Title:  The Rules of the Game

Author:  Stewart Edward White

Release Date:  August 16, 2004 [EBook #13194]

Language:  English

Character set encoding:  ASCII

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[Illustration:  He worked desperately.  The heat of the flames began to scorch his face and hands]

THE RULES OF THE GAME

BY

STEWART EDWARD WHITE

1910

ILLUSTRATED BY LEJAREN A. HILLER

1909, 1910, By James Horsburgh, Jr

1910, By Doubleday, page & company

PUBLISHED, OCTOBER, 1910

AUTHOR’S NOTE

The geography in this novel may easily be recognized by one familiar with the country.  For that reason it is necessary to state that the characters therein are in no manner to be confused with the people actually inhabiting and developing that locality.  The Power Company promoted by Baker has absolutely nothing to do with any Power Company utilizing any streams:  the delectable Plant never exercised his talents in Sierra North.  The author must decline to acknowledge any identifications of the sort.  Plant and Baker and all the rest are, however, only to a limited extent fictitious characters.  What they did and what they stood for is absolutely true.

ILLUSTRATIONS

He worked desperately.  The heat of the flames began to scorch his face and hands.

The men calmly withdrew the long ribbon of steel and stood to one side.

“I beg pardon,” said he.  The girl turned.

Bob found it two hours’ journey down.

PART ONE

I

Late one fall afternoon, in the year 1898, a train paused for a moment before crossing a bridge over a river.  From it descended a heavy-set, elderly man.  The train immediately proceeded on its way.

The heavy-set man looked about him.  The river and the bottom-land growths of willow and hardwood were hemmed in, as far as he could see, by low-wooded hills.  Only the railroad bridge, the steep embankment of the right-of-way, and a small, painted, windowless structure next the water met his eye as the handiwork of man.  The windowless structure was bleak, deserted and obviously locked by a strong padlock and hasp.  Nevertheless, the man, throwing on his shoulder a canvas duffle-bag with handles, made his way down the steep railway embankment, across a plank over the ditch, and to the edge of the water.  Here he dropped his bag heavily, and looked about him with an air of comical dismay.