The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-12-31
ATOuCh of Nature
By D. Il. TAlMADGE.
Copyright, 1908, by Daily Story Pub. Coz

THE river is deep at Shell Bend and
the hills are high on either side of
the narrow valley, and when rains are
heavy to the northward trouble comes
there in floods.
The Big Eastern Railway company had
surveyed its line through the valley in
stead of cutting through the hill mile
above, and a difference. of opinion ex-
listed as to the wisdom Of the course.
Certain it is that in few years of heavy
rains the damage from high water at
Shell Bend amounted to sum not light
ay to be considered.
A number of men, members of con-
struction gang, sitting on ties one noon
time eating their dinners from the con-
ventional tin pals, discussed this ques-
ton as it had been discussed on many
former occasions, and they were OF one
mind. The waters were bubbling and
seething at their feet, the track for 30
, yards on either side of them was gone,
and great powders, washed from the
hill sides, were scattered here ard there
along the right of way. The scene was
far from inspiriting. The men, natural
ly enough, perhaps, were in bad humor,
and they cursed fervently the memory
of the engineer who had put the road>at
the mercy of the waters in that spot. Be-
tween verbal explosions they ate.
Now it is hardly to be expected that
several men of naturally belligerent ma
lures, aggravated by untoward circum-
stances, will pass through an hour of
comparative idleness at peace with one
another. 1t is all very well to direct
words of disapprobation at a muddy
river and at a distant engineer, but it is
not satisfying. The natural food OF bad
tempered men is flesh and blood.
wherefore Tim Reagan reached over
and took a piece of bread from the pail
of Jim Cider and put it between his
teeth, which were working close to-
gether at the time. This was annoying
to Jim, but not sufficient cause for COM
bat. Tim chewed the bread, however,
and spat it out with an insulting bah!
This meant business.
Eyer woman's not much of a bread
maker" he commented viciously.
You're a liar" said Jim, promptly.
Whereupon the two stood up, and the
other men, with the wisdom that is born
of experience, placed the pals behind
the ties.
'I'll teach you-you monkey-faced
galoot-to insult the fruit of my wo-
mans oven!" snapped Jim, who was a
poet and rich in vocabulary. otis the
bread that's made the muscle Of the
gentleman that can lick the sawdust out
of your doggoned homely hide, and don't
you forget it,"
"Whiroo!" laughed Tim, derisively.
cit weighs ton to the loaf an it's sour
fed on the stuff-easy, We plug. Take
that now!"
He lunged forward, and the two men
clinched. Then they broke away.
1fye'd not been so devilish fiery" said
Tim, "takin' insult where no insult was
meant, I'd have traded yea bit of bread
that's bread for that lump of abomina-
ton I took from We. The bread eat is
made by Miss Bridget Conlan, of the
railroad mans paradise, where l board
when at home. 'Twould have made We
sick at heart that We married so i'm
petuous like without lookin' further
than We did. Miss Bridget Conlan, me
boy, she makes bread that strengthens
the body and soothes the soul. Maybe
now ye'll let me offer We piece!"
He reached down to his pail quickly,
getting ha1f-eaten slice of bread.
no" snorted Jim. -..~
"Well then, I'll ram it down that
turkey red neck We wear there under yer
chin: twill do yer soul and heart good"
Jim's retort was unintelligible. He
darteda forward, and blood spurted from
Tins nose This betokened that the
fight was on in earnest.
5, Biff-biff-the blows went in straight
from sturdy shoulders. For fully three
minutes they kept at it, neither seeming
to gain an advantage. Then, little by
little, Jim forced Tim back toward the
steep bank and the rushing waters. At
last he struck him squarely on the point
of the chin, and, Tim toppled down the
bank and into the water like log. In
another instant the current had him and
was bearing him away.
Jim, breathing hard, stood looking
into the water. The other men ran about
excitedly.
Hell drown!" they cried, hell
brown like a rat! You stunned him,
Jim"
Twas fine blow" said Jim, proudly,
taking down his .suspenders. He did
not remove his gaze from the water But
he jumped up and down and removed his
trousers. Then he kicked off his shoes.
Look out" he called, and ran down
the bank to short distance above
,snag where Tim, padding feebly, but
making no outcry for assistance, had
temporarily halted. Then he was in the
river, swimming with long even strokes
toward the snag. He reached it pres
emily and grasped Tim by the hair, hold
ing his head above water with one hand.
Thus-far down the stream, for the cur
rent was very strong-he brought him
to shore. It was hard fight-more ex-
hausting by far than the one which had
preceded it. But he was little the worse
for the exertion. Neither was Tim.
You may believe it or not, as you
please, but both men were ready for