The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-05
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY. OCTOBER 5. 1907


read a heart-broken letter TO the IN
known benefactors. II touched him
deeply, and he suspected the other men
of the same emotions, but by that time
they had regained the independent,
self contained poise of the frontiers
man. They read it with sunmoved
faces, and tossed it aside with more
than ordinarily rough joke or oath.
Thorpe understood their reticence. 1t
was a part of his own nature. He felt
more than ever akin to these men.
AS swamper he had more or less to
do with a cant-hOok in helping the
teamsters roll the end of the log on
the little "dray." He soon caught the
knack. Towards Christmas he had be-
come a fairly efficient cant-hook man,
and was helping roll the great sticks
Of timber up the slanting skids. Thus
always intelligence counts, especially
that rare intelligence which resolves
into the analytical and the infinitely
observing.
He was getting just the experience
and the knowledge he needed; but
that was about all. His wages were
S25 month, which his van bill would
reduce to the double eagle At the end
of the winter he would have but
little over a hundred dollars to show
for his seasons work, and this could
mean at most only $50 for Helen. But
the future was his. He saw now more
plainly what he had dimly perceived
before, that for the man who buys tim
Der, and logs il we'll, a sure future is
waiting. And in this camp he was
beginning to learn from failure the
conditions of success.
CHAPTER VI.
They finished cutting on section II
during Thorpe's second week. 1t be-
came necessary to begin on section IA,
which lay two miles to the east. In
that direction the character of the
country changed somewhat.
The pine there grew thick on iso-
lated islands of not more than an
acre or so in extent-little knobs ris-
ing from the level of a marsh. In or
binary conditions nothing would have
been easier than to have ploughed
roads across the frozen surface of this
marsh. The peculiar state of the.
weather interposed tremendous diff
culties.
The early part of autumn had been
characterized by heavy snowfall i'm
mediately after a series of mild days.
A warm blanket of some thickness thus
overlaid the earth, effectually prevent
ing the freezing which subsequent
cold weather would have caused. All
the season Railway had contended with
this condition. Even in the woods,
muddy swamp and springholes caused
endless difficulty and necessitated a
great deal of 'corduroying," or the lay
ing of poles side by side, to form an
artificial bottom. Here in the open
some six inches of water and unlimited
mud awaited the first horse that
should break through the layer of
snow and thin ice. Between each pair
of islands a road had to be "tramped."
Thorpe and the rest were put at this
IL II
had to walk mechanically back and
forth on diagonals between the marks
yet by Railway with his snowshoes.
Early in the morning their feet were
wet by ice water, for even the light
weight of a man sometimes broke the
frozen skin of the marsh. By night q
road of trampled snow, of greater or
less strength, was marked out across
the eXpanse. Thus the blanket was
thrown back from the warm earth, and
thus the cold was given a chance at
the water beneath. In a day or so
the road would bear horse. A bridge
of ice had been artificially construct
ed, on either side of which lay I'M
sounded depths. This road was indl-
Gated by a row of frs stuck in the
snow on either side.
1t was very cold. All day long the
restless wind swept across the shiver-
ing surface of the plains, and tore
around the corners of the islands. The
big woods are as good as an overcoat.
The overcoat had been taken away.
When the lunch-sleigh arrived the
men huddled shivering in the lee OF
one of the knobs, and tried to eat with
| benumbed fingers before a fire that
| was but a mockery. Often it was
nearly dark before their work warmed
them again. All of the sideways had
to be placed on the edges of the islands
| themselves, and the logs had to be ira
voyed over the steep little knobs. A
single misstep out on the plain meant
mired horse. Three times heavy
SHOWS obliterated the roads, so that
! they had to be ploughed out before the
men could so to work again. 1t was
a struggle.
Railway was evidently worried. He
often paused before a gang to inquire
how they were making it," He seem
| ed afraid they might wish to quit
which was indeed the case, but he
should never have taken before them
any attitude but that of absolute con-
fidence in their intentions. His anxiety
was natural, however. He realized the
absolute necessity of skidding and
hauling this job before the heavy chok-
ing SHOWS of the latter part of January
should make it impossible to keep the
roads open. So insistent was this ne
cessity that he had seized the first res
pite in the phenomenal snowfall of the
early autumn to begin work. The cut
ting in the woods could wait
Left to themselves, probably the mer
would never have dreamed of object
ing to whatever privations the task
carried with it. Railways anxiety fol-
their comfort, however, caused them
finally to imagine that perhaps they
might have some just grounds for CON-
plant after ALL That is a great trait
| of the lumber-jack.
But Dyer, the scaler finally caused
| the outbreak. Dyer was an efficient
enough man in his way, but he loved
his own ease. His habit was to stay in
his bunk Of mornings until we'll after
daylight. TO this there could be nc
| bjection-eXcept on the part of the
cook, who was supposed to attend tc
his business himself-for the scaler was
active in his work when once he began
it, and could keep up with the skid
ding. But now he displayed a strong
antipathy to the north wind on the
plains.
81 don't pose for no tough son-of "a
TW .