Wichita eagle., 1890-03-12
LADDY'S LOGGING.

LADDY'S LOGGING.
Old Peachblow had told Iaddy all about
it, over and over again, and so the fault was
partly his. Now the logging team was just
ready to start for the woods with supplies,
and Laddy's father, who owned the drive,
had gone up with Laddy's mother, who need
ed somewhat unusual outing. And when
Laddy had seen the prancing black horses
shaking off showers of bell tones, he had
begged hard to go, and harder still when he
heard there was a Ratchet and knife in the
sleigh, and saw his father examining his re-
volvers, there being a rumor Of wolves on
the way, although 4 probably baseless rumor.
But Laddy's entreaties had been promptly
silenced, and he had been told that it was out
of the question; he must stay and attend 70
his lessons if he wanted to go to Bowdoin
year after next.
Well, he didn't want to go to BowdOin.
He wanted to go to the logging camp. Year
after next was great way off; the woods,
the life there, the stories, the games, the hunt
ing for bears, the gathering of gum, the
creaking Of logs in the snow, the deer hunt,
the escape from the panther or the gaunt
gray wolf, the coming down with the drive
in the spring, the jam of the logs at the falls,
with the raftsnen skipping round upon them
lightly as Mercury in his mythology, han
ding them with long hooks and springing
for dear life as one dexterous thrust loosened
the whole mass and sent them rolling and
plunging and shooting over the cataract-all
that was close at hand. And Laddy, as he
thought of it, was bound to be lumberman,
and was heard to sing some dreadful and un.
Ineligible rhyme to himself about being .
logger boy by the jingoes or die.
You are one now" said his sister Anne.
Fathers logger. That makes you log
ger boy"
~ don't want to be that kind, and sit in
counting room. l want to come down on
the drive and shoot the rapids, and bring
home caribou's horns and a catamount's
pelt."
He had resolved to run away, just ahead OF
the supply team, and oblige the men to take
him on later and go to join the logging camp
after all and in spite of everybody. As he
looked up at the window there stood his aunt
Mabel, with the baby in her arms, patting
the pane with her rosy little palms, and pres
emily he heard Anne practicing her music at
VIC piauo, tuo otSAuiuS SonS, Will ING Will
of the wheel, the beat of the treadle, the song
of the spinning girl and the rustic Of leaves
outside, the hum Of bees, and stir of wind,
and twitter of birds in the branches through
it all And that was the last he heard and
the last he saw of home; for he put on his
REFER hanging in the back entry, pulled his
sealskin cap down over his ears, hung his
skates on his arm, and, with his hands
buried in his pockets, went down the field to
take = short cut and get a start Of the team.
Laddy felt himself very i'll used. There he
was, kept at his books, with a woman tc
teach him, too, with nobody but a girl to
share his sports, and obliged to look forward
to life of study, when he wanted to be using
his muscles; to be shooting and trapping, fol-
lowing deer, sharing small camel 1t wa,
very short sighted and great injustice on
his fathers part, he reasoned; and he couldn't
see what his mother could be thinking of, and
he was very indignant indeed with his Aunt
Mabel, who had insisted on those horrid rules
in the subjunctive; and as for Anne, she could
chop all the Latin she wished-he preferred tt
chop wood! And so nursing his wrath he went
walking, running and skipping along. When
he reached the highway he got a lift of several
miles clinging to the runners of a surveying
party's cutter; had bowl of bread and milk
at shanty by the wayside, for which he paid
ali the pennies in his pocket. He wondered
why the logging team did not come along.
Had he made mistake, and was it tomorrow
noon they had been going to start9 Old
Peachblow had certainly told him they would
be off within the hour, they were only wait.
ing then for Diana TO put up the cold beet
and bottle the coffee for them, and to have a
littlschaffing, very likely, with her and Susan.
He expected to hear the bells every moment.
How surprised his father would be when he
saw him come riding into the camp with Old
Peachblow and 10! How angry, too, per-
haps, at first. If ever any one was glad il
was Laddy, when be heard far off tinkle
and presently peal of sledge bells and stood
still to receive the supply team, with Old
Peachblow and 10, and to feel his heart well
at their surprised exclamation. We'll, he's
a chap of speerit, vumi" cried Old Peach
blow, when the little fellow stood in the path
and halted the horses Il d'no's we got any
thin ter du but ter take him on, but l guess
we'll cure himl' ''Ol' lnan1l be mad sug-
gested Jo-Laddy's father wearing that ap
pellation on account of his mastership, not
on account Of bis forty years, certainly.
Can't leave the boy here in this woody
place and night coming on, if he is. Pretty
kettle of fish, Up with We, youngsterw And
tucked under lot of horse blankets on top
of the load Laddy knew but little more till
late the next day. when he found they were
still jogging on, having a vague, delightful
memory of a misty scene OF swinging Ian
terms and shouting voices as they changed
horses IN the middle of the night at the half
way house, feeling q little stiff and sore,
stretching himself and getting down to walk
a bit and timber up with Old Peachblow and
then finding the cold beef and biscuit and
bottled coffee as good as nectar and ambrosis.
So they plodded on through the day, with
a bite here and a sup there. and they stopped
at dusk in sheltered spot, where they were
to camp for the night in a rude hut left there
for the logging parties
well. This is great said Laddv, stand |
ing with his legs far apart in front of the frs
that Old Peachblov had swapping outside
and sending up clouds of sparks, and where
the old fellow was cooking some squirrels he
had shot And when. after delicious re
past, Lsddy went to sleep on a pile of hem
lock boughs. covered with another pie, ue
perieuces, and when he waked. in Jhs frs /
SAoN u u Sol-t A>r tAsE tLS IHlHAS. u E
felt as If &c mad been floating on cloud N
tie upper SKY
Lsddy lest no time in making hinasslf /
familiar Wiz his new surroundings the kong.
low house of logs. witt the bunks INSIDE: N, /
deacon seat, where 50 many good stories (
were told; the huge fire. where the sturdy
little cook busted himself frying barrel of /
doughncts ST a time. How do you like life
4 N-e s,-g--r
izingly.