The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-09-28

dark by solitary lamp in a lower
story room The four who had de-
scended before Thorpe made over to-
ward this light, stumbling and laugh
ing uncertainty, so he knew 1t was
probably the clearinghouse, and pre-
pared to follow them:
The five were met at the steps by the
proprietor Of tho clearinghouse.
This man was short and stout with
a harelip and cleft palate, which at
once gave him the well-known slurrfng
speech Of persons SO afflicted, and i'm
parted also to the timbre of his voice
a peculiarly hollow resonant, trumpet
like note. He stumped about emerge
tically on a wooden leg of home manu-
facture It was cumbersome instru-
ment. heavy with deep pine socket for
the stump. and projecting brace
which passed under leather belt
around the mans waist. This instru-
mont he used with the dexterity OF a
third hand. AS Thorp watched him.
he drove In a projecting nail. kicked
two ''turkeys'' inside the open door,
and stuck the armed end Of his peg
leg through the top and bottom of the
whiskey jug that one OF the new arr
walls had set down near the door. The
whiskey promptly ran out. AT this
the cripple fiirted the impaled jug from
the wooden leg far out over the rail
of +he verandah into the snow.
A growl went up.
.swhat.n hells that fort snarled one
of the owners of the whiskey threat
eningly. ,n
snuffed the harelip.
The men were very angry. They
advanced toward the cripple. who
retreated with astonishing agility 10
the lighted room. There he oent the
wooden leg before him. slipped the emu
az tbe brace from beneath the leather
belt seized the other, peg end IN MS
rieht hand and SO became possessed
of a murderous bludgeon- ms ne
braudished. hopping at the same tiine
back and forth in sucn peflecs po's
and vet with so ludicrous an etlect OIL
popping corn, that the men "e'e
prised into laughing. -. 49,.
Bully for YOU pes-ies
cried. ,,,.. w.
Md tho latter. without. however,
shade Of compromising In MS tolles.
'Had supper? ito
rborne was awakened a long time
before daylight by the ringing OF q
,o:s,. he'll, He dressed, shivering. and
stumbled down stairs to the rou,'u
stoye. big as q. boiler. into "hlcn ths
cripple dumped huge loss or WOOD from
time to time. After breakfast Ihorpe
returned to this stove and SAT iasA
DOING for what seemed TO him I'M
tc,jd ages. The cold Of the northern
country was initiating him.
Men came in, smoked q, brier pipe.
and went out. After a time he hlm-
self mt on his oyercoat and ventured
ont into the town It seemed TO
7,horne a. uleager affair. built of lts1n-
her mostly implanted, with always
the dark, menacing fringe OF the for
est behind The great saw-nill. with
rs tall stacks and its rows OF wa
neutrality-suspicious. against Hre-on
top, was the dominant note Near Inc
r..ill coughed a little red-painted struc-
ture from whose stove-pipe column
of white smoke arose. attesting the
cold. a, clear hundred feet straight up
ward. and to whose door number OF
men were directing their steps through
the snow Over the door Thorpe could
distinguish the word, Office. He
followed and entered.
In q narrow aisle rallied off from the
main part of the room waited Thorpe's
companions of the night before. The
remainder of the office gave accomnlo-
dation to three clerks. One OF these
glanced up inquiringly as Thorpe came
in
IT am looking for work. said
Thorpe.
wait there" briefly commanded the
clerk.
In a few moments the door OF the
inner room opened and Shearer came
out: A mans head peered from
within.
Come on boys said he.
The five applicants shuffled throush.
Thorpe found himself In the presence
of man whom he felt to be the
natural leader of those wild, indepeHd-
ent spirits. He was already little
past middle life. and his form had
lost the elastic vigor OF youth. But
his eye was keen. clear, and wrlnlllsd
to certain dry Righteousness; and his
figure was of that bulk which gives
an impression OF a subtler weight and
power than the merely physical. You
felt his superiority even when he was
most cornradely with you. This man
Thorpe was to meet under other cono.-
tons, wherein the steel hand would
more plainly ciink the nlstal.
He was now seated In a worn onice
chair before q Uttered desk. In the
close air hung the smell OF stale Gig