Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-02

enough about it? Who does it belong
| to-"
ut belongs to man named Carpen-
| ter and myself"
The river man pondered this slowly
for an appreciable interval, and then
shot out another question:
How'd you get it?"
Thorpe told him simply, emitting
nothing except the name of the firm
up river When he had finished Shear
err evinced no astonishment nor ap-
prevail
You done We'll" he commented final
! ~. Then. after another interval:
"Have you found out who was the
men stealin' the pine2"
Yes" replied Thorpe quietly, at was
Morrison & DAILY"
The old man flickered not an eye.
lid. de slowly filled his pipe and lit it.
I'll get you crew of men," said
he, "if you'll take me as foreman"
But it's little job at first" protest
ed Thorpe. 81 only want a camp Of
twenty. 1t wouldn't be worth your
while"
That's my lookout. I'll take the
job" replied the logger grimly. "You
got 3O0.O00,00O there, amt you? And
you're goin' to cut it? 1t amt such a
small job"
Thorpe could hardly believe his good
fortune in having gained so important
recruit With a practical man as
foreman, his mind would be relieved
of great deal of worry over unfamil-
lar details. He saw at once that he
would himself be able to perform all
the duties of scaler, keep in touch with
the needs of the camp and supervise
the campaign. Nevertheless he answer
ed the older mans glance with one as
keen and said:
Look here, Shearer. if you take this
job we may as we'll understand each
other at the start. This is going to be
my camp, and I'm going to be boss.
don't know much about logging, and
shall want you to take charge of all
that, but shall want to know just
why you do each thing, and if my judg-
ment advises otherwise, my Judgment
goes. i'll want to discharge man, he
walks without any question. 1 know
about what I shall expect of each man,
and intend to get it out of him. And
in questions Of policy mine is the say
SO every trip Now. ! kpoI ,Eau,,re~a'I
good man-Gle Of the best there isl
and I presume shall find your judg-
nent the best, but don't want any
mistakes to start with. If you want i
to be my foreman on those terms Just
say so, and I'll be tickled to death to
have you
For the first time the numbering mans
face lost, during single instant, it's
mask of immobility. His steel blue,
eyes flashed; his mouth twitched wifi
some strong erection. For the first |
time, too. he spoke without contempla-
tive pause Of preparation.
That's the way to talkv' he cried |
sGo with you? Well. should rise to
remark! You're the boss, and always
said it. I'll get you a gang Of bully
boys that will roll logs till there's skat-
ing in Tophet.'
Thorpe left, after making an APP
pointment at his own hotel for the fol-
lowing day, more than pleased with |
his luck. None the less. he anticipated |
his next step with shaky confidence.
He would now be called upon to buy
four or five teams of horses and enough
feed to last them the entire winter, and |
he would have to arrange for pro-
visions in abundance and variety for
his men; he would have to figure on |
blankets, harness, cook camp utensils, |
stoves, blacksmith's tools, iron, axes,
chains, cant hooks, van goods, pals,
lamps, oil, matches, all sorts of hard
ware-in short, all the thousand and
one things, from needles to court plas-
ter, of which self sufficing commu-
nifty might come in need. And he
would have to figure out his require
ments for the entire winter. After
navigation closed he could import moth
ing more.
Deep in these thoughts he wandered
On at random. He suddenly came to
himself in the toughest quarter of Bay
City.
Through the summer night thrilled
the sound of cachinnations pointed to
The colors of mirth. 4 cheap piano
ratified and thumped through an open
Mems and women's voices
mingled in rising and falling gradual
lions of harshness. Lights streamed
rregularly across the dark.
Thorpe became aware of a figure
in the doorway almost at his
feet The Pickering rays of distant
street lamp threw into relief the high
lights of violin and head. The face
lpturned to him was thin and white
md wolish under broad white brow.
Dark eyes cleaned at him with the
of fierce animal. Across
he forehead ran long but shallow
ut from which blood dripped. The
'reature, clasped both arms around
'iolin. He crouched there and stared
lp at Thorpe, who stared down at him.
Whats the matter? asked the lat
er finally.
The creature made no reply, but
rev his arms closer about his instru-
nent. Thorpe made sign to the un-
IuoWn to rise