CHAPTER XXIII
REVELATIONS
"And to think that we found Paddy Malone!" exclaimed Mollie.
"Yes, but he first found us--only we didn't know it," answered Grace.
They were gliding along on their snowshoes from the lonely cabin wherethey discovered the injured lumberman. Betty and Amy had volunteered tostay while the other girls went for the nearest doctor. There was oneliving half-way between the winter camp and the town.
"Papa will be so glad!" Grace went on. "I must telegraph to him rightaway."
"One of the boys can take in the message," suggested Mollie. "Then wecan go back and hear the rest of the story. It sounds, from what PaddyMalone said, as if that Mr. Jallow had been up to some unfair tricks."
"I shouldn't wonder," agreed Grace. "Oh, what a lot of things havehappened up here!"
"And more are going to, if I'm any judge. Your father will get histimber land back."
"Oh, how glad I'll be!"
The girls hurried on, hoping they would find the boys in their cabin.There was some doubt of this, but they were reasonably certain oflocating Mr. Franklin, who would go for a doctor for the injured man.
The boys had not yet returned, but Mrs. Franklin, who listened withwonder to the story Grace and Mollie pantingly told, informed them wherethey could locate her husband not far off in the woods.
He was using a light sled to haul firewood, and at once set off for thedoctor, whom he brought back with him in due time.
Then, in a larger sled, in which it was planned to bring back PaddyMalone to the boy's cabin, where it would easier to nurse him, Mr.Franklin, Mollie, Grace and the physician set off for the lonely cabin.
They found Paddy much improved under the ministrations of Amy and Betty.The lumberman was quite cheerful. Telling of his determination to aidMr. Ford seemed to have taken a load off his conscience.
With the aid of Mr. Franklin, the rather badly broken leg was set, thelumberman bearing the pain like a stoic. Then, resting on a soft bed ofstraw in the bottom of the sled, he was taken to the boys' cabin, thegirls also riding in the big sled.
That the boys were much astonished, on their return from a little trip,to find a wounded lumberman in their cabin, is putting it mildly. Andwhen they learned that it was the long missing Paddy Malone, who couldgive such valuable testimony for Mr. Ford, their astonishment knew nobounds.
"Say, you girls certainly do things!" exclaimed Will admiringly.
"They sure do!" agreed Allen, with a warm glance at Betty, who avertedher eyes, and blushed, whereat Grace and Mollie nudged each other, tothe further discomfiture of their friend.
"I'm just crazy to hear what he will say, and how he is going toestablish daddy's boundary lines," said Grace, when the lumberman hadbeen made comfortable.
"He must not be disturbed until to-morrow," ordered the doctor. "He hasa little fever, and I want that to go down."
So the girls and boys had to curb their impatience as best they could. Atelegram was sent to Mr. Ford, and he replied that he would be on handthe next day.
The morning visit of the doctor found Mr. Malone--or Paddy, as heinsisted his young friends call him--so much better that the physiciansaid:
"You may tell your story now, but don't talk too much."
"Sure, and I'll leave that for the ladies!" exclaimed Paddy with atwinkle in his eyes.
"Now everybody keep quiet and listen," said Grace, when she had relatedhow she and her chums had come to the winter camp, and how Mr. Jallowand his company had encroached on land that Mr. Ford believed was hisown.
"And it _is_ his!" exclaimed Paddy. "The boundary lines have beenchanged. I can see that myself. It's that Jallow's work. Listen and I'lltell you how it happened.
"As your father says, Miss," he went on, turning to Grace, "I was withhim when the survey was made, and stone piles put up and the treesblazed to mark the line. That valuable strip was on his side. Then sometime passed, and that cunning fox, Jallow, came to me, and herepresented that he had been wrongly dealt with. He said Mr. Ford hadsold out his interests to strangers who were going to do harm to Jallowand his friends.
"Not knowing any different, I believed him. He said the courts would notgive him justice and he was going to take it himself, and I had smallblame for him for doing that. I'd do the same. But mind you," Paddyinsisted, "I did not know I was doing my friend James Ford any harm.
"Jallow said he would pay me just to disappear for a time, and,foolishly, I consented. I went out of the country, and for a whileJallow sent me, and a friend of mine, money. My friend knew the properboundaries, too.
"Then the money stopped, and I came on to find out why. Jallow onlylaughed at me, and said he had no further use for me, as he'd got all hewanted. I didn't know what to do. I stayed around here, keeping inhiding, for I feared maybe I could be arrested for what I did. That waswhy I didn't give you my name," and he smiled at the girls.
"So I came to this old cabin I used to own, to see what would turn up.Sure and it was myself turned up--slipped up--and broke my leg. That waswhat turned up.
"But before that I had seen all I wanted to--that was the changedboundary lines. Then I knew Jallow's game. He wanted to throw thatvaluable timber strip into his own land. I made some inquiries, andfound that Mr. Ford still owned the lumber camp, and hadn't sold out, asJallow told me. Then I knew I had been fooled, but still I didn't knowwhat to do, for I was afraid of arrest, and I never could stand jail,when I knew I hadn't really meant any wrong.
"I saw Jallow again, but he only laughed at me, and give me a littlemoney to get out of the country. But I didn't go then, and I'm not goingnow. I'm going to see justice done!"
"And I think I can assure you that you will not suffer for it," saidAllen Washburn, with a glance at Will and Grace. "Mr. Ford will be heresoon, and you can arrange everything with him."
"I hope he'll forgive me," remarked Paddy somewhat mournfully.
"I'm sure he will," declared Grace, warmly.
Paddy Malone went more into details of how he had been induced todisappear so that the proper boundaries might be shifted to make itappear that the valuable land was on Mr. Jallow's side, instead ofbelonging to Mr. Ford. Then Dr. Burke insisted that his patient haverest, so the boys and girls went outside to talk it over.
"Oh, I do wish papa would come!" sighed Grace.
In due time Mr. Ford arrived at the camp, a very much surprised butpleased lawyer indeed. He had a consultation with Paddy, who confirmedall he had said and furnished the address of a companion who waspresent when the proper survey was made.
Mr. Ford then made his plans, but, as he needed the help of Paddy incarrying them out, it was decided to postpone action until the lumbermancould get around--on crutches, at least.
Mr. Ford stayed a day or so in camp with his daughter and her friends,going about to look at the various boundaries, and arranging certaindetails with Ted Franklin. He was entertained by the young people, andseemed to enjoy himself.
He did not go near the strip in dispute, however, preferring to waituntil he was ready with his plans. Paddy was slowly getting better, andMr. Ford went back to Deepdale, to look after matters there, arrangingto come back as soon as Paddy could limp around.
Meanwhile the young people made the most of their life in the greatwintry woods, for they were to return home for the Christmas holidays,as school would open the first of the new year.
There were sleigh-rides, coasting, skating occasionally, and some moreice boating, though, because of considerable snow, the latter sport wasrather curtailed.
Occasionally Mr. Blackford came out for a day or so, but he had no goodnews regarding his missing sister. He had followed several cluesunsuccessfully.
"But somehow, in spite of all my disappointments, I feel that I will besuccessful before long," he affirmed.
"We hope so," replied Amy, gently, and the others echoed her words.
Then came a day when Paddy could limp about. He was a happy man, and, inanswer to
a telegram sent him with this news, Mr. Ford returned wordthat he would come up and assist at the "last act in the lumber play,"as Will called it.
Accompanied by a court officer, and with Allen Washburn as consultingattorney, Grace's father reached the camp one evening.
"Do you think you can stand it to face Jallow to-morrow, Paddy?" heasked.
"I'm sure I can. I'm thinkin' he won't face me, though."
"Maybe not. We'll see. Well, we'll go over and take possession of thedisputed strip in the morning."
The court officer and Allen nodded.
"May we come along, Daddy, and see the fun?" asked Grace.
"Well," replied her father, "I don't know as there will be much fun,but--yes, you may be there."