The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-05
THE BLAZED TRAIL.
By STEWART EDWARD WHITE
(Author of the Westerners).
Copyright 1902, by Stewart Edward White
Copyright, 1902, by Stewart Edward White.

, approached the counter. The writer
/ at the desk laid aside his tablets.
What is it, Alberto" he asked.
DOT of chewin'," was the reply.
| The scaler took from the shelf a
l long plug of tobacco and cut off two
/ inches.
"Ain't hittin' the van much. are you,
| Alberto" he commented, putting the
mans name and the amount in a lit
J tie book. Thorpe went out, after leav-
{ ing his name for the time book, en-
! lightened as to the method of obtain
ing supplies He promised himself
some warm clothing from the van,
when he should have worked out the
necessary credit.
At supper he learned something else
that he must not talk at table. For
one thing. supper was a much briefer
affair than IL would have been had
every man felt privileged to take his
will in conversation. not to speak of
the absence Of noise and the presence
of peace. Each man asked for what
he wanted.
with the deliberate information Of
man who does not expect that his re-
quest will be granted.
Besides the beans were fried pork,
boiled potatoes, canned corn, mince
pie. a variety of cookies and dough-
nuts and strong green tea. Thorpe
found himself eating ravenously of the
crude fare.
That evening he underwent a cate
chism, a few practical jokes, which
he took good naturally, and a vast
deal of chatting. At the lights were
all out BY daylight he and a dozen
other men were at work. hewing
road that had to be as smooth and
level as a New York boulevard.
Thorpe and four others were set to
work on this road, which was TO be
cut through a creek bottom leading,
he was told to Seventeen" He learn
ed to use double-bitted ak.
From shortly after daylight he
worked. Four other men bore him
company. and twice Railway himself
came by, watched their operations for
a moment and moved on without COM
ment. After Thorpe had caught his
second wind, he enjoyed his task, prov
Ing certain pleasure in the ease with
which he handled his tool
AT the end of an interminabie period.
a faint, musical halloo swelled. echoed
and died through the forest, beautiful
as a spirit. 1t was taken up by an
other voice and repeated. Then by
another. Now near at hand, now far
away it rang as hollow as a bell. The
sawyers, the swampers, the skidders,
their heavy blanket coats.
Down on the road Thorpe heard 1t
too, and wondered what ii might be.
Come on, Bub! she means chewl"
explained old man Heath kindly.
Thorpe resumed his coat. and fell in
behind the little procession. After a
short time he came upon a horse and
sledge. Beyond II the cookie had built
little camp fire, around and over
which he had grouped big fifty-pound
lard-tins, half full of hot thing to eat.
Each man, as he approached, picked
up tin plate and cup from a pile near
at hand.
The cookie was plainly master of the
situation. He issued peremptory or
| ders. When Erickson, the blonde
/ Swede attempted surreptitiously to
appropriate doughnut. the youth
turned on him savagely.
! Get out of that, you big toW-head!"
he cried with an oath.
The men ate, perched in various at
titudes and places. Thorpe found it
| difficult to keep warm. The violent
| exercise had heated him through, and
| now the north country cold penetrated
! 70 his bones. He huddled close to the
fire, and drank hot tea, but it did not
! do him very much good. In his secret
mind he resolved to buy one of the
blanket mackinaws that very evening.
The newcomers first day of hard
work had tired him completely. He
was ready for nothing so much as his
bunk. But he had forgotten that II
was Saturday night. His status was
| still to issue.
They began with few mild tricks
Shuttle the Brogan followed Hot Back
Thorpe took all of it good naturedly
Finally tall individual with a thin
white face, a reptilian forehead, red
RI hof holN
gested tossing in a blanket Thorps
looked at the low ceiling, and declined
I'm with the game as long as yol
say, boys" said he. land I'll have rs
much fun as anybody. but that's 60
ing too far for a tired man."
The reptilian gentleman let out
string of oaths whose meaning NIGH
be translated, "Well see about THAR
Thorpe was good boxer. but h,
knew by now tho lumber jacks meth
Cd of fighting-anything to hurt tn,
other fellow. And IN a genuine old
fashioned nock-down-a and drag-ou
rough and-tumble your woodsman il
about the toughest customer to handl,
you will be likely to meet. He il
brought up on fighting. Nothing pleas
es him better than TO get drunk and
with few companions. to embark il
an earnest effort to clean out a riva
town. And he will accept cheerful,
: punishment enough to kill three ordi
nary men. 1t takes one of his kind real
" to hurt him.
Thorpe, at the first hostile movement
sprang back to the door, seized one O
the three-foot billets of hardwood in
tended for the stove. and faced his op
, ponents.
II don't know which of you boys Il
coming first" said he quietly, but he
going to get it good and plenty"
If the affair had been serious. thes,
men would never have recoiled befor,
the mere danger of a stick of hard
wood. But this was a good natured bi
! of foolery, test of nerve, and Their,
was no object in getting a broken hea,
for that. The reptilian gentleman alon,
grumbled something profane.
! If you banker for trouble so much
drawled the unexpected voice of Ole
Jackson from the corner. "mebbe yo,
could put on the gloves"
The idea was acclaimed. Somebod,
tossed out a dirty torn old set of buck
skin boxing gloves.
The rest was farce. Thorpe was bull
on true athletic lines. broad. straigh
shoulders, narrow tanks, long. clean
> smooth muscles. He possessed, besides
that hereditary toughness and bull
which no gymnasium will ever quit
, supply. The other man, while powerful
/! and ugly in his rushes, was clums'
: and did not use his head Thorpe plant
ed his hard, straight blows at will
Finally he saw his opening and let GU
with n swinging pivot blow. The othe
, ! picked himself out of a corner an,