lucky."

Then slowly, studiously, he compared the messages again, the one he had
received, and the one on the hook which read:

J. C. Blackburn,
Deal Building, Chicago, Ill.

Our friend reports Boston deal put over O. K. Everything safe.
Suggest start preparations for operations in time compete Boston for
the big thing. Have Boston where we want him and will keep him there.

THAYER.

It was the same telegram that Barry Houston had received and puzzled
over in Boston, except for the address. He had been right then; the
message had not been for him; instead it had been intended decidedly
_not_ for him and it meant--what? Hastily Houston crawled over the
railing, and motioning to Ba'tiste, led him away from the station.
Around the corner of the last store he brought forth his telegram and
placed it in the big man's hands.

"That's addressed to me,--but it should have gone to some one else.
Who's J. C. Blackburn of Chicago?"

"Ba'teese don't know. Try fin' out. Why?"

"Have you read that message?"

The giant traced out the words, almost indecipherable in places from
creasing and handling. He looked up sharply.

"Boston? You came from Boston?"

"Yes. That must refer to me. It must mean what I've been suspecting
all along,--that Thayer's been running my mill down, to help along some
competitor. You'll notice that he says he has me where he wants me."

"_Oui_--yes. But has he? What was the deal?"

"I don't know. I haven't been in any deal that I know of, yet he must
refer to me. I haven't any idea what he means by the reference to
starting operations, or that sentence about the 'big thing.' There
isn't another mill around here?"

"None nearer than the Moscript place at Echo Lake."

"Then what can it be?" Suddenly Houston frowned with presentiment.
"Thayer's been going with Medaine a good deal, hasn't he?"

"_Oui_--yes. When Ba'teese can think of no way to keep him from it."

"It couldn't be that he's made some arrangement with her--about her
forest lands?"

"They are not hers yet. She does not come into them until she is
twenty-one."

"But they are available then?"

"_Oui_. And they are as good as yours."

"Practically the same thing, aren't they? How much of the lake does
she own?"

"The east quarter, and the forests that front on eet, and the east bank
of Hawk Creek."

"Then there would be opportunity for everything, for skidways into the
lake, a flume on her side a