The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-26


Morrison & DAILY"
The old man iickered not an .eyelid.
He slowly filled his pipe and lit it.
I'm get you a crew of men," said
he. eff you'H take me as foreman"
But it's little job at first" protest
ed Thorpe, 81 only want a camp of
twenty. 1t wouldn't be worth your
while"
That's my lookout. I'll take the
job" replied the logger grimly. You
got three hundred million there,
amt you? And you're goin' to cut it?
1t amt such a. small Job"
Thorpe could hardly believe his good
fortune in having gained so important
a recruit. With a practical man as
foreman, his mind would be relieved of
great deal of worry over unfamiliar
detail. He saw at once that he would
himself be able to perform all the du-
ties of scaler, keep in touch with the
needs of the camp, and supervise the
campaign. Nevertheless he answered
the older mans glance with one as
keen, and said:
Look here, Shearer. If you take
this job, we may as well understand
each other at the start. This is going
to be my camp, and I'm going to be
boss. I don't know much about log
ging, and 1 shall want you to take
charge of all that but 1 shall want to
know just why you do each thing, and
if my judgment advises otherwise, my
judgment goes. If l want to discharge
a man, he walks without any question.
l know about what 1 shall expect of
each man; and l intend to get it out
of him. And in questions of policy
mine is the say-so every trip. Now 1
know you're good man-one of the
best there Island 1 presume l shall
find your judgment the best. but l don't
want any mistakes to start with. If
you want to be my foreman on those
terms, just say so, and I'll be tickled
to death to have you"
For the first time the numbering
mans face lost, during a single instant,
it's mask of immobility. His steel-blue
eyes flashed, his mouth twitched with
some strong emotion. For the first
time, too he spoke without contem-
plative pause of preparation.
That's the way to talk!' he cried.
go with you? Well I should rise to
remarkl You're the boss; and I always
said it. I'll get you gang Of bully boys
that will roll logs till there's skating in
hell"
Thorpe left, after making an ap-
pointment at his own hotel for the fol-
lowing day, more than pleased with his
luck. None the less he anticipated his
next step with shaky confidence. He
would now be called upon to buy four
or FIVE teams of horses, and enough
feed to last them the entire winter; and
he would have to arrange for provis-
! lens in abundance and variety for his
men; he would have to figure on blan-
kets, harness, cook-camp utensils,
stoves, blacksmith's tools, iron, axes,
| chains, cant-hooks, van goods, pals,
I.v, Ill nhn 81 80 \.
ware-in short, all the thousand and
one things, from needles to court-plas-
| ter, of which a self-sufficing commun-
| ity might come in need. And he would
| have to figure out his requirements for
the entire winter. After navigation
closed, he could import nothing more.
Deep in these thoughts, he wandered
on at random. He suddenly came to
himself in the toughest quarter of Bay
City.
Through the summer night thrilled
the sound of ordinations pointed to
| the colors of mirth. A cheap piano
| ratified and thumped through an open
window. Mems and women's voices
mingled in rising and falling gradua-
lions of harshness. Lights streamed
| irregularly across the dark.
Thorpe became aware of a figure
crouched in the doorway almost at
his feet. The Pickering rays of a dis
| tant street lamp threw into relief the
! high-lights of a violin, and a head.
| The face upturned to him was thin
and white and wolfish under broad
white brow. Dark eyes CLEANED at
| him with the expression of a fierce an
imalt Across the forehead ran
longf but shallow cut from which blood
| dripped. The creature clasped both
arms around a violin. He crouched
there and stared up at Thorpe, who
stared down at him.
whats the matter?" asked the lat
ter, finally.
The creature made no reply, but
drew his arms closer about his instru-
ment. Thorpe made a sign to the I'M
| known to rise.
"Come with me-" said he, and I'll
have your forehead attended to-"
The eyes CLEANED into his with a
sudden savage concentration. Then
their owner obediently arose.
Thorpe now saw that the body be-
fore him was of cripple, short-legged,
hunch- backed, long-armed pigeon
| breasted. The large head sat strange
! ly top-heavy between even the broad
shoulders. 1t confirmed the hopeless
but sullen despair that brooded on the
white countenance.
At the hotel Thorpe, examining the
cut, found it more serious in appear
ance than in reality. With few
pieces of sticking plaster he drew its
edges together.
Then he attempted to interrogate his
find.
What is your name?" he asked.
phil"
phil what?"
Silence.
How did you get hurt?"
No reply.
Were you playing your fiddle in
one of those houses %
The cripple nodded slowly.
Are you hungry" asked Thorpe,
with a sudden thoughtfulness.
Yes" replied the cripple, with a
lightning CLEAN in his wolf eyes.
Thorpe rang the bell. To the boy
who answered, he said:
Bring me half a dozen beef sand
witches and glass of milk, and be
quick about it,
DO you play the fiddle much?" con-
tinued Thorpe. The cripple nodded
| again.
Let's hear what you can do"
They cut my stringsi" cried Phil
with a passionate wall.
The cry came from the heart, and
Thorpe was touched by it. The price
of strings was evidently a big sum.
'Ill get you more in the morning."
said he.
Would you like to leave Bay City,"
"Yes!" cried the boy with passion.
| You would have to work You