The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-09-06
BY SHELDON c. STODDARD.


Camp Seven, farther up the
river. there at all times was a
strong rivalry. "velyet joe" the
biggest and possibly the toughest
Pinerift man, averred It existed ION
gin'ral principles"
Did Camp Seven perform some par
ticularly hazardous feat In JAM break
ing, Pinerlft took no peace until 1t
had equaled and, If possible by any
known means, excelled the Camp
Seven achievement Had Pinerift the
champion team for hauling, Camp
Seven bestirred itself diligently until
II had matched the champion. The
feeling extended even to the cooks
and the chore-boys.
Hon0rs had for long time been
about evenly divided between the two
camps, but at last Camp Seven had
won victory, to It's great and osten-
tatious delight. Tom Patengill, the
son Of Camp Seven's foreman, q
strapping young fellow OF eighteen,
had on two distinct occasions per-
formed feats of jam-breaking which
even the older men OF either camp
had found It impossible TO excel. Ger
tainly none Of the Pinerift young fel-
lows had equaled the exploits OF
young Patenglll, and Camp Seven
claimed the championship with noisy
acclaim. Heretofore the Pinerlft men
had fully held their own, and this
their first unmistakable defeat,
ranked.
"If old Turner only had son now,
stead Of that gal-boy of his that's
afraid Of the waterr' growled Velvet
Joe to his mates In great disgust.
''But shucksw
That's so, Joe, all right enough"
assented Pete Adams, grizzled
driver. "Dicky Turner would be
afraid OF victim his fete. let alone
riding n lot of rollin' logs"
Turner, the foreman, himself felt
the loss of prestige that the camp had
received, and several times Dick
Turner caught his fathers eyes fixed
upon him half-reproachfully. Dick
was a quiet young fellow, with square
shoulders and n broad, deep chest that
showed plenty OF power to endure.
On the whole, he had perhaps moic
than ordinary courage. but he had an
uncomfortable aversion to-perhaps II
would not be too harsh to say fear OF
the swift, swirllng waters Of the
river. The feeling had been born
with him, and try as he might, he
fould not overcome IT,
well, now, II the critter amt
Ekeered Of the waterw Velvet Joe had
said, In tone OF mingled pity and
disgust when the truth was first
borne I'm upon him. And he expressed
the sentiment of the camp. Young
Turner, the only young fellow in
their camp with sufficient strength
and quickness to attempt TO pick UP
Tom Patengill's gauntlet, was "skecred
OF the water"
Unable to understand in the least
this "queerness, as the men termed
II, they had come to feel contempt for
the quiet young fellow. Half-hdden
hitherto, out of respect 10 the sturdy
foreman. the feeling now began to
show outright. Dick Turner under
stood, and 1t cut him to the quick,
but he gave no sign.
There were things which he could
do. il he could not drive logs on the
river, and one thing he could do es-
pecially well. He had n wonderful
gift for handling and training horses.
This talent he had doubtless inherited
from his father.
About year before the foreman
for size. strength and beauty was fam
Gus far and near. The splendid ami
NAL also had the well-earned rcputa-
ton of being In disposition the ugllest
brute that ever paved the turf.
He was said 60 have killed one
trainer, and TO have been under
sentence of death therefor when
Turner bought him. But the dauntless
lunmberman believed he could train
the horse into submission.
But after several futile attempts
and two or three narrow escapes from
death, he had acknowledged himself
defeated. and had condemned the
stallion TO be shot. Ii seemed n pity.
AT least, so Dick Turner thought.
Never had so gallant an animal been
seen In that part of the country. And
the boys heart, like that of n certain
illustrious horse tanner OF old. swelled
with the desire to conquer and subdue
the handsome, terrible creature.
Reluctantly, and only after the
young fellow had demonstrated some
thing Of his skill and power, did his
father consent and give the horse into
his care.
No one knew Dicks methods. no
one understood. not even the father.
his mystic power. for most of the
boys work was done alone. but GER
tain II is that n few weeks after the
lumbermen were astonished TO see that
ugly Mack" acknowledged n master
Just one In all the world.
For n few days the incident was
discussed moro or less I'm the camp.
and then practically dismissed. Such
n feat was out OF the rivermen's line
OF work. Nothing but brcakln' n
horse. anyway" Velvet Joe said. and
most OF the men considered Il an
achievement not even worth mention
ing in comparison with the deeds o.
Tom Patengill. the young jam-breaker
The winter Of 1SSi-5 was one long
TO be remembered by the men OF the
two lumber camps. In the latter part
of the winter one OF the great blizzards
peculiar 20 the Northwest had swept