The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-05
Copyright 1902 by Edward Stewart
White.)
CHAPTER w.

Nj IL ~ Ian ASs
For 1--WE days Thorpe cut wood.
made fires. drew water. swept floors.
= and ran crrands. AT tho end of the
week he received four dollars from
his employer; dumped his ralise into
a NOW bobsleigh driven by q man
mufi1ed in fur coat assisted in
loading the sleigh with variety OF
things, from Spearhead plug to raj
sins: and turned his face at last 70
ward the land Of his hopes ana de-
6ires.
The long drive to camp was al once
delight and misery to MN. rHst
his feet became numb. then MS MINUS,
then his nose WIS nipped, ana niiaitS
his warm clothes were ateu - Oh
him by Invisible hands. and ne was
left naked to shivers and tremolnss.
lie found 1t torture TO SIT sun on
the top of the bale of hay. and yet
he could not bear 10 contemplate the
cold shock Of jumping from the sleigh
10 the ground The driver pulled up
TO breathe his horses at the top OF
hill
You're dressed pretty hght.'' he
advised: better hoof it a ways and
get warm"
The words tipped the balance OF
J'horpe's decision. He descended
snr,i,a conscious iof p disaGreeabie
shock from six-inch jump.
In ten minutes the wallowing.
slipping. and leapinG after the tail
of the sled had sent his blood ting
ling to the last OF his protesting mem
bers. Cold withdrew.
After a little while, they arrived
by way of a hill. over which they
plunged into the middle Of the camp.
Thorpe saw three Target buildings.
backed end to end. and two smaller
ones. all built OF heavy logs. rooted
with plank. and lighted sparsey
through one or two windows apiece.
The driver pulled up opposite the
space between two larger buildings.
and began to unload his provisions.
Thorpe set about aiding him. and SO
found himself for the first time in a
cook camp
Itwas cornmodious building. One
end furnished space for two
cooking ranges and two hunks
placed one over the other Along one
side ran a broad taRle-she!f. Win
other Shelves over it and numerous
barrels underneath. all filled with
cans, loaves Of bread. cookies, ana
pies tThe :centcr Was occupied py
four long bench-flanked tables. down
whose middle struggled utensils con-
tanning sugar. apple-butter, condl-
merits, ard sauces, and whose edges
were set with tin dishes for
about forty men. The cook.
rather thin-faced man with a mus
tache, directed where the provisions
were to be slowed: and the cookie.
hulling youth, assisted Thorpe and
The driver to carry them in.
In a few moments the task was I'm
islled, with the exception OF half
dozen other cases. which the driver
designated as for the van" The
horses were unliitched and stabbed IN
the third of the Zig log buildings.
The driver indicated the second.
Better go into the mems camp and
sit down till tn boss gets in, he ad-
yised.
Thorpe entered a dim. over-heated
structure lined on two sides by a
double tier of large hunks pa1titioned
from one another like cabins of a.
boat, and centered by a huge stove
over which hung slender poles. lhe
latter were to dry clothes on Just
outside the hunks ran a straight hard
bench Thorpe stood at the en-
trance trying to accustom his eyes to
the dimness.
'.Set down. said voice. ION tn
floor II YOU want to; but I'd prefer
th' deacon seat.
Thorpe obedlently took position on
the bench or deacon seat His
ewes, more used to the light. could
make out thin. tall. bent old man,
with bare Uranium. two visible teeth,
and a three days stubhle of white
III. icta A far "a
He caught, perhaps, Thorpe's sur
prsed expression.
You think tn old mans no good.
do you?' he cackled. without the
slightest malice, .looks Is deceivin'!'
Gle sprang up swiftly. seized the toe
OF his right foot in his left hand, and
iulnped his left foot through the loop
thus fo!1ned. Then he sat down
again, and laughed at Thorpeis aston
ishment.
..old Jackson,s still purity smart"
said he I'm barn-boss. They amt
a man in tn country knows as much
about HOSES as I do. We amt had
but two sick this fall. an between
you an me, they's a skate lot. You're
a. greenhorn, amt YOU :
Yes confessed Thorpe.
Well said Jackson. refectively
hut rapidly, lie Fabian. he's quiet
hut bad: and O'Grady. he talks loud
hut YOU can bluff him: and Perry.
he's only bad when he gets fun OF red
likker. and Norton he's bad when ne
GETS mad like, and will use axes.
Thorpe did not X DIV he was getting
valuable points on the camp puiiles'
AT dark the old man lit two lamps,
which served dimly to gloze the shad-
ows and thrust logs Of wood Into the
cast iron stove. Soon after. the men
:ame In. They were queer mixed
ot. There were active. clear-oailt#
precise Frenchmen. with small hands
and feet and a peculiarly trim way
OF wearing their rough garments: typl-
cal natiNe-born American luInber-Jacks
powerful in frame. rakish in air.
reckless In manner; big blonde Scan
dinayians and Swedes. strong men at
the savings; an Indian or so. strange
" In contrast to the rest: and a va
ricty Of 1rishmen. Englishmen and
Canadians These men tramped in
without word. and set busiiy to
work at various tasks. Some sat on
the deacon seat and began to take
on their socks and rueocrs. still otb-
.rs selected and lit lanterns from a
nendent row near the window, and fol-
lowed old jackson out Of doors. They
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