The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-07
Continued from Last Sundays
CHATTER XXXIII.


silence and stolidity, then turned. and
without a word departed swiftly in the
darkness. The two white men stood
minute attentive. Nothing was to be
heard but the steady beat of rain and
ne roaring of the wind.
Lar the bank of the river they en-
countered a man. visible only as an
uncertain black outline against the
glow of the lanterns beyond. Thorpe.
stopping him. found Big Junko.
This is no time to quite" said
Thorpe, sharply.
81 amt quittin'." replied Big Junko.
Where are YOU going, then?'
Junko was partially and stammer-
ingly unresponsive.
Looks bad" commented Thorpe.
'You'd better get back to your job
Yes" agreed Junko helplessly. In
the momentary slack tide of work, the
giant had conceived the idea of search
ing out the driver crew for purposes
of pugilistic vengeance. Thorpes sus-
picions stung him, but his simple mind
could see no direct way to explana-
ton.
All night long in the chill of a spring
rain and windstorm the Fighting Forty
and certain of the mill crew gave
themselves to the labor of connecting
the slanting stone cribs so strongly,
by means of heavy timbers chained
end TO end. that the pressure of a
break in the Jam might not sweep
aside the defenses. Wallace Carpenter,
Shorty, the chore-boy. and Anderson,
the barn-boss. picked a dangerous
passage back and forth carrying pals
of red-hot coffee which Mrs. Hath
away constantly prepared. The cold
water numbed the mems hands. With
difficulty could they manipulate the
heavy chains through the auger holes;
with pain they twisted knots. bored
holes. They did not complain. Behind
them the jam quivered, perilously near
the bursting point. From 1t shrieked
aloud the demons of pressure. Stead
lily the river rose. an inch an hour. The
key might snap at any given moment
they could not tell-and with the rush
they knew very we'll that themselves,
the tug. and the disabled pile-driver
would be swept from existence. The
worst of ii was that the blackness
shrouded their experience into useless
ness; they were utterly unable to tell
by the ordinary visual symptoms how
near the jam might be to collapse.
However, they persisted, as the old
time riverman always does. so that
when drawn appeared the barrier was
continuous and assured. Although the
pressure of the river had already fore
ed the logs against the defenses. the
latter held the strain we'll.
The storm had settled into its gait.
Overhead the sky was filled with gray,
beneath which darker scuds few across
the zenith before a bowling southwest
wind. Out in the clear river one could
hardly stand upright against the gusts.
In the fan of many directions. furious
squalls swept over the open water be-
low the booms, and an eager boiling
current rushed TO the lake.
Thorpe now gave orders that the tug
and driver should take shelter. A few
moments later he expressed himself as
satisfied. TIE dripping crew, their
harsh faces gray in the half-light,
picked their way to the shore.
In the darkness of that long nights
work no man knew his neighbor. Men
from the river men from the mill, men
from the yard all worked side by side
Thus no one noticed especially a tall,
slender, but well-knit individual dress
ed in a faded mackinaw and limp
SLOUGH hat which he wore pulled over
his eyes. This young fellow occupied
himself with the chains. Against the
racing current the crew held the ends
of the heavy booms. while die fastened
them together. He worked well, but
seemed slow. Three times Shearer
hustled him on after the others had
finished. examining closely the work
that had been done. On the third oc-
casion he shrugged his shoulder some
what impatiently.
The men struggled to shore, the
young fellow just described bringing
up the rear. He walked as though
Aa1rn1 49, L. -. 4
ging his feet. When, however, the
boarding house door had closed on the
last of those who preceded him, and
the town lay deserted in the dawn, he
suddenly became transformed. Casting
keen glance right and left to be sure
of his opportunity, he turned and hur-
ried recklessly back over the logs to
the center booms. There he knelt and
busted himself with the chains.
In his zigZag progression over the
jam he so blended with the morning
shadows as to seem one of them, and
he would have escaped quite unnoticed
had not a sudden shifting of the logs
under his feet compelled him to rise for
a moment to his full hight. So Wal
lace Carpenter, passing from his bed
room, along the porch. to the dining
room, became aware of the man on the
logs.
His first thought was that something
demanding instant attention had hap
pened to the boom. He, therefore, ran
at once to the mans assistance, ready
to help him personally or to call other
aid as the exigency demanded. Owing
TO the precarious nature OF the pass
age, he could not see beyond his feet
until very close to the workman. Then
he looked up to find the man. squat
ted on the boom, contemplating him
sardonically.
Dyer" he exclaimed.
Right, my son." said the other,
coolly.
What are You doing?"
IF you want to know. am filing
this chain"
Wallace made one step forward and
so became aware that at last firearms
were taking a part in this desperate
game.
You stand STILL" commanded Dyer
from behind the revolver. It's I'M
fortunate for you that you happened
along, because now you'll have to come
with me till this little row is over. You
won't have TO stay long; your logs'I
go out in an hour. I'll just trouble
you TO go into the brush with me for a
while"
The scaler picked his file from be-
side the weakened link.
What have you against us, anyway
DYER" asked Wallace. His uulcl
mind had conceived a plan. At the mo,
ment, he was standing near the outer
most edge Of the Jam. but now as h
spoke he stepped quietly 10 the boon
log.
DyeTs black eyes CLEANED at hin
suHpiciOufly, but the movement appear
a 4arasa H.