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

branches. Artcr q time lie heard Paul's
gay hnlloo.
"Timbcr!' came the cry, and then
the swish sh sll--crash of the trees
fall.
Thorpe knew that now either Hank
or Tom must he climbing with the long
measuring pole along the PROSTATE
trunk. marking by means of shallow
AK clips where the saw was TO divide
the logs. Then Tom shouted some.
thing unintelligibe. The other men
seemed TO understand, however, for
they dropped their work and ran hasti.
ly in the direction of the voice. Thorpe
after n moments indcceiou did tho
same. He arrived to find a group
about n PROSTATE man. The man was
Paul.
Two Of The older woodsmen, kneel
ing, were conducting coolly hasty
examination AT the front every mar
is more or less of a surgeon.
rs he hurt badly asked Thorpe
"What is it,
Hes dead" answered one of the
other men soberly.
With the skill of ghastly practice
some of them wovc n litter, on which
the body was placed. The pathetic
little procession moved in the solemn
inscrutahle forest.
When the tree had fallen it had
crashed through the top OF another
leaving suspended in the branches OF
the latter long. heavy limb. A slight
breeze dslodgcd il. Henry Paul was
impnled as by a javelin This is the
chief of the many perils Of the woods.
That evening the camp was unusual.
ly quiet Taller let his fiddle hang
After supper Thorpe was approached
by Purdy. the rcptilian redhead with
whom he had had the row some even.
ngs before.
You in. chummy;' he asked in a
quiet voice. ITS a FIVE apiece for
Hanks woman
Yes" said Thorpe.
The men were earning from $50 to
$50 a month. They had most of them
never seen Hank Paul before this aM
tumn. lie had not. mainly because OF
his modest disposition. enjoyed any ex.
traordlnary degree Of popularity, yet
these strangers cheerfully. rs a matter
of course, gave up the proceeds Of q
weeks hard work. and that without
expecting the slightest personal credit
The money was cent from the boys
Thorpe later read heartbroken letter
to the unknown benefactors. 1t touched
him deeply. and he suspected the other
men of the same emotions. but by that
time they Ind regaincd the independ
ent, self contained poisc Of the from
tiersman. They read II with unnoved
faces ind tossed II aside with n more
than ordinarily rough Joke or oath
Thorpe understood their reticencc. II
wns part Of his own nature He felt
more than over akin 10 these men.
As swampcr he had more or less &c
do with q cant hook in helping the
Transfers roll the end Of the log on the
little "dray.' He soon caught the
knack. Toward Christmas he had be
come fairly efficient cant hook man
and was helping roll the great sticks OF
timber up the slanting skids. Thus al.
ways intelligence counts. especially
that rare intelligence whlcn resolves
into the analytical and the infinitely
observing.
He was getting Just the experience
and the knowledge be needed, but that
was about all His wages were 500
month, which his van bill would re.
duce to the double eagle. At the end
of the winter he would have but a lit |,
tie over 500 TO show for his seasons |
work. and this could mean mt most on |
~ $50 for Helen. But the future was
his. He saw now more plainly what
he had dimly perceived before, that
for the man who buys timber, and logs
il well. a sure future is waiting. AnG
in this camp he was beginning TO learn
from failure the conditions of success.
GRO BE CONTINUED