Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-31

| air hole about which the ice was
strong. Fabian had already seized
Molly by the bit and was holding her
head easily above water.
"kitch Jenny by dat hc't." he cried 10
Pat.
Thus the two men without cxertion
sustained the noses of the team above
the surface. The position demanded
absolutely no haste, for il could have
been maintained for a good half hour.
Molly and Jenny their soft eyes full of
the intelligence of the situation, rested
easily in full confidence. But Pat and
Henrys. new to this sort OF emergency,
were badly frightened and excited.
ooh, Lord" cried Pat. clinging des.
pcrately 10 Jcnny's headpiece. what
will wez be doin? We can't niver haul
them two horses on the ice"
TAX de log chain" said Fabian to
Henrys, IAN tie him around de neck of
Jenny"
Hcnrys after much difficulty and
nervous fumbling managed to loosen
the swamp hook and after much more
difficulty succeeded in making Il fast
about the gray mares neck Fabian
intended with this TO choke the animal
to that peculiar state when she would
float like a balloon on the water and
two men could with ease draw her over
the edge of the ice. Then the unexpec
ed happened.
The instant ITenrys had passed the
end of the chain through the knot Pat,
possessed by some Hibernian notion
that now all was fast, let 30 of the bit.
Jenny's head at once went under. and
the end OF the logging chain glided
over and fell plump in the hole.
Immediately all was confusion. Jen.
ny kicked and struggled. churned the
water, throwing it about, kicking out
IN every direction. Once horses
head dips strongly the game is over.
No animal browns more quickly. The
two young boys scrambled away, and
French oaths could not induce them to
approach. Molly still upheld by Fa-
bian looked ut him piteously with her
strange intelligent eyes, holding her
self motionlcss and rigid with com.
pcte confidence in this master who had
never failed her before. Fabian due
his heels into the ice. but could not
hang on. The drowning horse was
more than a dead weight. Presently il
became a question of letting 60 or he.
ing dragged into the lake on top of the
animals. With n sob the little French.
man relinquished his hold. The waite,
seemed slowly to rise and overfilm the
troubled look OF pleading in Molly's
eyes.
"Assassins!" Kissed Laveque at the
two unfortunate youths; that was all.
II suppose it was n good deal my
fault commented Railway. doubtfully
shaking his hea! after Lavcuue had
left the office. II ought to have been
surer about the ice
Railway was so confirmed in his be.
lief as to his own culpability that he
quite overlooked Fabian's Just conten.
ton that the mere thinness of the ice
was In reality no excuse for the losing
Of the horses. SO Pat and Henrys were
not Discharged We're not instructed to
get their time" Fabian Laveoue
promptly demanded his.
Il no work wild dat fool dat no t'ink
wit hees haid"
This deprived the camp at once Of
teamster and a team. When you re
feet that one pair of horses takes care
OF the exertions OF crew of sawyers
several swampers and three or four
cant hook men you will readily see
what a serious arrangement their loss
would cause.
Railway did his best. He took three
days to search out a big team of farm
horses. Then it became necessary to
find a driver. After some deliberation
he decided TO advance Bob Stratton tc
the post, that "decker' having had
more or less experience the year before
Erickson, the Swede, while not star
cant hook man. was nevertheless sure
and reliable. Roadway placed him In
STATIONS place. He remembered
Thorpe.
SO the young man received his first
promotion toward the ranks Of skilled
labor. He gained at last a field of ap-
plication for the accuracy he had so in
diligently acquired while roadmaking.
for now a false stroke marred saw
log; and besides, what was more TO his
taste, he found himself near the actual
scene OF operation AT the front, as it
were
Here he learned why and when the
s2wyerS threw tree up or down hill.
and how small standing timber they
tried to fell ii through. what consider
alton held for the cutting of different
lengths of log, how the timber was
skillfully dccked on the skids in such n
manner that the pile should not bulge
or TALL and so that the scaler could
easily determine the opposite ends of
the same log-in short. n thousand and
one little details which ordinarily n
man learns only as the cxigencies arise
to call in experience. Here, TOO. he first
renllzed he was in the 9ring line.
Thorpe had assigned him as a bunk
mate the young fellow who assisted
ION Rroadhcad in the Telling. Henry
faul was fresh compleXioned clear
eyed, quick hammered young fellow,
with an air of steady responsibility
about him. He came from the southern
part or the state, where during the
summer he worked on a little home
stead farm OF his own. After Il few
days he told Thorpe that he was mar |
fl'd' ana after few days moro he !
showed his bunk mate the photograph
or sweet faced young woman who