The Outdoor Girls in a Winter Camp: Or, Glorious Days on Skates and Ice BoatsHope, Laura Lee
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The Outdoor Girls in a Winter Camp: Or, Glorious Days on Skates and Ice Boats
Hope, Laura Lee
Adventure stories; Girls -- Juvenile fiction
"I do!" cried Paddy Malone, standing up in the sled, and leaning on his
crutch. "I say the lines were changed, Jim Jallow, and you know it! I
saw the right marks put, but they were shifted, and I'm ready to testify
that you paid me to keep out of the country while you changed 'em."
"That isn't so!" stormed Jallow. "Who would believe you?" but he paled,
and was obviously ill at ease.
"I guess they'll believe me when Mr. Ford and Dick Norbury testify to
the same thing," said Paddy, coolly.
"Dick Norbury--why, he's--dead!" gasped Jallow.
"Not much!" cried Paddy. "He's very much alive, and I've got a letter
from him in my pocket now, saying he'll come on any time he's wanted and
testify as to the right boundaries."
Mr. Jallow stood with open mouth. As the saying goes, all the wind had
been taken out of his sails.
"I guess you had better give up, Mr. Jallow," said the court officer.
"I'm here to take charge of this land until the matter is officially
settled. In the meanwhile no more trees must be cut. That is a court
order, and here is a copy of it. I serve it on you, and violation of it
means contempt, with heavy penalties."
"The jig is up, Jim!" cried Paddy. "I told you I'd get even with you!"
Mr. Jallow said not another word. He was beaten at every point, and he
knew it. His men crowded up around him.
"Shall we go on cutting?" asked the foreman.
Mr. Jallow hesitated a moment.
"No," he said, in a low voice. "Better stop--I guess."
"I may want you men to work for me," put in Mr. Ford. "I intend to go on
cutting this tract, as soon as the court formalities are over. If you
like you may remain in camp until it is time to go to work again. I'll
hire you."
A cheer greeted this announcement. The men had looked rather blank at
losing their work in the middle of winter.
"Well, it's all over," said Grace, as the sled turned homeward. "And it
wasn't so terrible; was it, Amy?"
"No, indeed. Oh, I'm so glad your father has won, dear."
"I guess we all are," spoke Betty. "Now we can enjoy the rest of our
stay in camp without having to worry, and we can go where we please. Can
you stay, Mr. Blackford?"
"Yes, for a few days more."
The court formalities did not take long, and soon the title of Mr. Ford
to the disputed land was confirmed. The change in boundary lines was
shown, and, had he so desired, Mr. Ford could have proceeded against Mr.
Jallow. But he preferred not to, since he had not really lost any of the
valuable timber.
"Besides, there is no use making Alice feel any worse than she does,"
said Grace. The Jallow camp had been broken up, since it was on Mr.
Ford's land, and Alice, her mother and guests had gone back to Deepdale.
Our friends held undisputed sway in the woods.
Christmas was approaching. There was but about a week more in the woods,
when, one fine warm day--that is, warm for that time of year--the party
of young people set off for a tramp in the forest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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