And what of Migley and the rest? Word of his harshness in driving Sinth
and the children out of their home had travelled over the land, and
not all the king's money could have saved him. Master went to the
Legislature--where God prosper him!--and the young lumberman was
condemned to obscurity.
Master and Edith live at Clear Lake most of the year, and the cranes
have brought them a young fairy regarded by Socky and Sue, who often
visit there, with deep interest and affection. Sinth will spend the rest
of her days, probably, in the home of Gordon at Benson Falls.
As to Annette, like many daughters of the Puritan, she lives with a
memory, and her hope is still and all in that "some day," gone now into
the land of faith and mystery.
The once beautiful valley of Rainbow was turned into black ruins that
night of the fire. Soon a "game pirate," who had "blabbed" in a spree,
was arrested for the crime of causing it. The authorities promised to
let him go if he would tell the truth. He told how he had been with
"Red" Macdonald that night and saw him fire the woods. They fled to the
shore of Rainbow and crossed in a boat. Near the middle of the lake they
broke an oar, and a mile of green tops had begun to "fry" before they
landed. They ran eastward in a panic. They crossed Bushrod Creek on a
big log that spanned the water. At the farther end of it Macdonald, who
was in the lead, put his foot in one bear-trap and fell into another.
His friend tried to release him, but soon had to give up and run for his
life.
He went with an officer and found the heap of bones that lay between two
rusty traps in the desolate valley.
"After all, he got exac'ly what was comin' to him," said he, looking
down at the ghastly thing. "It was him shot the 'Emp'ror o' the Woods.'"
Who was to pay Macdonald for his work? That probably will never be
known.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Silas Strong, Emperor of the Woods, by
Irving Bacheller
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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