The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-14


ly of Hilda-
adore them," she cried.
IAN right. don't care" he answered
his sister in triumph.
The air brakes began to make them
selves felt and shortly the train came
| to grinding stop.
What station is this % Thorpe asked
the colored porter.
'Shingleville, sah," the latter replied.
81 thought SO. Wallace, when did
their mill burn, anyway? 1 haven't
heard about it,
Last spring. about the time you
went down"
Us that so? How did it happen?"
They claim ineendiarism," parted
Wallace cautiously.
Thorpe pondered a moment, then
laughed. II am in the mixed attitude
of the small boy" he observed, who
| isn't near enough to wish anybody's
property destroyed, but who wishes
that If there is a fire. TO be where
he can see ii. I am sorry those fell
lows had to lose their mill, but il was
! good thing for us. The man who
set that fire did US a good turn. If it
hadn't been for the burning of their
mill, they would have made a stronger
fight against us in the stock market"
Wallace and Hilda exchanged
glances. The girl was long since
! aware of the inside history of those
days.
You'll have to tell them that" she
whispered over the back of her seat.
1T will please them"
Our station is next" cried Thorpe.
land it's only a little ways. Come, get
readyi'
They all crowded into the narrow
passageway near the door, for the train
barely paused.
IAN right sah." said the porter,
swinging down his little step.
Thorpe ran down to help the ladies.
He was nearly taken from his feet by
a wildcat yell, and a moment later
that result was actually accomplished
by rush of men that tossed him bod
lily onto its shoulders. At the same
moment, the mill and tug whistles be-
gan to screech, miscellaneous firearms
exploded. Even the locomotive engi-
neer, IN the spirit of the occasion,
leaned down heartily on his whistle
rope. The sawdust street was filed
with screaming, jostling men. The
homes of the town were brilliantly
draped with cheesecloth. flags and
bunting.
For moment Thorpe could not
make out what had happened. This
turmoil was so different from the dead
quiet of desertion he had expected
that he was unable to gather his facul-
ties. All about him were familiar
faces upturnel to his own. He dis
tlnguished the broad, square shoulders
OF Scotty Parsons, Jack Hyland. Ker-
lie. Bryan Moloney; Ellis grinned at
him from the press; Billy Camp. the
fat and shiny drive cook; Mason, the
foreman of the mill; over beyond howl
ed Solly, the tug captain, Rollway
Charley, Shorty, the chore-boy; every
where were features that he knew AS
his dimming eyes travelled here and
there, one by one the Fighting Forty
the best crew of men ever gathered in
the northland, impressed themselves
IN his consciousness. Saginaw birlers,
Fiat River drivers, woodsmen from the
forests or lower Canada, bully boys
out or MuSkegon waters, peavey men
from Au Sable, whitewater dare-dev-
lis from the rapids of the Menominee
all were there to do him honor. him
III Whom they had learned to see the
supreme qualities of their calling. On
the outskirts sauntered the tall form
OF Tim Shearer, straw peeping from
beneath his fiax-white mustache. his
eyes glimmering under his flax-white
eyebrows. He did not evidence as
much excitement as the others, but the
very bearing of the man expressed the
deepest satisfaction. Perhaps he re-
membered that zero morning so MANY
years before when he had watched the
| thinly-clad shivering chore- boy set his
| race for the first time towards the
dark forest.
Big Junko and Anderson deposited
their burden on the raised platform of
the office steps. Thorpe turned and
| fronted the crowd.
AT once pandemonium broke loose.
| as though the previous performances
had been nothing but a low-voiced re-
| hearsal.
The men looked upon their leader
and gave voice to the enthusiasm that
| was in them. He stood alone there
| straight and tall, the muscles of his
brown face set to hide his emotion,
his head thrust back proudly. the
INES OF MS strong figure tense with
| power-the glorification in finer matter
of the hardy, reliant men who did him
honor.
"Oh, aren't you proud of him? ?" gasp-
ed Hilda, squeezing Helen's arms with
little sob.
In moment Wallace Carpenter, his
countenance glowing with pride and
| pleasure, mounted the platform and
stood beside his friend, while Morton
and the two young ladies stopped half
way UP the steps.
At once TIE racket ceased E,varx
one stood at attention.
Mr.. Thorpe" Wallace began. "at
the request of your friends here / take
a most pleasant duty to fulfill. They
have asked me to tell you how glad
they are to see you; that is surely un-
necessary. They have also asked me
to congratulate you on having won the
fight with our rivals
you done 'em good" cant dow,
the Ola Fellow" muttered joyou
voices.
But" said Wallace, at think tina
l first have story to tell on my owl
account.
''At the time the jam broke thi
spring, we owed the men here for :
years work. AT that time I considere,
their demand for wages ill-timed an,
grasping. l wish to apologize. Afte
the money was paid them, instead O
scattering, they set to work under Jacl
Railway and Tim Shearer to salvag
your logs. They have worked lon
hours all summer. They have invested
every cent of their years earnings il
supplies and tools, and now they ar
prepared to show you in the Com
pany's booms. three million feet o
logs, rescued by their grit and har,
labor from total loss"
At this point the speaker was inter
rupted. saw off, Shut up" Civ
rest" growled the audience. 'Thre
million feet amt worth tallSin' about.
you make me tired" Say your litti
say the way you oughter," "Foun,
purity night two millions pocketed OIL
Mares Island, or we wouldn't a has
| that much ssDamnfool undarto biz, :,