The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1904-11-16
end Of the largest or butt log.
0Alipz- MOIlyfs he cried.

"Allez, MOlly!'' he cried
A horse, huge, elephantine, her head
down. nose close to her chest, intelh-
gently srsfng her steps, moved The
| log half rolled over, slid three feet and
menaced a stump.
4Geew cried Laveque.
Molly stepped twice directly side
wise, planted her forefoot on a root
she had seen and pulled sharply. The
end or the log slid around the stump.
| "Allez" commanded Laveque.
| And Molly started gingerly down the
hill. She pulled the timber. heavy as
an iron safe, here and there through
the brush, missing no steps, making
no false moves, backing and finally
getting out Of the way OF an unex-
pected roll with the ease and intelli-
gence OF Laveque himself. In 6ve
minutes the burden lay by the travoy
road. In two minutes more one end
OF tt had been rolled on the little fat
wooden sledge and, the other end drag
ging. II was winding majestically down
through the ancient forest.
| When Molly and Fabian had travoy-
ed the log to the skidway they drew
II with bump across the two parallel
skids and left 1t there to be rolled to
the top Of the pile.
| Then Mike McGovern and. Bob STRAIT
ton and Jim Gladys took charge or lt.
Mike and Bob were running the cant
hooks, while Jim stood on top Of the
great pile or logs already decked. A
slender, pliable steel chain like a gray
snake ran over the top OF the pile and
disappeared through a pulley to an
invisible horse Jenny, the mate Of
Molly. Jim threw the end OF this
chain down. Bob passed 1t over and
under the log and returned 1t to Jim,
who reached down after 1t with the
hook of his implement. Thus the
stick Of timber rested In a long loop,
one end Of which led TO the invisible
horse, and the other Jim made fast to
the top OF the pile. He did SO by jam
ming into another log the steel swamp
hook with which the chain was armed.
! When all was made fast the horse
started.
"She's bumper" said Bob. "Look
out, Mixer
The log slid to the foot or the two
parallel poles laid slanting up the face
OF the pile. Then IL trembled on the
ascent. But one end stuck for an In
slant, and at once the log took on a
dangerous slant. Quick as light Bob
and Mike eprang forward. gripped the
\ 80 he n% he HRy0
thumbs and forefngers, and, while one
held with all his power, the other
gave a sharp twist upward. The log
1 Strengthened. It was a master feat OF
power and the knack Of applying
strength justly.
At the top OF the little incline the
timber lowered for a second.
"One more!" sang out Jim to the
driver. He poised, stepped lightly uT
/. and, over and avoided by the safe
halrbreadth being crushed when the
log rolled. But 1t did not lie quite
straight or even So Mike cut short
thick block and all three stirred thu
heavy timber sufficiently to admit o.
the billet's insertion.
linen the Gua1u Was kuE0Wu uONH LO
Il another.
Jenny, harnessed only to short
straight bar with hook In II, leaned
to her collar and dug her hoofs at tn,
word Of command. The driver, clos
to her tail, held fast the slender stee
chain Of an ingenious hitch about thu
ever useful swamp hook. When jim
shouted "Whoav' from the top of tn,
skidway the driver did not trouble t
stop the horse; he merely let go tn
hook. So the power was shut off sud
denly, as IL meet and proper in sucl
ticklish business. He turned and walk
ed back, and Jenny, like dog, withou
the necessity of command, followet
him In slow patience.
Now came Dyer, scaler, rapid.
down the logging road, small, slende
man with q little, turned up mustache
The men disliked him because Of hi
affectation of city smartness and be
cause he never ate with them. eve
when there was plenty Of room. TIL
scaler's duty at present was to measur
the diameter of the logs in each skid