The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-30
Continued from Last sundays News.
CHAPTER Xxx.

What does il mean?' almost Whis-
pered Carpenter.
Mean? Foul play!" snarled Thorpe
Come on. Tim"
The two struck into the brush
threading the paths with the ease OF
woodsmen. 1t was necessary to keep
to the high inland ridges; the pole
trail had by now become impossible
Thorpe and his foreman talked brief
ly.
It's Morrison and DAILY" surmised
like that. 1 been suspecting some
thing-they've been layin' too low"
Thorpe answered nothing. Through
the site of the old dam they found a
torrent pouring from the narrowed
pond. at the end of which the dilap-
idated wings Tapping in the current
attested the former structure. Davis
stood staring at the current.
Thorpe strobe forward and shook
him violently by the shoulder.
How did this happen?" he demand
ed hoarsely."
The man turned to him in a daze.
You ought to know. How was that
shot exploded? How did they get in
here without you seeing them? An
swer me!'
II don't know" repeated the man.
II jest went over in tn bresh to kill
a few patridges. and when 1 come
back l found her this way.
Were you hired to watch this dam,
or weren't you?" demanded the tense
r.f AY,-x
fool"
Yes, l was" returned the man, a
shade of aggression creeping into his
voice.
well, you've done it well. You've
cost me my dam, and you've killed
five men. If the crew finds out about
you, you'n go over the falls. sure.
You get out of here! Pike! Don't you
ever let me. see your face again.
The man blanched as he thus learned
of his comrades death. Thorpe thrust
his face at him, dashed by circum-
stances beyond his habitual self-con-
troll.
It's men like you who make the
trouble" he stormed. Damn fools
who say they didn't mean to. 1t isn't
enough not to mean to. They should
mean not to! 1 don't ask you to think.
just want you to do what 1 tell you,
ana you can I even 40 Inat.
He threw his shoulder into a heavy
blow that reached the dam watchers
face, and followed it Immediately by
another. Then Shearer caught his
arm. motioning the dazed and bloody
victim of the attack to get out of
sight. Thorpe shook his foreman off
with one impatient motion, and strobe
away up the river, his head erect his
eyes flashing, his nostrils distended.
81 reckon you'd better mosey,"
Shearer dryly advised the dam watch
err; and followed.
Late in the afternoon the two men
reached Dam Three, or rather the spot
on which Dam Three had stood. The
same spectacle repeated itself here, ex-
cept that Ellis, the dam watcher, was
nowhere to be seen.
''The dirty whelps," cried Thorpe,
'they did good job"
He thrashed about here and there,
and so came across Ellis blindfolded
and tied. When released, the dam
watcher was unable to give any ac-
count of his assailants.
"They came up behind me while I
was cooking" he said. Zone of 'em
grabbed me and the other one 1dvered
my eyes. Then 1 hears the shot and
knows there's trouble"
Thorpe listened in silence. Shearer
asked few questions. After the low
voiced conversation Thorpe arose
abruptly.
Where you going?" asked Shearer.
But the young man did not reply. He
swung, with the same long, nervous
stride, into the down-river trail.
Until late that night the three men
for Ellis insisted on accompanying
them-hurried through the forest.
Thorpe walked tirelessly, upheld by
his violent but repressed excitement.
Shearer noted the fire in his eyes, and
from the GOODNESS of his greater ago.
counselled moderation.
II wouldn't stir the boys up" he
painted. for the pace was very swift.
They'll kill sole one over there, it'll
be murder on both Sides"
He received no answer About mid
night they came 20 the camp.
TWO great fires leaped among the
trees, and the men were grouped be-
tween them, talking. Evening had
brought its accumulation of slow an
ger against the perpetrators of the
outrage. Even as the woodsmen Joined
their group. they had reached the in
tensity of execution. Across their pur-
pose Thorpe threw violently his per-
sonallty
you must not CO." he commanded.
Through their anger they looked al
him askance.
u forbid it," Thorpe cried.
They shrugged their indifference and
arose. This was an affair of caste
brotherhood; and the blood of their
mates cried out to them.
The work" Thorpe shouted hoarse-
~. The work. We must get those logs
out! We haven't time!"
Then swiftly between the white
strained face of the mailman trying ia
convince his heart that his mind had
been right, and the fanatically exalted
riYermen, interposed the sanity OF
Railway. The old jobber faced the men
calmly, almost humorously, and some
now the very bigness of the man COM
manded attention.
You fellows make me sick" said he
You haven't got the sense God gave
a rooster. Don't you see you're play-
Ing right in those fellows hands? What
DO you suppose they dynamited them
dams for? To kill our boys? They new
er dreamed we was dry pickin' that
jam. They sent some low-lived whelu
down there to hang our drive, and by
smoke 1t looks like they was going ia
succeed, thanks to you mutton-heads.
Spose you so over and take 'em
apart: what then? Then have a scrap.
probably you lick EN-. You whale day
nights out of lot of men who prob
ably don't know any more about this
here shooting Of our dams than a hog
does about rufiied shirt Meanwhile
your drive hangs. Well? Well? Do
you suppose the men who were back
or that shooting. do you suppose Nor
rison and DAILY give O tinker's dam
now many men OF theirs YOU lick
~ a. 49,. lhey want is 70 hang our drive.