CHAPTER XII
The days passed swiftly, as they have a habit of passing after one
has discovered one's allotted task in life and has proceeded to
perform it. Following his discovery of the outrage committed on his
father's sanctuary, Bryce wasted considerable valuable time and
effort in a futile endeavour to gather some further hint of the
identity of the vandals; but despairing at last, he dismissed the
matter from his mind, resolving only that on Thursday he would go up
into Pennington's woods and interview the redoubtable Jules Rondeau.
Bryce's natural inclination was to wait upon M. Rondeau immediately,
if not sooner, but the recollection of his dinner engagement at the
Pennington home warned him to proceed cautiously; for while
harbouring no apprehensions as to the outcome of a possible clash
with Rondeau, Bryce was not so optimistic as to believe he would
escape unscathed from an encounter. Experience had impressed upon him
the fact that in a rough-and-tumble battle nobody is quite so
thoroughly at home as a lumberjack; once in a clinch with such a man,
even a champion gladiator of the prize ring may well feel
apprehensive of the outcome.
Wednesday evening at five o'clock Mr. Sinclair, the manager, came
into Bryce's office with a handful of folded papers.
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