The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-26

II don't know" said Thorpe. doubt
fully. Il have driven horses a good
deal; 1 thought I might drive team"
The woodsman turned slowly and
Hooked Thorpe over with a quizzical
eye. Then he faced to the front again
and spat.
quite like" he replied. stin more
dryly.
The boys remark had amused him,
and he had showed II. as much as he
ever showed anything. Excepting al.
ways the riverman. the driver of n
team commands the highest wages
among out-of-door workers.
1t is easier 70 drive fire engine than
a logging team.
remark. the woodsman had seen
something In Thorpe he liked. Such
men become rather expert in the read
ing OF character. He revised his first
intention to let the conversation drop.
Il think NJ. & d. is rather full uD
just now" he remarked. I'm walkin'-
boss over there. The roads Is about
all made, and roadmaking is what a
greenhorn tackles first. They's more
chance earlier in the year. But If the
Old Fellow" Che strongly accented the
first word) 'h'ain't nothin' for you,
Just ask for Tom Shearer, an I'll try
to put you on the trail for some job
| bsr's camp"
The three who had come into collision
with Jimmy and Bud were getting
noisier. They had produced stone
i jug, and had collected the remainder CT
| the passengers-with the exception OF
Shearer and Thorpe. and now were
passing the jug rapidly from hand TO
hand. Soon they became musical,
| striking up one Of the weird, long
drawn-out chants so popular with the
shanty boy Thorpe shrewly guessed
| his companion 70 be a man OF some
weight, and did not hesitate to ascribe
his Immunity from annoyance to the
others presence.
IT'S a bad thing" said the walking
boss. 7 used to be at it myself. and
I know"
''Bees'n Lake!" cried Jimmy fiercely
| through the aperture of the door.
You'll find the boardin house just
across over the track" said the woods
man, holding out his hand. so long.
See you again if you don't find a Job
with the Old Fellow. Ny names
Shearer."
Mine is Thorpe" replied the other.
THANK you"
Thorpe followed and found himself
on the frozen platform of little, dark
railway station. Directly across the
track from the railway station a single
building was pricked from the dark
| by a solitary lamp in a lower story
| room. The four who had descended
before Thorpe made over toward this
light, stumbling and laughing uncer-
tainly. so he knew it was probably
the boarding house, and prepared 10
follow them.
The five were met at the steps by
the proprietor of the boarding house.
This man was short and stout, with
harelip and cleft palate, which at once
gave him the well known slurrine
/ speech of persons so afflicted. and i'm
parted also to the timbre OF ms voice
a. peculiarly hollow, resonant, trumpet
like note. Re stumped about energet-
ically on wooden leg of home man
tufacture. II was a cumbersome instr a.
ment, heavy, with deep pine socket ioi
the stump, and a protecting Dracs
which passed under leatner pei
around the mans waist. This instru-
nent he used with the dexterity of q
third hand. AS Thorpe watched him
| ne drove III a BAOJNNNAA+o $1,000
two turkeys inside the open door, anc
stuck the armed end of his peg les
through the top snd bottom or th'
whisky Jug that one of the new ar
rivals had set down near the door
The whisky promptly ran out. AT THIS
the cripple firted the impaled jug from
the wooden leg far out over the raj
of the veranda into the snow.
A groWl went up.
ssWhat'n helrs that for?" snarled ont
of the owners of the whisky threaten
ingly.
! the hareliO.
The men were very angry. They ad
vanced toward the cripple, VINO re
treated with astonishing agility To- IN
lighted room. There he bent the woodei
leg behind him. slipped the end OF IN
brace from beneath the leather bell
! seized the other, peg end in Lis righ
/. hand. and so became possessed OF
murderous bludgeon. This ne bran
/, dished. hopping at the same time bacl
and forth in such perfect poise AMI We
with so ludicrOus an effect of popping
corn. that the men were SURPRISE INT
. laughing.
Bully for you, peg-leg." they cried
. RULES n regerlations, boys, rephe
: the latter. without. however, a shade o
= compromising in his tones. HAD sup
Z Der?" -
Thorpe was awakened a long time be
= fore daylight by the ringing OF nois
, bell. He dressed, shivering, and STUN
: bled down stairs TO the round stove
, big as a boiler, into which the crippl
dumped huge logs of wood from tim
TO time. After breakfast Thorpe re
2 turned 10 this stove and sat half doZin
I for what seemed TO him untold age'
\ The cold of the northern country wa
h initiating him.
4 Men came in, smoked a brief pipe an
8 went out After a time he himself pu
9 on his overcOat and yentured out int
. the town. It seemed TO Thorpe a mea
. ger affair. built of lumber. mostly IN
: painted, with always the dark menacin
n fringe OF the forest behind. The gres
n saw mill. with its tall stacks and II
: rows OF water barrels-protectio
| against fire-on top, was the dominaT
4 note. Near the mill coughed lit
r red painted structure, from who's
5 stovepipe a column Of white smoA
; arose. attesting the cold, a clear Il
q feet straight upward, and TO who's
e door a NUMBER OF men we're uHeStiH
Fl their steps through the snow. Ov'
i the door Thorpe could distinguish II
n word office" He followed and Ell
d tered.
2 In a narrow aisle narrowed on rrol
N the main part Of the room waite
L. Thorpe's companions Of the night b
fore. The remainder of the office gay
% accommodation TO three clerks. Or
/ OF these glanced up inquiringly 1
l. Thorpe came in.
l. y am looking for work." said Thorp
n wait there" briefly commanded Il
,e clerk.
In a few moments the door OF q
," inner room opened, and Shearer can
a out. A mans head peered from With
Come on boys" said he.