The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-01
LADDY'S LOGGING.

ready 10 start for the woods win supphos,
and Iaddy,s father, who owned the drive,
had gone up with Laddys mother, who need-
al A somewhat unusual outing. And when
I.addy had seen tho prancing black horSes
shaking of showers of bell tones, ne nad
begged hard TO 90, and harder still when he
heard there was a Ratchet and knife III the
sleigh. and saw his father examining his re-
yolyers, there being a rumor OF wolves on
the way, although probably oaseiesS rnnor'
But I,addy's entrcaties had been promptly
silenced. and he had been told that 1t was out
of the question; he must stay and attend 10
his lessons if ne wanted 10 so to Bowdoin
year after next.
Well. he didn't want 10 go TO Bowdoin.
He wanted 70 60 to the logging camp Year
after next was great way of; 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 fails,
with the raftsmen 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 I'M
ineligible rhyme TO himself about being n
logger boy by the jingoes or die
"You are one now" said his sister Anne.
Fathers a logger. That makes you log
ger boy"
III don't want TO be that kind, and sit in a
counting room. want TO come down on
the drive and shoot the rapids, and bring
home a caribou's horns and q catamOunts
pelt"
He had resolved 10 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
the piano, the spinning song, with the whir
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
il all. And that was the last he heard and
the last ne 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 start Of the team.
Laddy felt himself very i'll used. There he
was. kept at his books, with woman TO
teach him, too, with nobody but a girl to
share his sports, and obliged to look forward
70 a life Of study, when be wanted to be using
his muscles; to be shooting and trapping, fol
lowing deer, sharing small camel 1t was
very short sighted ard o 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 TO
chop wood And 50 nursing lss wrath he went
walking, running and skipping along. When
he reached the highway he got lift of several
miles clinging 10 the runners Of a surveying
party's cutter; had bowl Of bread and milk
at a shanty by the wayside, for which he paid
all 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 starti Old
Peachblow had certainly told him they would
IL OFF within the hour, they were only wait
ing then for Diana to put up the cold beef
and bottle the coffee for them, and to have a
littlechaffing, 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 Jol How angry, too, per-
haps, at first. II ever any one was glad il
was Laddy, when he heard a far off tinkle
and presently a 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. "Well, he's
q chap of speerit, vuml" cried Old Peach
blow, when the little fellow stood in the path
md halted the horses. 81 d'no's We got any
thin ter du but ter take him on, but l guess
we'll cure himl" 'Or man'l be mad, >" sug-
geSted Jo-Laddy's father wearing that ap
lellation on account Of his mastership, moi
on account of his forty years, certainly.
Cant leave the boy here in this woody
place and night coming on, if he is. Pretty
kettle Of fish, Up with we, youngsterp And
tucked under lot of horse blankets on tor
of the load Laddy knew hut little more TIL
late the next day, when he found they were
still jogging ON, having vague, delightful
memory Of a misty scene of swinging Ian
terms and shouting voices as they changed
horses ia the middle of the night at the half
way house, feeling a little stiff and sore
stretching himself and getting down to wall
bit and timber up with Old Peachblow, anc
then finding the cold beef and biscuit anC
bottled coffee as good as nectar and ambrosia
So they plodded ON through the day, with
bite here and sup there. and they stopped
at dusk in a sheltered spot, where they were
to camp for the night in rude hut left there
1or the logging parties
"Well. This Is great" said Laddy, stand
ing with his legs far apart in front Of the fr'
that Old Peachblow had swapping outside
and sending up clouds Of sparks, and where
the old fellow was cooking some squirrels h
had shot. AID when, after delicious re
past, Laddy went TO sleep on a pile Of hem
lock boughs, covered with another pile, h
seemed 10 be on the brink Of surprising ex
periences, and when he walked, in the frs
glow OF red sunrise through the chinks, h:
felt as il he had been floating on cloud in
the upper sky.
Laddy lost no time in making himself
familiar with his new surroundings, the long
low house or logs. with the hunks inside the
deacon seat, where 50 many good stories
were told; the huge fire. where the sturdy
little cook busiod himself frying a barrel Of
doughnuts at time How do YOU like llf'
hereYT said be to the cook. somewhat patron
izingly.
'First rate" was the reply the mono
syllable potentate. dropping his dough into
the fat.
Hunting partesP
''Game every evening" glanclng at vari'
Gus discolored packs of cards.
I.addy did not see the glance. His ~
sparkled. Ever see a catamountf' he asked
breatblessly.
"Crying round the camp soons it's dark. v
Really" with his eyes opening wider.
sway they hev. Cry like chlld ter toll
the men OUT
''Do they ever gof
"Whof
"Wby, the men" wishing this one were
more communicative.
"What d they 80 fori Ter he torn Tel
piecesf
LAddy looked at him a moment. trying q