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

floors and ran errands. At the
" end of the week he received 81
from his employer, dumped his va
lise into Il low bobsleigh driven by a
man Inuffled in a fur coat, assisted In
loading the sleigh with Il variety OK
things, from Spearhead plug 10 raisins,
and turned his face at last toward the
land of his hopes and desires.
| The long drive 10 camp was at once
delight and Il misery TO him. First his
feet became numb, then his hands. then
his nose was nipped, and finally his
warm clothes were lifted from him by
invisible hands, and he was left naked
to shvers and tremblings. He found 1t
torture to sit still on the top of the bale
of hay. and yet he could not bear to
contemplate the cold shock Of jumping
from the sleigh TO the ground The
driver pulled up to breathe his horses
at the Top Of n hill.
you're dressed pretty light" he ad-
vised. "Better hoof it ways and get
warm"
The words tipped the balance Of
Thorpe's decision. He descended stithy,
conscious of a dsa greeable snock from
a six inch jump.
In ten minutes the wallowing, slip
ping and !eaping after the tail Of the
sled mad cent his blood tinsling to the
last Of his protesting members. Cold
withdrew.
After little while they arrived by
way of a hill, over which they plunged
! - Lo
saw three large buildings, backed end
to end, and two smaller ones. ell built
of heavy logs, rooted with plank and
lighted sparsely through one or Two
windows apiece. The driver rullcd up
opposite the space between two larger
buildings and began 20 unload his pro-
visions. Thorpe set about aiding him
and so found himself for the FIRST time
in cook camp"
1t was commodious building. One
end furnished space for two cooking
ranges and two hunks placed one over
the other. Along one side ran broad
table shelf, with other shelves over it
and numerous barrels underneath, all
filled with cans, loaves OF bread. cook
les and pies. The center was occupied
by four long bench flanked tables. down
whose middle struggled utensils con-
. tanning sugar, apple butter, condiments
. and sauces and whose edges were set
with tin dishes for about forty men.
The cook, rather thin faced man
. with a mustachc, directed where the
provisions were to be slowed, and the
'cookee," a hulking youth. assisted
Thorpe and the driver 10 carry tDem in.
In few moments The task vas fin
ished, with the exception OF n half doz-
en- other cases, which the driver desig-
mated as for the van The lorses
were unhitched and stabbed in the
t third of the big log buildings. The
driver indicated the second.
Better go into the mems camp and
, sit down till tn boss gets in" he I'd
vised.
, Thorpe entered a dim. overheated
structure lined on two sides by dou
, BILE tier Of large hunks Dartitioned
from one another Ike cabins Of be al
and conferred by huge stove over
which hung slender poles. The latte
were to dry clothes on. Just outside
the hunks ran q straight, hard bench
Thorpe stood at the entrance trying t,
accustom his eyes to the dmness.
"Set down." said a voice, ION tn foo
il You want to, but Id prefer tn dea
{ con seat
Thorpe obedently took position OF
, the bench, or deacon seat" His eyes
. more used to the light. could make on
a thin. tall, bent old man. with bar
+ Uranium, two visible teeth and a thre,
days stubble OF white beard over hi
= meager, twisted face.
He caught, perhaps Thorpe's surpris
ed expression.
:, you think tn old mans no good, d.
;, youf' he cackled without the slightes
malice. Looks is deceivin" IL
- sprang up swiftly, seized the toe of hi
- right foot in his left hand and Jumpe,
his left foot through the loop thu
formed. Then he sat down again an,
laughed at Thorpe's establishment
"Old Jacksons still purity smart,
said he, I'm barn boss. They amt
man in tn country knows as mucl
about hosses as do. We amt hat
but two sick this fall, an between yol
= an me they's n skate lot You're
- greenhorn, alnt youT"
Yes" confessed Thorpe.
- "Well," said Jackson reflectively, hu
rapidly, lie Fabian, he's quiet, III
ban; and OGrady, he talks loud, bu
- you can bluff him; and Perry he's onl
=, bad when he gets fun OF red lkker
> and Norton, he's bad when he get
:. mad like, and will use axes"
Thorpe did not know he was getting
valuable points on the camp DULLES,
At dark the old man lit two lamps
which served dimly to gloze the shad
a ows, and thrust logs Of wood into tn
cast iron stove. Soon after, the mel
came in. They were a queer, nike,
lot There were active. clear built
70 precise Frenchmen. with small hand
and feet and a peculiarly trim way 0
y wearing their rough garments; typica
~ native born American lumber jack:
;" powerful in frame, rakish in air reck
;, less In manner; big blond Scandina
~ VANS and Swedes, strong men at tn
" saving; an Indian or SO. strangely Il