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Updated: May 29, 2025
With the wagon you'll be able to bring in a lot more bark than you could without a wagon." "It's a fine idea, sir," glowed Dick, "and you're mighty kind to us." "Not especially kind," smiled the boat builder. "I can use a lot of this bark in my business, and I'm glad to get it on as reasonable a basis as you boys can bring it to me. You see, it's lucky that Katson's Hill is wild and distant land.
If we had a land owner to deal with he'd make us pay high for the privilege of stripping the bark." "But why couldn't you send your own workmen out to cut the bark?" Dick asked. "They've as much right on Katson's Hill as we have." "Oh, yes; I could do that," Driggs assented. "And I could make a little more money that way, mebbe.
Six laughing and not very tired boys piled aboard the wagon that afternoon, with what looked like a "mountain" of prime birch bark roped on. For seven more working days Dick & Co. toiled faithfully, at the end of which time they discovered that they had about "cleaned" Katson's Hill of all the really desirable bark.
Now, you see, first off, boys, we'll need a lot of birch bark. I haven't any in stock, and the kind that is sound and good for canoe building is scarce these days. Now, first off, you'll have to range the woods for bark. Do you know where to find it?" "Yes," Dick nodded. "Over on that place they call Katson's Hill." "But that's about eleven miles from here," objected Driggs.
"I know it is," Prescott answered. "But the point is that Katson's Hill is wild land. No tax assessor knows who is the owner of that land, and it wouldn't bring enough money to make it worth while to sell it at a sheriff's sale. So a number of farmers turn their cattle in there and use it for free grazing ground.
Away over on Katson's Hill six high school boys, stripped to their undershirts and trousers, were toiling hard, drenched in perspiration and with hands considerably the worse for their hard work. "What we're finding out is that it's one thing to strip bark for fun, and quite another thing to take it off in pieces large enough for a boat-builder," Dick Prescott declared.
"Then we can hardly get back to Katson's Hill to-morrow, if we wait until the boatyard opens at eight o'clock," said Dave. "We ought to start for the hill before six, as we did this morning." "We'll none of us feel like going to Katson's Hill early to-morrow morning," smiled Dick wearily. "Fellows, I guess we'll have to put in twice as much time, and go every other day.
As no owner can be found for the land we won't have to pay for the birch bark that we cut there." "That's so," Driggs acknowledged. "But it's an awful distance, and over some mighty rough bits of road. You'll be about dead after you've packed a load of birch bark in from Katson's Hill." "That wouldn't be anything, compared with having to do without our canoe," Dick returned.
The next morning, about ten o'clock, Hiram Driggs, who had already been visited by Dick & Co., on their way to Katson's Hill, was called upon by Policeman Curtis of the Gridley force. Curtis, being off duty, was in citizen's clothes. "Did you miss anything out of the plant this morning, Mr. Driggs?" inquired the guardian of life and property. "Nothing that I know of," Driggs answered. "Why?"
"Maybe not," Driggs conceded. "Now, boys, is there much of that birch bark on Katson's Hill?" "There must be several shiploads," Dave Darrin replied. "Good enough. Then, see here. I'll take this job at twenty dollars, if you boys will get the birch bark. After you've brought in enough to patch the canoe then you can bring in enough more to amount to twenty dollars. Is that a go?"
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