West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-07-10

oaoy was asleep, and Alice had filled
up the pipe that she pretended 10 like
the smoke of because Jack had smoked
so long that he couldn't stop. and when
she saw that it was fairly lit and draw
ing all right, she nestled down close be-
size him and said:
'Now, Jack. tell about it."
well, Alice, dear. ii was n mighty
close hit. will tell you. There was a
dozen of us sortin' logs up at the bot
toms, fer TO feed the mills tomorrow,
an good many logs had come down
through the day, an it kind o. iammed
up things so they was some danger o.
the boom breakin', cause the water is
higher N usual just now. Jim Brown
an me was together, an / see Jim
looked sorter o. serious. so asked him
bout it He didn't say nothin' fur
minute. but pretty soon he says:
Tom Gagged oughter know. he
says the boom is strong; but reckon il
they is much of jam up above, it'll
tear things when it does bust. An
1udgin' by the looks of the river.
reckon they is bad Jam somewhere
81 looked up the river. and sect they
was mighty few logs comm down, and
knowed they must be. Just then Bill
Hovey come down and says:
"'Ihoy is jam up to Wilson'S
Bend
"'Twarn't only two O'Clock. an /
knowed was likely to git back at the
usual time, so l didn't send We mo word.
but Jim an me an half dozen o. the
fellows jumped into wagon an drove
ups fast rs we could go. When we Got
there we see 'twer bad jam, for an.
other one further up the river had bust.
ed an piled up the logs mighty thick.
When one busts onto another chat way.
ye know, 1t makes il bad. Well. we
worked nigh an hour trying to start her
from the shore, but twan't no use and
finally Jim said
Twon't do to let this 60 on.
We've got TO work in the middle.
Who'll go with meP And he started
out Tor the jam in the middle of the
river.
well, | see the boys all look at me.
They knowed well enough that was
the best man to go-I knowed it, too,
but l thought o you an | waited n
minute. But the other follows said they
wouldn't, so | went
Fore ! got TO where Jim was, | see
that II we did start il from the middle.
wed lkely have TO come down on the
logs TO the boom. an / knowed il were
mighty risky job But twas the only
way to the mills. an | worked the best
we knowed for half an hour. At last
we started IL, an j see there was lust n
chance OF getting 10 shore. Jim was
Just ahead of me, an we was gon' rs
fast as we could, when the thing gave
way, an we were sailin' down the river
at about fifteen miles an hour
1--WE hadn't gone quarter of a mile
afore the log was on turned. an in
steppin round one o. the spikes on my
boots snapped off and | slipped in. /
hung ON TO my pole, an made "A bridge
tween the logs, an / was lust climbin'
up when another log struck the end of
it an splintered ii into bits. | fell
back, and thought / was clean under.
but the two logs iu-t clamped me bv
the neck You may know how quick
they come together by KNOWN they
didn' Craze my shoulder as fell. but
they caught my neck afore nv head
got under water. But quick as twas. /
had time as 1 see 'em comm. TO hone
you was praying for me 1t didn't look
like anything else could save me- for /
know'd when the logs come together
they'd crush my neck like an eo0-shell."
"Oh, Jack!' Poor Alice was white
with horror and trembling like leaf
Eyes, dear, said Jack drawing her
closer, 81 thought of you, an felt
mighty sorry fur little Jack Fur I
knowed how you loved yer great,
Hush! please don'tn' and Alice's
hand was on his liDs
'Well, well. ! didn't have time 10
think Of much, fur felt the LOGS was
chokin me, an yet / kn1wad some
th ng was kcepin' 'em about four inches
apart What twas / didn't know till
atterWard My arms was free under,
an tried TO pull the logs apart, but
bless ye' they was million pound pres
sure an ] nights well ha' tried 10 pull
up tree an ] be gau 10 give up when
! see somcthin fly through tho air an
hgnt on log nigh me. an ! heard jim
call out: Help! heipV lie might as
well ha' hOllorcd for the stars fur holm
as holler TO the fell RS on the shore. fur
they couldn't get 90 us then. an /
knowed It, But it gave rue hope 70
hear his voice so nrar bv. / was both.
cred, though. 10 know how he came To-
be- so near, fur just aiore / slipped. see
there was "a clean place nigh thirty foot
between us.
"The boys said aftorward that he
jumped fifteen foot gap. / don't know
but he did, but ] never see no such
things done. Anyway, he was there.
an as soon as he landed h. was workin'
like mad lie pricd one log out and
got IL across the end o Oh one Ed been
on and then he pricd upon the two
That held me, and got between 'cm.
Alice, twas more y enncv three men ON
the rivcrd do, but he did 10 all alone.
Jim an me was friends-I reckon we
always viii be.
Well. as soon as he'd done This.
twere easy for me TO climb out. with n
little help from him an was all ri0ht
again an I'm blamed IL didn't have
ter steady Jim fur two or three min
utes, he was that weak Twas easy
enough, after that Ter roach shore.
whom We come to slack water. above
dam. But aiorc / left it, j looked 10 sec
what it was that kept it just fur enough
from the other tO save me. And Alice.
it were ON axe. Some fcler bad struck
his axe into the log and left 30 there.
Likely the log turned over. and he had
lost it Anyway. there 70 was right
close 20 whore my neck was. and the
edge gin % knot chat was hard enough
Ter keep 20 from crushing right in"
Jack, I want that axe said Alice.
Irlr. ~ u.