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Updated: June 25, 2025
Its presence would have inspired him with a deal of courage. The very fact that the danger, which intuition rather than reason assured him was threatening, came from an unknown source, increased his fears. Perhaps Simon Halpen was not within a hundred miles of that identical spot.
"Is that so, Nuck?" Enoch repeated his adventure with the murderous Halpen. "If I'd knowed this," the ranger declared, "I'd saved the grub the scoundrel is eating." "We'll make an example of him when we reach the lake, 'Siah," declared the leader of the Green Mountain Boys. "But now for this other matter. It is most important. Every bateau within reach must be secured."
There was a light canoe moored there and into this he stepped and paddled out into the lake, evidently aiming his craft for a cove near the scouts' position. Bolderwood and his comrades were so deeply interested in the maneuvres of this man that Simon Halpen was for the time forgotten.
Now at an order from Halpen the Indians stolidly paddled down the river again and were quickly out of sight around the nearest bend in the stream. Bolderwood went back and found the surveyor prone upon the ground and weeping like a woman. "Get up, you great ca'f!" cried the ranger. "Nobody'll kill you for your part in this matter though you desarve little mercy.... Was that Simon Halpen?"
His head came up and he flashed a look of bitter hatred at Enoch. He nodded to the man who had spoken and instantly the three armed retainers began to quietly spread out as though to surround the house. "I'll parley no longer with you, my lad," Halpen said, shortly. "This land is mine and you are naught but squatters on it. And as such you shall be put off, or my name is not Simon Halpen!"
The youth did not understand how Simon Halpen could have compassed his father's death; yet Crow Wing evidently suspected something which he had not seen fit to divulge. Enoch scarce knew Bryce after his winter's absence.
They stood not many rods away and poking his rifle through the hole, he aimed at the villainous Halpen and, pulling the trigger, ran back to the hearth before the echo of the shot died away. Down the ladder he darted, dropping the heavy hearthstone into place, and leaving the cabin which for so many years had been their home, to be consumed above their heads.
The surveyor pointed a shaking finger at the cabin, the smoking walls of which were now all that were standing. "They are there. Wait! let me tell you. I had nothing to do with the dreadful work. Nor, indeed, did Simon Halpen mean to destroy the house and the poor woman and children. They meant to burn the roof off to scare them out, and one man threw burning clods on it.
Enoch showed him the hole in the breast of his coat. "That was made by your bullet." "The boy's life is charmed!" muttered Halpen. "You had much better have used your gun-stock, Master Halpen. You would have been surer to kill me then." At this an expression of positive terror came into the prisoner's features. "I am not a murderer," he exclaimed.
He could not hear what they said, but it was evident that the surveyor was a man of some conscience and could not see such murderous actions without striving to put Halpen in better mind. But the latter shook him off in rage and loaded his gun again. The house was now surrounded by the four armed men and the three understrappers were only waiting Halpen's command to fire.
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