St. Landry democrat., 1888-01-21

| that hindered its course.
Every log was peeled, aud below
these slippery. treacherous timber:
were the foaming waves and danger
Gus rocks of the swiftest rapid on Ket
| tie Creek. To one unaccustomed t.
floating it seemed certain death to be
on that great jagged mass when il
should go crashing down through the
rock-bound channel Immediately below
But the five men. apparently careless
OF their danger, went vigorously al
work upon the logs, which so far had
proved immovable. 1t seemed a hope,
less task, but somewhere there was i
single log that, like a lock, held those
miles of timber. If that could be found
and loosened, the work would be done,
and to that end the men labored and
searched persistently. To the same
end, also, splash after "splash"
was sent down from the large floating
dam just above. carrying acres of water
as fast as it could escape through the
huge fiood-gates.
'Iheyre going to give us double
splash this time, said Samuel Layton,
as he came back from near the shore,
where he had been talking with one of
the tenders of the dam. eff we can t
break it this time, we'll"
TRY it again. said his brother:
Owe were sent here to break this jam,
and we're going to break it before we
leave. It's got to be broken, or the
drive can't 60 through, and there isn't
any thing for us to do but just to stick
here until we get it started"
''And then we'd better be off mighty
quick!' said one of the other men.
Its going to be a bad place down
there, and I'd little sooner be on
shore" As he spoke, he pointed to
the boiling, swirling water that roared
and dashed on the rocks below them.
ut is a rough place." William Lay
ton replied; ''but, boys, we have all
been in rough places before, and we've
always come out safe. And 1 guess
we shall this time," he continued, after
a moments thought; ''but we must be
CAREFUL
Then work began again, and scarce
ly a word was spoken as all hands piled
their levers. Here and there log was
loosened a little, but there was small
hope that the right one had been
moved, when, after about an hour,
word was received that the splash was
coming. In few moments the water
held by two mighty dams, would
spend its force upon the jam, and the
workmen, as well as the crowd of by
ISLANDERS, waited eagerly for the result.
In the excitement and apprehension
that preceded the arrival Of the flood
little was said. The men were on the
very front of the great jam, working
with cautious energy, but ready atany
to scramble for their lives,
while the spectators looked and listen
ed and feared.
But they had not long to wait. First,
they heard the booming Of logs picked |
up by the splash, and hurled against
The rear Of the jam. Then, slowly |
forcing its way through the sullen mass
If pine. they saw the water held by
Two immense dams, coming steadily
nearer. AS it came, the logs were lift
I'd by its giant force, and, writhing and
mingled their sharp discord
With the deep, continuous roar of the
Hood.
At last the water reached the head of
he jam, and the excitement became
more intense than ever. The men
worked with all their might, while the
PEOPLE on shore almost held their
breath. Cracking and rising and twist
ng, the logs seemed to be moving in
very direction but the right one.
Would they finally start down stream?
Every worker and watcher asked
himself this question, and it was an
wered just as the head of the flood
,assed from under the logs; for the
,reat jam then began to move forward.
lowly and sullenly at first, then swift
y and resistlessly.
1t was grand sight, that huge body
i moving timber, crashing aud roar
ne. sweeping every thing before it
nth measureless force-a sight never
0 be forgotten. Great trees upon the
anks of the stream were caught by the
ushing mass, uprooted and carried
long like straws; giant logs snapped
Ike tiny alders.
There was q continuous roar, as of
artially muffied artillery; an often re-
urring crash, like volleys of musketry;
nd the thousands Of logs, like re-
istless army, charged straight upon
he five men, whose destruction seemed
II but inevitable.
At the first symptom Of the jams
reaking they, of course, started for the
no1e. jumping quickly from log to log.
nd erading, as best they could, the !
angers that hemmed them in on every
de. Now huge trunk leaped sud- {
emily out of the mass and ended over
18th au ugly blow; and the next mo- 1
lent another was hurled swiftly round |
18th vicious side-sweep by some un- I
zen leverage. II
In the face of such perils, and amid j
lie roar of food and the crash of tim /
er, the men were bravely struggling |