOAN OF ARC OF THE NORTH WOODS * * * * * BOOKS BY HOLMAN DAY JOAN OF ARC OF THE NORTH WOODS WHEN EGYPT WENT BROKE ALL-WOOL MORRISON THE RIDER OF THE KING LOG THE SKIPPER AND THE SKIPPED THE RED LANE THE RAMRODDERS THE LANDLOPER WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS SQUIRE PHIN BLOW THE MAN DOWN Harper & Brothers Publishers New York and London * * * * * JOAN OF ARC OF THE NORTH WOODS by HOLMAN DAY Author of "The Rider of the King Log," "When Egypt Went Broke," Etc. Harper & Brothers, Publishers New York and London Joan of Arc of the North Woods Copyright, 1922 By Harper & Brothers Printed in the U.S.A. First Edition H-W _Joan of Arc of the North Woods_ CHAPTER ONE The timber situation in the Tomah country was surcharged. When Ward Latisan came upon Rufus Craig, one afternoon in autumn, steel struck flint and trouble's fuse was lighted. Their meeting was on the Holeb tote road just below Hagas Falls. Young Ward was the grandson of old John, a pioneer who was in his day a saw-log baron of the times of pumpkin pine; by heredity Ward was the foremost champion in the cause of the modern independent operators. In his own way, Craig, the field director of the Comas Consolidated Paper Company, was the chief gladiator for an invading corporation which demanded monopoly of the Tomah timber by absorption of the independents. Latisan tramped down the tote road from the shoulder of Holeb Mountain, where he had been cruising alone for a week on the Walpole tract, blazing timber for the choppers, marking out twitch roads and haul-downs, locating yards; his short-handled ax was in his belt, his lank haversack flapped on his back; he carried his calipers in one hand; with the other hand he fed himself raisins from his trousers pocket, munching as he went along. He had eaten the last of his scanty supply of biscuits and bacon; but, like other timber cruisers--all of them must travel light--he had his raisins to fall back on, doling them one by one, masticating them thoroughly and finding the nourishment adequate. He had been on the go every day from sunup till dark; nights he cinched his belted jacket closely and slept as best he could, his back against a tree; he had cruised into every nook and corner of the tract, spending strength prodigally, but when he strode down the tote road his vitality enabled him to hit it off at a brisk gait; his belt was a few holes tighter, yet his fasting made him keenly awake; he was more alert to the joy of being alive in the glory of the crisp day; his cap was in his pocket, his tousled brown hair was rampant; and he welcomed the flood of sunshine on his bronzed face.