The prey of the strongest

This work paints a gritty portrait of life in a lower Fraser River sawmill and its surrounding frontier community, drawn from the author's experiences. It follows mill hands, contractors, railway men, Indigenous laborers, and immigrant workers as they cope with brutal labor, rough camaraderie, alcohol-fueled violence, racial and economic tensions, and the boom-and-bust energies of early industrial colonization. Scenes emphasize the noises, smells, and rhythms of milling, episodes of personal conflict, and moral ambiguity among men driven by survival and ambition. The narrative mixes episodic anecdotes, character sketches, and social observation rather than a single linear plot.