
In the remote woods of northern Canada, a hard‑knocking foreman named Bat Marker is faced with a crisis that could cripple the thriving pulp‑mill operation he’s built. Across the table sits his enigmatic employer, Leslie Standing, a former academic whose sharp mind now steers the business through treacherous waters. Their uneasy partnership is tested as they confront a looming threat that promises to upend everything they’ve fought for.
A mysterious financier known as Hellbeam has resurfaced in Quebec, sending his agent Idepski to the steam‑packet office—a move that signals trouble for the mill’s supply line. With whispers of a rival’s scheming and the safety of their workers at stake, Bat and Leslie must decide whether to outwit the unseen adversary or risk losing the livelihood of an entire community. Their dialogue crackles with tension, hinting at a larger game of corporate espionage and personal vendettas.
The story blends rugged frontier adventure with the cerebral intrigue of high‑stakes business, drawing listeners into a world where raw determination meets calculated strategy. As the stakes rise, the characters’ conflicting motivations create a compelling, atmospheric tale that promises both action and thoughtful maneuvering.
Language
en
Duration
~11 hours (646K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2005-01-22
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1867–1943
Best known for brisk adventure stories set on the Canadian frontier and in the American West, this prolific novelist drew on real experience to give his fiction a rugged, lived-in feel. Writing under the name Ridgwell Cullum, he turned travel, hardship, and frontier life into popular early 20th-century entertainment.
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