Bagley, Desmond - Landslide by Landslide

Author:Landslide [Landslide]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Part VII

Chapter 1

Nothing much happened just after that. I didn't make any move against Bull Matterson and McDougall didn't push me. I think he realized I had to have time to come to terms with the problem he had handed me.

Clare went up to her cabin in the Kinoxi Valley, and before she went I said, "Maybe you shouldn't have stopped me doing that survey on your land. I might have come across a big strike of manganese or something -- enough to have stopped the flooding of the valley."

She said slowly, "Suppose you found something now -- would it still make a difference?"

"It might -- if it were a big enough find. The Government might favour a mining settlement rather than a dam; it would employ more people."

"Then why don't you come and give the land a check? " She smiled. "A last-ditch effort."

"Okay," I said. "Give me a few days to get sorted out."

I went prospecting but nowhere near the dam. In spite of Matterson's assurance of safety, something might have stirred up, say, between me and Jimmy Waystrand -- or those truckers, if I came across them -- and I wanted no trouble until I had got things clear in my mind. So I fossicked about on the Crown lands to the west, not really looking for anything in particular and with my mind only half on the job.

After two weeks I went back to Fort Farrell, no more decided than I had been when I left. I was dreaming a lot of nights and that wasn't doing me any good, either. The dreams were changing in character and becoming frighteningly real -- burnt bodies strewn about an icy landscape, the crackle of flames reddening the snow and a jangling sound that was cruel in its intensity. When I got back to Mac's cabin I was pretty washed-up.

He was concerned about me. "Sorry to have put this on you, son," he said. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up."

"You did right," I said heavily. "It's tough on me, Mac, but I can stand it. You know, it comes as quite a shock to discover you have a choice of pasts."

"I was a fool," Mac said bluntly. "Ten minutes' thought and ten cents' worth of understanding and I'd have known better. I've been kicking myself ever since I opened my big mouth."

"Forget it," I said.

"But you won't, though." He was silent for a while. "If you pulled out now and forgot the whole thing I wouldn't think any the worse of you for it, boy. There'd be no recriminations from me -- not like last time."

"I won't do that," I said. 'Too much has happened. Old Matterson has tried to scare me off, for one thing, and I don't push easy. There are other reasons, too."

He looked at me with a shrewd eye. "You haven't finished thinking about this yet. Why don't you give Clare's land the once-over, like you promised. You need more time."

He wasn't fitted to

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