第12章

“Whathaveyougot，eh？“

AtthatpointthedooropenedandGrantMaitlandsteppedintotheoffice。Tonyrosetohisfeetand，bowingwithelaborategraceanddignity，headdressedhischief。

“Goodmorning，sir。Iamgladtoseeyou，infact，IwantedtoseeyoubutwishingtosaveyourtimeIwasintheveryactofdictatingacommunicationtoyou。“

“Indeed，Tony？“saidMr。Maitlandgravely。

“Yes，sir，Iwasonthepointofdictatingmyresignationofmypositionofforeman。“

“Stepintotheoffice，Tony，“saidMr。Maitlandkindlyandsadly。

“Idon’twishtotakeyourtime，sir，“saidTony，soberedandquietedbyMr。Maitland’smanner，“butmymindisquitemadeup。

I——“

“Comein，“saidMr。Maitland，inavoiceofquietcommand，throwingopenhisofficedoor。“Iwishtospeaktoyou。“

“Oh，certainly，sir，“answeredTony，pullinghimselftogetherwithanalltooobviouseffort。

InhalfanhourTonycameforth，asoberandsubduedman。

“Good-bye，Wickes，“hesaid，“I’moff。“

“Whereareyougoing，Tony？“enquiredWickes，startledatthelookonTony’sface。

“Tohell，“hesnapped，“wheresuchfoolsasmebelong，“and，jamminghishatharddownonhishead，hewentforth。

InanotherminuteMr。Maitlandappearedattheofficedoor。

“Wickes，“hesaidsharply，“putonyourhatandgetJackforme。

Bringhim，nomatterwhathe’sat。Thatyoungfoolwhohasjustgoneoutmustbelookedafter。Theboot-leggershavebeentakinghimintow。IfIhadonlyknownsooner。Didyouknow，Wickes，howhehasbeengoingon？Whydidn’tyoureporttome？“

“Ihesitatedtodothat，sir，“puttinghisdeskinorder。“I

alwaysexpectedashowhewouldpullup。It’shiscompany，sir。

Heisnotsomuchtoblame。“

“Well，hewouldnottakeanythingIhadtooffer。Heiswildtogetaway。Andunfortunatelyhehassomemoneywithhim，too。ButgetJackforme。Hecanhandlehimifanybodycan。“

SorelyperplexedMr。Maitlandreturnedtohisoffice。Hisbusinesssensepointedthelineofactionwithsunlightclearness。Hissenseofjusticetothebusinessforwhichhewasresponsibleaswellastothemeninhisemploynolessclearlyindicatedtheactiondemanded。Hissanejudgmentconcurredinthedemandofhismenforthedismissalofhisforeman。DismissalhadbeenrenderedunnecessarybyTony’sunshakableresolvetoresignhispositionwhichhedeclaredheloathedandwhichheshouldneverhaveaccepted。Hisperplexityarosefromtheconfusionwithinhimself。

WhatshouldhedowithTony？Hehadnopositioninhisworksorintheofficeforwhichhewasfit。NoneknewthisbetterthanTonyhimself。

“It’sajoke，Mr。Maitland，“hehaddeclared，“aghastlyjoke。

Everybodyknowsit’sajoke，thatIshouldbeincommandofanymanwhenIcan’tcommandmyself。Besides，Ican’tstickit。“InthisresolvehehadpersistedinspiteofMr。Maitland’sentreatiesthatheshouldgivethethinganothertry，promisinghimallpossibleguidanceandbacking。Butentreatiesandoffersofassistancehadbeeninvain。Tonywaswildtogetawayfromthemill。Hehatedthegrind。Hewantedhisfreedom。VainlyMr。Maitlandhadofferedtofindanotherpositionforhimsomewhere，somehow。

“We’llfindaplaceintheofficeforyou，“hehadpleaded。“I

wanttoseeyougeton，Tony。Iwanttoseeyoumakegood。“

ButTonywasbeyondallpersuasion。

“Itisn’tinme，“hehaddeclared。“NotifyougavemethewholeworkscouldIstickit。“

“Takeafewdaystothinkitover，“Mr。Maitlandhadpleaded。

“Iknowmyself——onlytoowell。AskJack，heknows，“wasTony’sbitteranswer。“Andthat’sfinal。“

“No，Tony，itisnotfinal，“hadbeenMr。Maitland’slastword，asTonyhadlefthim。

Butaftertheyoungmanhadlefthimtherestillremainedtheunsolvedquestion，WhatwashetodowithTony？InMr。Maitland’sheartwasthefirmresolvethathewouldnotallowTonytogohisownway。Theletterinthedeskathishandforbadethat。

Athiswits’endhehadsentforJack。Jackhadmadeafootballhalf-backandahockeyforwardoutofTonywheneveryoneelsehadfailed。Ifanyonecoulddiverthimfromthatdesperatedownwardcoursetowhichheseemedheadlongbent，itwasJack。

InafewminutesWickesreturnedwiththereportthatonreceivinganaccountofwhathadhappenedJackhadgonetolookupTony。

Mr。Maitlanddrewabreathofrelief。

“Tonyisallrightforto-day，“hesaid，turningtohisworkandleavingtheproblemforthemeantimetoJack。

InanhourJackreportedthathehadbeentothePerrottehomeandhadinterviewedTony’smother。FromherhehadlearnedthatTonyhadleftthetown，barelycatchingthetraintoToronto。Hemightnotreturnforaweekortendays。Hecouldsetnotimeforit。

Hewashisownmasterastotime。Hehadgottothestagewherehecouldgoandcomeprettymuchashepleased。Themotherwasnotatallconcernedastothesegoingsandcomingsofherson。Hehadanassuredposition，allcauseforanxietyinregardtohimwasatanend。Tony’smotherwasobviouslynotalittleupliftedthathersonshouldbeofsufficientimportancetobeentrustedwithbusinessinTorontoinconnectionwiththemill。

AllofwhichtendedlittletowardrelievingtheanxietyofMr。

Maitland。

“Lethimtakehisswing，Dad，forabit，“wasJack’sadvice。“Hewillcomebackwhenheisready，anduntilthenwildhorseswon’tbringhimnorholdhim。Heisnogoodforhisoldjob，andyouhavenootherreadythathewillstickat。HehasnoSergeant-

Majornowtoknockhimaboutandmakehimkeepstep，more’sthepity。“

“LifewillbehisSergeant-Major，Ifear，“saidhisfather，“andaSergeant-Majorthatwillexacttheutmostlimitofobedienceormakehimpaytheprice。Allthesame，wewon’tlethimgo。I

can’tJack，anyway。“

“Oh，Tonywillturnup，neverfear，Dad，“saidJackeasily。

Withthisassurancehisfatherhadtocontenthimself。Inafortnight’stimealettercamefromTonytohissister，rosywiththebrillianceoftheprospectsopeningupbeforehim。Therewastheusualirresponsibleindefinitenessindetail。WhathewasdoingandhowhewaslivingTonydidnotdeigntoindicate。TendayslaterAnnettehadanotherletter。Theformerprospectshadnotbeenrealised，buthehadamuchbetterthinginview，somethingmoresuitabletohim，andofferinglargerpossibilitiesofpositionandstandinginthecommunity。SomuchAnnetteconfidedtohermotherwhopassedonthegreatnewswithelaborationsandannotationstoCaptainJack。ToCaptainJackhimselfAnnettegavelittleactualinformation。Indeed，shornofitselementofprophecy，therewaslittleinTony’sletterthatcouldbepassedon。

NordidAnnettedropanyhintbutthatallwasquitewellwithherbrother，muchlessthathehadsuggestedatemporaryloanoffiftydollarsbutonlyofcourseifshecouldsparetheamountwithperfectconvenience。AfterthislettertherewassilenceasfarasTonywasconcernedandforAnnetteanxietythatdeepenedintoagonyasthesilenceremainedunbrokenwiththepassingweeks。

WiththeanxietytheremingledinAnnette’sheartangerattheMaitlands，forsheblamedthemforTony’sdismissalfromhisposition。This，itisfairtosay，wasareflectionfromhermother’swrath，whosemindhadbeenfilledupwithrumoursfromthemillstotheeffectthathersonhadbeen“fired。“Annettewaswiseenoughandknewherbrotherwellenoughtodiscreditmuchthatrumourbroughttoherears，butshecouldnotridherselfofthethoughtthatawaymighthavebeenfoundtoholdTonyaboutthemills。

“Hefiredtheboy，didtheouldcarmudgeon，“saidMadamePerrotteinoneofherrages，“anddruvhimofffromthetown。“

“Nonsense，Mother，“Annettehadreplied，“youknowwellenoughTonyleftofhisownaccord。Whyshouldyoushamehimso？Hewentbecausehewantedtogo。“

Thiswasanewlightuponthesubjectforhermother。

“Thrueforyou，Annette，gurl，“shesaid，“an’yesaiditthattime。Butwhyfordidhenotinducethebyetoremain？ItwouldbelittleenoughifhehadmadehimtheManagerofthehullworks。

Thatsamewouldneverpaybackwhathedidforhisson。“

“Hush，Mother，“saidAnnette，inashockedandangryvoice，“letnoonehearyouspeaklikethat。Payback！Youknow，Mother，nothingcouldeverpaybackathinglikethat。“Theangerinherdaughter’svoicestartledthemother。

“Oui！bygar！“saidPerrotte，whohadoverheard，withquickwrath。

“Dat’sfoolishtalkforsure！Dere’snomancanspiklakdattome，orIchokehimonhisfoolt’roat，me。“

“Rightyouare，monpere！“saidAnnetteappeasingherfather。

“Motherdidnotthinkwhatshewassaying。“

“Dat’snobon，“repliedPerrotte，refusingtobeappeased。“Sacretonnerre！Dat’sone——whatyoucall？——damfoolspeech。DatboyTonyhe’scarry(h)onheesbackhisfriend，leCapitaineJack，an’leCapitaine，he’sgofivemileforfin’Tonyon’deshellholean’

fetchheemtoledocteurandstaywit’himtillhe’sfix(h)up。

NomdeDieu！Youpayfordat！Mama！Youmak’shameformeonmyheart！“criedtheoldFrenchman，beatinghisbreast，whilesobsshookhisvoice。

FiftyyearsagoBlackwatertownwasasawmillvillageontheBlackwaterRiverwhichfurnishedthepowerforthefirstlittlesawmillsetupbyGrantMaitland’sfather。

Downtherivercamethesawlogsintheearlyspringwhenthewaterwashigh，tobecaughtandheldbya“boom“inapondfromwhichtheywerehauledupatramwaytothesaw。Aquarterofamileupstreamamillrace，tappingtheriver，ledthewatertoan“overshotwheel“intheearlydays，latertoaturbine，thuscreatingthepowernecessarytodrivethemillmachinery。Whenthesawwasstillthewateroverflowedthe“stop-logs“bythe“spillway“intothepondbelow。

Butthatmillracefurnishedmorethanpowertothemill。Itfurnishedbesidesmuchcolourfulromancetothelifeofthevillageyouthofthoseearlydays。Fordownthemillracetheyrantheirracingcraft，jostlingandscreaming，urgingwithlongpolestheirlaggardflotillastovictory。Thepondbythemillwastotheboys“swimminghole“andfishingpool，where，duringthelongsummereveningsandthroughthesunnysummerdays，theyspentamphibioushoursinhighandserenecontent。Butinspringtimewhenthepondwasblackwithfloatinglogsitbecamethesceneofthrillingdeedsofdaring。Forthithercamethelumber-jacks，freshfrom“theshanties，“intheirdashing，multi-coloredgarb，to“showoff“

beforeadmiringfriendsandsweetheartstheirskillin“log-

running“and“log-rolling“contestswhichasthespiritofventuregrewwouldendlikeasnotintheicywatersofthepond。

Here，too，onbrilliantwinterdaysthelifeofthevillagefounditscentreofvividinterestandactivity。Forthenthepondwouldbeablackandglitteringsurfacewhereonwheeledandcurvedtheringing，gleamingbladesof“fancy“skatersorwhereoninsternerhoursopposing“shinny“teamssoughtgloryinHomericandoftengorycontest。

Butthosedaysandthosesceneswerenowlongsincegone。Theoldmillstoodapicturesqueruin，thewaterwheelhadgivenplacetothesteamengine，thepondhadshrunktoaninsignificantpoolwhereonlypollywogsandminnowspassedunadventurouslives，themillracehaddwindledtoatricklingstreamgrownthickwithwatercressandyellowlilies，andwhathadoncebeenthecentreofvigorousandromanticlifewasnowabackwatereddydevoidalikeofmovementandofcolour。