Mower County transcript., 1904-06-15
CHAPTER XIV.

IT1YRA4N L CAS 6<.I III C0I1ys duO COullU.
M ued late, which in the end was
u a good thing for the years cut
~ The season was capricious,
hanging for days at time at the
brink Of thaw, only to stiffen again
into severe weather. This was try
ing on the nerves, for at each Of these
false alarms the six camps fell into
a feverish haste to get the job finished
before the breakup. It was really quite
extraordinary how much was accom-
plished under the nagging spur of
weather conditions and the cruel rowel-
ing Of Thorpe.
The latter had now no thought be-
yond his work, and that was the
thought Of mailman. He had been
stern and unyielding enough before,
goodness knows, but now he was terri
BILE. Not for an instant was there
resting spell. The veriest chore boy
talked, thought, dreamed, of nothing
but saw logs. Men whispered vaguely
Of record cut. The difficulties of
snow, accident, topography, were
swept aside like straws. Little time
was wasted and no. opportunities. It
did not matter how smoothly affairs
happened to be running for the mo-
ment; every advantage, even the small
est, was eagerly seized to advance the
work. A drop Of five degrees during
the frequent warm spells brought out
the sprinklers even in the dead Of
night. At night the men fell into their
hunks like sand bags, and their last
conscious thought, if indeed they had
any at all, was Of eagerness for the
morrow. 1t was madness, but it was
the madness these men loved.
For now to his old religion Thorpe
had added fanaticism, and over the
fanatictsm was gradually creeping a
film of doubt. To the conscientious
energy which sense of duty supplied
was added the tremendous kinetic
force Of love turned into other chan
nels. And in the wild nights while the
other men slept Thorpe's half crazed
brain was revolving over and over
again the words of the sentence he had
heard from Hilda's lips, "There can be
nothing better than love-"
His actions, his mind, his very soul,
vehemently denied the proposition. He
clung as ever to his high Puritanic
idea Of mans purpose. But down deep
in very tiny, sacred corner Of his
heart very small voice sometimes
made itself heard when other more
militant voices were still: 1T may be.
1t may be-"
The last month of hauling was also
one Of snow. Each day a little fell.
BY and by the accumulation amounted
to much. In the woods where the wind
could not get at it it lay deep and soft
above the tops Of bushes. On either
side Of the logging roads the snow piled
80 high as to form kind Of rampant.
When all this water in suspense should
begin to flow and to seek its level in
the water courses Of the district the
logs would have plenty to float them
at least.
So late did the cold weather last that,
even with the added plowing to do, the
six camps beat all records. On the
banks at Camp One were 100000
feet. The totals of all five amounted
to 100000. About 100000 of this
was on French creek, the remainder
on the main bank of the Ossawina-
makee. Besides this, the firm up river.
Sadler & Smith, had put up some 12,-
O0O,0 more. The drive promised to
be quite an affair.
About the 18th Of April attention be-
came strained. Every day the mount
ing sun made heavy attacks on the
snow; every night the temperature
dropped below the freezing point. The
riVer began to show more air holes, oc-
casional open places. About the CEN
ter the ice looked worn and soggy.
Some one saw flock of geese high in
the air. Then came rain.
One morning early Long Jim Pine
came into the mems camp bearing a
huge chunk Of tallow. This he held
against the hot stove until its surface
had softened, when he began to swab
liberal quantities of grease on his
spiked river shoes, which he fished out
from under his bunk.
"She's comm, boys" he said.
lie donned pair OF wo0len trousers
that had been chopped OF at the knee,
thick woolen stockings aRd the river
shoes. Then he frightened his broad
leather belt about his heavy shirt.
cooked his little hat over his ear and
walked over in the corner to select
peavey from the lot the blacksmith had
just put in shape. A peavey is like a
cant hook except that It II pointed at |
the end. Thus it can be used either "a
a hook or a pike. At the same moment
shearer, similarly attired and equipped,
appeared in the doorway. The opening |
Of the portal admitted a roar Of sound.
The river was rising. ~ ,-s. '' T.
"Come on, boys; she's on!' said he
sharply.
Lively, boys, live]yw shouted
Thorpe. She'll be down on US before
we know 1tv' ia
Above the creaking of dead branches
In the wind sounded a steady roar like
the believing of a wild beast lashing
itself to fury. The freshet was abroad.