ous capacity. An hour
passed, and, though he drank repeatedly on his high-lonesome, he seemed
little the worse for it. Drummond patiently watched and waited. He
knew that with some newly distilled brandy does not take immediate
effect, but that drunkenness comes on suddenly when the victim least
expects it.

CHAPTER XXII

JERKLINE JO'S SURPRISE

Meantime events were happening out in the street which were to have a
distinct bearing on Lucy and Al's plot to separate Basil Filer from the
contents of his buckskin poke.

These events, however, were quite commonplace on the face of them. The
first was the arrival of Jerkline Jo's wagon train, loaded to the
gunwales with case goods, general merchandise, and food for stock.

The arrival of Jerkline Jo and her proud huskies always was an event of
importance at Ragtown. They made a picture as the heavy eight and
ten-horse teams with the hundreds of bells a-jingle rolled the immense
wagons down the street, while Jo's skinners, quite aware of the furor
they were creating, called "Gee" and "Haw" and manipulated their
jerklines unnecessarily, for the sole purpose of awing the spectators.
One wagon was stopped at Huber's store; the rest continued on through
to Demarest, Spruce & Tillou's Camp Number One, a half mile beyond the
town.

It was Jo's whites that had been brought to a halt before Huber's. The
proprietor came out and asked that the load be discharged in the rear,
as he had just completed a new freight platform at the back entrance.

"Right!" called Jo. Then, "Annie! Ned! Feel of it, white folks!
Bert! Snip! All together. Let's go!"

Like a well-trained company of infantry, the ten whites leaned to the
collars, and the eight tons behind them moved off as easily as a baby
buggy. The hub of all eyes, the attractive girl with cries of "Gee"
and "Haw" and picturesque manipulation of the jerkline, swung her team
around the corner and into the alley. Men with whom she had a standing
agreement to unload freight for her when their services were needed
already had come through the store, and were waiting for her on the new
platform. Dexterously she guided the team with the jerkline and by
word of mouth, so that the load crept along not two inches from the
edge of the platform and came to a stop.

She left her team standing, for Hiram Hooker was to ride back on her
black saddle pony for them as soon as the remainder of the outfit had
reached the camp.