The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-05-16

logs came down so fast that they crowded
and made lam.
Then all was commotion. Only one who
mas seen such river In such place, damned
up by mass of logs canlform any adequate
Idea Of the situation. The logs were wedged
in like wall and the waters rose in a great
pond behind them. Old Jim swore like
mad man.
In many cases where jams are formed the
logs pile up against few of the front sticks
mat have caught together and hold to- each
otner like the straws in boys puzzle. If
the right stick can be started the whole mass
VIII go. This was one of those cases, and
OLD Jim after brief examination, decided
which stick should be cut to set the mass
loose. To cut 1t and escape by running off
the logs was task from which the stoutest
heart tinched.
Old Jim had peen particularly hard on
Putty" that day, and had already put him
Into places he was. wholly unfit for. The
poor boy Numbered along and tried to obey
orders as well as he could, and had the sym
patty, Of the crew with him. They all
thought "the old man" was bearing down a
little too hard, but they could not say much
Tor fear OF his vengeance on themselves.
Imagine the feelings of thei crew when he
murmur of dissent and indig-
nation ran from man to man. "Putty" stood
like one doomed to death. and hung back.
Old Jim was standing below him but
AS he lifted his arm to nush him alone
Long Jake" stepped before the lad, facing
the boss with his grizzled Jaw set in a way
that meant business.
.Dy're want to murder the boy, Jim?"
The boss looked at him and quailed sheep
ishly. His voice was husky with baffied
rage. THE bow can do IT, Tdon't want IN
lose good man."
''Shame! Shame on We Jim! Gimme the
axel"
Tho old MO-, s,,ro,,,, I,sh.t., So.
down to where the key stick Law. The
waters spurred and boiled around him. The
men looked with bated breath as he buried
the axe deep in the log with every blow. A
crash, and lifting up Of the mass of logs
and the Jam gave WAY. Long Jake flung the
axe shoreward and sprang nimbly from Stick
to stick letting the lngs mass nndsr him &C Ss ba
neared the shore ao 'os' pass "AN'' i''A 80 NO
For moment IL seemed as though he
wonld escana and the mem were nm st the noi nt
of cheering his brave exnloit WHEN he snd-
denly disannaarad henaath tha moving mas
The shont CHANGED to q lsmentstinn The
man iesned franticsIIv aiong tha hanks 70
any chance appear. and some ran out over
the logs in an effort to find him.
putty" was nearly distracted and moaned
for the friend who had died to save him, and
Old Jim did no more swearing that day.
The great fleet of logs thickly covered the
ers, but their surface remained unbroken.
Long Jake had told so many yarns of. his
wonderful hairbreadth escapes In the pleas
ant chatting around the campfire, and he
really had such nerve, and sinew and sagac-
ity. that not few of the crew expected,
even when the logs had run down quite a
distance, that he would come TO the surface
and take himself ashore as iauntily as ever.
But night and the darkness came down. witt,
nothing discovered.
With all hona coma of avar saaino tho old
man again alive. or even of finding his bodv
to give it decent burial. it was a solemn crew
that sat that evening around the fires when
we came to camp. Little supper was eaten.
and even the funny cook NEGLECTED. to Joke
low tones, when suddenly old Jim iumped
to his feet with the Startling cry: :.
"Great Godv'
He stood like one confused and rubbed his
hand over mis- ewes. The men sprang mn