Besides, many
valuable trees had been felled before the injunction was served,
and lay rotting on the ground. Every month they lay there
decreased their value.
And now, it appeared, Gedney Raffer was doing all in his power to
influence old Toby to serve as a witness in his, Raffer's,
interests.
Had toby been willing to go into court and swear that the line of
the Perkins Tract was as Mr. Sherwood claimed, the court would
have to vacate the injunction and Uncle Henry could risk going
ahead and cutting and hauling timber from the tract. Uncle Henry
believed Toby knew exactly where the line lay, for he had been a
landloper, or timber-runner in this vicinity when the original
survey was made, forty-odd years before.
It was plain to Nan, hiding in the bushes and watching the old
man's face, that he was dreadfully tempted. Working as hard as
he might, summer and winter alike, Toby Vanderwiller had scarcely
been able to support his wife and grandson. His occasional
attacks of rheumatism so frequently put him back. If Raffer took
away the farm and the shelter they had, what would become of
them?
Uncle Henry was so short of ready money himself that he could not
assume the mortgage if Raffer undertook to foreclose.
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