"
Bryce turned and his brown eyes blazed into the Colonel's. "Where DID
you succeed in finding such a marvellous tree?" he queried pointedly.
"I know of but one tree in Humboldt County that could have produced
such beautiful burl."
For about a second Colonel Pennington met Bryce's glance
unwaveringly; then he read something in his guest's eyes, and his
glance shifted, while over his benign countenance a flush spread
quickly. Bryce noted it, and his quickly roused suspicions were as
quickly kindled into certainty. "Where did you find that tree?" he
repeated innocently.
"Rondeau, my woods-boss, knew I was on the lookout for something
special--something nobody else could get; so he kept his eyes open."
"Indeed!" There was just a trace of irony in Bryce's tones as he drew
Shirley's chair and held it for her. "As you say, Colonel, it is
difficult to keep such soft wood from being marred by contact with
the furniture. And you are fortunate to have such a woods-boss in
your employ. Such loyal fellows are usually too good to be true, and
quite frequently they put their blankets on their backs and get out
of the country when you least expect it. I dare say it would be a
shock to you if Rondeau did that."
There was no mistaking the veiled threat behind that apparently
innocent observation, and the Colonel, being a man of more than
ordinary astuteness, realized that at last he must place his cards on
the table.
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