Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-02-18

"You fool" cried Thorpe. exaspcrat-
cd. then held the hammer to him.
Strike while | keep the chain under
neatb!" he commanded.
Big Junko leaned forward to obey.
kicking strongly his cnlks into the
barked surface Of the boom log. The
spikes. worn blunt by the river work
already accomplished. failed to grip.
Big Junko slipped. caught himself by
an effort. overbaln need In the other di.
rcction, and fell into the stream. The
current mt once swept him away. but
fortunately in such direction that he
was enabled to catch the slanting end
Of dead head" log whose lower end
was damned in the crib The dead
head was slippery. the current strong
Big Junko had no crevicc by which to
assure his hold. In another moment he
would be torn away.
LET go and swim" shouted Thorpe.
II can't SWIM" replied Junko in so
low n voice as to be scarcely audible
For Il moment Thorpe stared at him.
"Tell Carrie" said Big Junko.
Then there beneath the swirling gray
sky. under the frowning jam. in the
midst of flood waters. Thorpe had his
second great moment Of decision He
did not pause TO weigh reasons or
chances. to discuss with himself expe-
dicncy or the moralities of failure. His
actions were forcordaincd. mechanical.
All ut once the great forces which the
winter had been bringing to power
crystallizcd into something bigger than
himself or his ideas. The trail lay be-
fore him; there was no choice.
Now clearly, with no shadow Of
doubt. lie took the other view: There
could bc nothing better than love. Men.
their works, their deeds. We're little
rllngs. Success was little thing, the
opinion of men little thing. Instantly
he felt the truth of it.
And here was love in danger. That
it held its moments habitation in clay
of the coarscr mold had nothing TO do
with the great elemental truth Of It,
/ For the first time in his life Thorpe
felt the full crushing power of IN alb
straction. Without thought. instinc
| lively. he threw before the necessity o!
! the moment all that was lesser. 1t was
the triumph of what was real in the
man over that which environment
alienation, difficulties. had raised W
within him.
At Big Junkos words Thorpe raised
his hammer and with one mighty blow
severed the Chains which bound the
ends of the booms across the opening
The free end of one Of the poles i'm
mediately swung down with the cur
rent in the direction of Big Junko
Thorpe. like q cat, ran to the end Of
the boom, seized the giant by the col
lar and dragged him through the wa
ter to safety.
Rum" he shouted. "Run for you
life.'
The two started desperately back
skirting the edge of the logs which now
the very seconds alone seemed to hole
back. They were drenched and blind
ed with spray. deafened with the crasl
Of timbers settling to the leap. Th'
men on shore could no longer see then
for the smother The great crush o
logs had actually begun its first ma ieS
tic sliding motion when at last the.
emerged to safety.
AT first few OF the loose timber
found the opening, slipping quietly
through with the current: then moro
Finally the front of the jam dove for
ward. and an instant later the smooth
swift motion had gained its impetus
and was sweeping the entire drive
down through the gap.
Rank after rank. Ike soldiers charg
ing, they ran. The great fierce wnC
caught them up ahead of the current
In 4 moment the open river was ful
of logs jostlinE eagerly onward. Thel
suddenly far out above the unevel
tossing sky line of superior the strans
northern LOOM" or mirage. threw IN
sppctcrs of thousands of restless tim
bcrs rising and falling on the bosom o
the lake.