The Ramrodders - A Novel by Holman (Holman Francis) Day
page 79 of 400 (19%)
page 79 of 400 (19%)
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important, I've got almost three months to meet that possibility in. I
had only three hours to-day. You needn't worry about the election, Luke." With his eyes still on the seething smoke vomiting up from the Jo Quacca hills he lighted a fresh cigar. "There's something up there that's worrying me more. Cobb has got fire enough to break up a State convention." Certain columns of smoke shot up, bearing knobs like hideous mushrooms. The knobs were black with cinders and spangled with sparks. The menace they bore could be descried even at that distance. A breeze wrenched off one of those knobs, and carried it out from the main conflagration. The roof of a barn half-way down the hillside began to smoke. Sparks had dropped there. After a time the two men could see trickles of fire running up the shingles. "There goes one stand of buildings," announced Thornton. "I swear, you take this thing cool enough!" "Well, I'm not a rain-storm or a pipe-line, Luke. There's nothing more I can do. When Sylvester gets there with his crowd I'll have a hundred men or so of my own fighting it. And if a man sets fire on his land the law makes him pay the neighbors if the fire gets away and damages them. I'm prepared to settle without beating down prices. Let's go over to The Barracks." Presson went along grumbling. |
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