II


At a period in his upward climb to fortune, when as yet Hector McKaye
had not fulfilled his dream of a factory for the manufacture of his
waste and short-length stock into sash, door, blinds, moldings, and so
forth, he had been wont to use about fifty per cent. of this material
for fuel to maintain steam in the mill boilers, while the remainder
passed out over the waste-conveyor to the slab pile, where it was
burned.

The sawdust, however, remained to be disposed of, and since it was not
possible to burn this in the slab fire for the reason that the wet
sawdust blanketed the flames and resulted in a profusion of smoke that
blew back upon the mill to the annoyance of the employees, for many
years The Laird had caused this accumulated sawdust to be hauled to
the edge of the bight on the north side of the town, and there dumped
in a low, marshy spot which formerly had bred millions of mosquitoes.

Subsequently, in the process of grading the streets of Port Agnew and
excavating cellars, waste dirt had been dumped with the sawdust, and,
occasionally, when high winter tides swept over the spot, sand, small
stones, sea-shells, and kelp were added to the mixture. And as if this
were not sufficient, the citizens of Port Agnew contributed from time
to time old barrels and bottles, yard-sweepings, tin cans, and
superannuated stoves and kitchen utensils.

Slowly this dump crept out on the beach, and in order to prevent the
continuous attrition of the surf upon the outer edge of it from