St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-03-22

was two days later in reachin' camp
than you, Archie, an / seen Sam Bal
ley drivin' Genie home from Their Bill
tons dance party. Seemed ter me
'twa a moughty good thing Sans
horse is Study driver"
To a sensitive man, and jealous,
such hints as these, although scorn-
fully discredited, were as gall and
wormwood. Jonathan, seeing his adj
vantage, dropped them continually.
By the time the sawyers were work
ing far enough from camp to have
their dinners sent out to them daily,
the two men, working always to-
gether as the two best sawyers in
camp, were all but open enemies.
The fact that Angus McAdams had
several times returned from his week
ly visit to Brackhaven, the nearest
village, without letter from Genie,
added fuel to the fame which tor
mented Archie. When Jonathan quiz
city reminded him that Sam Bailey
was staying at home for the winter
the jealous lover had much ado to
keep his hands off Jonathan. Then
came the day when a careless and
unskilled ax-man felled tree in such
wise that one long limb swept JON
athan from his feet and sent him
spinning, and Archibald Brewster:
rendered unconscious, lay pinned to
the earth by another heavy bough.
They threw the stunned sawyer
across the back of horse and hur.
ried to camp with him. Angus Nc
Adams, wise with much wood-kGow owl
edge, declared that the "wind was
only knocked outen him." and he
would be all right in day or two
But, the heart having already gone
out of Archie, under Genie's per-
sistent silence, the return of the
missing wind" seemed impotent to
restore him. The three-days' storm
| which bore down upon them week
later found him still tossing in his
bunk, sleeblessly in the nighttime,
shivering over the fire by day. The
third day of the storm was still suf-
ficiently severe to keep all the men
in the shanty. Toward evening big
Billie" the camp giant and humorist,
organized the men into company of
impromptu actors, burlesquing the
dance-parties so common in the home
| regions.
All the men not dancing were or
| dered to the hunks, for the sake of
room. Jonathan Newling, for the sake
of spite, occupied portion of the bunk
under Archie's, and enjoyed himself
hugely, chattering easily of Genevieve
Dixon and past good times-most of
them wholly imaginary-enjoyed in
her company. Archie, at last enraged,
and half mad with irritation, leaped
from the bunk and insisted on fight
ing. He was all the more angry when
| the other men interfered. "Big Billie"
sprang to the rescue of peace in most
characteristic fashion.
"Circle threes, in ga1lop and waltz!"
he shouted, naming figure universally
popular in Muskoka. And, selling
Archie with one hand and Jonathan
with the other, he whirled them around
with him. The noise of their "waltz-
ing" and of the other mems amuse-
ment quite drowned the soft pounding
of approachinghoof beats. Jack Dixon,
younger brother to Genevieve, was in
| among them, pale, half-frozen and
exhausted, before they had dreamed
of visitor.
"Come quick, if you want to see Gene
alive, Archie" he gasped, Immediately.
"She's terribly ill-sort of fever-and
ther doctor don't think she'll see to-
morrow. It's awful outside, but got
over somehow. 1 think you can ride
back"
Hands rough but kindly reached out
on all sides to encase Archie in his out
er garments. The boy Jack was sup
piled with whisky sufficient to kill him
twice inside of two minutes. When
Angus McAdams' best team came
around for Archie and to replace Jacks
exhausted Dobbin, Jonathan Newling
came, too, riding the horse borrowed
from a team-owning cousin. Straigh:
over to Archie's shoulder he leaned.
tCuSCAys duu lCSVCu d SndhiAk AdAO OA
the other mans shoulder.
"I'm goin' with ye, he said, in hoarse
excitement. It'll be a wild night, an
ye're not over yer bruises yet. Their
lads dead weary, an know Their trail
better'n We both. An, Archie" rails
ing his voice to hollow rumble, "that
was lie I told ye about Billions party,
and Gene goin' home with Sam Bailey.
Both on 'em was sick that evenin', and
neither on 'em was nigh ther party at
ALL"
Archie made no answer; he was
dumb and dazed from the shock OF
Jacks nervous summons. The boy him.
self seemed to hear nothing. But
eager listeners nodded hearty approval
of Jonathan's conduct, and Big Billie"
| shouted: "Well done!"
Then off into the night and storm
rode the three men together, off upon
the long journey which the good Coo
rendered so miraculously safe ana
rapid. And never word was spoken
between them until Jonathan, who hau
| led the way and breasted the storm
all through it, refused to enter the
Dixon home.
''I'll come to the wedding breakfast,
instead" he called back, grimly, as his
tired horse plodded down the road.
For Genevieve's father had met them
at the gate with the news that the
| girl was better, and it was Jonathan's
turn to feel sick at heart and dispirit-