The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-09

/ AS lneN were duLnOTllleS, OlneTS per-
| force had to accept the dictum. There
grew a desire among the better class
| to see what Thorpe's zone" might be
! like. In the autumn Harry had more
applicants than he knew what to do
with. Eighteen of the old men re-
turned. He took them all. but when
it came to distribution, three found
themselves assigned to.one or the other
| of the new camps. And quietly the
rumor gained that these three had
shown the least willing spirit during
the previous winter.
Tim Shearer was foreman of Camp
, One; Scotty Parsons was drafted from
the veterans to take charge of Two:
Thorpe engaged two men known to
Tim to boss Three and Four. But
in selecting the push" for Five he
sought out John Railway and induced
him to accept the commission.
You can do it, John" said he, land
know it. l want you to try; and if
you don't make her go, I'll call it no
body's fault but my own"
The result proved his sagacity. Rad
way was one of the best foreman in
the outfit. He got more out of his
men, he rose better to emergencies,
and he accomplished more with the
same resources than any of the Others
excepting Tim Shearer. AS long as the
work was done for some one else, he
was capable and efficient. Only when
he was called upon to demand on his
own account, did the paralyzing shy
ness affect him
But the one feature that did more
to attract the very best element among
woodsmen was Camp One. Old woods
men will still tell you about it, with
a longing reminiscent glimmer In the
corner of their eyes as they recall it's
glories and the men who worked in it.
To have put in" a winter in Camp
One was the mark of a master; and
the ambition of every raw recruit to
the forest.
But Camp One was a privilege. A
man entered it only after having prov
ed himself; he remained in it only as
long as his efficiency deserved the
honor. Its members were invariably
recruited from one of the other four
camps; never from applicants who had
not been in Thorpe's employ.
So Shearer was foreman of a picked
crew. Probably no finer body of men
was ever gathered at one camp. Some
of them had the reputation of being
the hardest citizens in three states,
others were mild as turtle doves. They
were all pioneers. They had the indie
pendence, the unabdshed eye, the in
subordination even, of the man who
nourishment at the breast of a wild
nature. They were afraid of nothing
alive. From no one, were he chore-boy
or president. would they take a single
Word-wtth the exception always of
Tim Shearer and Thorpe
And they were loyal. 1t was a point
of honor with them to stay until the
last dog was hung" He who deserted
IN the hour of need was not only a
renegade, but a fool For he thus
earned magnificent licking If ever he
ran up against member of the
Fighting Forty" A band of soldiers
were they, ready to attempt anything
their commander ordered. And, it
must be confessed, they were also
somewhat on the order of a band of
pirates Marquette thought SO each
spring after the drive, when, hat-tflted
they surged swearing and shouting
down to Denny Hogan's saloon. Denny
had TO buy new fixtures when they
went away; but it was worth ii.
Proud! 1t was no name for it. Boastl
the fame of Camp One spread abroad
over the land. Some people thought
camp One must be sort of hell-hole
or roaring, fighting devils. Others
sighed and made rapid calculations of
the number of logs they could put in.
II only they could get hold of help
like that.
Thorpe himself. of course. made his
headquarters at Camp One. During
the nVe years he had never crossed
the Straits of Mackinaw. The rupture
Win ms sister had made repugnant to
MIN all the southern country. All
winter long he was more than busy
at his logging. Summers he spent at
the mlH. Occasionally he visited Mar
quette, but always on business.
he was happy because he was too
pusy TO be anything else. The insist
ent need of success which he had
created for himself, absorbed all other
sentiments. He demanded 1t of Others
vigorously. He could do no less than
demand 1t OF himself. The chief end
OF any man, as he saw 1t, was to do
well and successfully what his life
found ready.
Success, success, success. Nothing
could be of more Importance. Its at
talnment argued mans efficiency in
the Scheme of Things. Anything that
lnterfered with it-personaI comfort
Inclination, affection, desire, love of
ease individual liking-was bad.
Inorpe cared for just three people.
and none of them happened to clash
with his machine. They were waTaca
Carpenter, little Phil, and Iniin Char
| ley.
wallace was always personally
! agreeable to Thorpe. Latterly, since
the erection of the mill, he had devel-
oped unexpected acumen in the dis
posal or the seasons cut to wholesale
| dealers in Chicago. Thereafter he wa
often in the woods, both for pleaspre
and to get his partners ideas on what
the firm would have to offer The ON
tire responsibility of the city end Of
| the business was in his hands.
1nJin Charley continued to hunt and
trap in the country round about Ones
or twice month the lumberman womb
snowshoe down to the little cabin AT
the forks. Entering, he would nod
brlefy and seat himself on a cracker
| box.
How do, Charley?" said he.
How do?" replied Charley.
They filled pipes and smoked. Al
rare intervals one of them made q
remark, tersely:
Catch UNI beaver las week." re-
Good haul" commented Thorne
| Or: -
Il saw a mink track by the big houl-
der" offered Thorpe
H MI responded Charley in a long
| drawn falsetto whine,
Yet somehow the men came to know
each other better and better; and each
ieit that In an emergency he could de-
pend on the other to the utterrnost in
spite of the difference in race.
As for Philip. he was like some
strange, shy animal, retaining all its
wild instincts. but led by affection ia
| become domestic. He drew the water
cut the wood-none better In the evan