Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-02

JesN>~~.
doing?"
II don't know" said Thorpe doubt
fully. 81 have driven horses q good
deal. / thought might drive team"
The woodsman turned slowly and
looked Thorpe over with quizzical
eye. Then he faced to the front again
and spat.
Quite like" he replied, still more
dryly.
The boys remark had amused him,
and he had showed it, as much as he
ever showed anything. Excepting al
ways the river men, the driver OF
team commands the highest wages
among out of door workers.
1t is easier to drive a fire engine than
q logging team.
But In spite of the naivete Of the re-
mark the woodsman had seen some
thing in Thorpe he liked. Such men be
come rather expert in the reading OF
character He revised his first inten-
ton to let the conversation drop.
| II think NJ. & d. is rather full up
Just now" he remarked. I'm walkin'
boss over there. The roads IL about
all made, and roadmaking 10 what
greenhorn tackles first. They's more
chance earlier in the year. But il
the old fellow"-he strongly accent
ed the first word-"hain't nothin' for
you, just ask for Tim Shearer. an I'll
try to put you on the trail for some
jobber's camp"
The three who had come into COLI
sion with Jimmy and Bud were getting
noisier. They had produced stone
jug and had collected the remainder of
the passengers, with the exception of
Shearer and Thorpe. and now were
passing the jug rapidly from hand to
hand. Soon they became musical, strik-
ing up one of the wierd, long drawn
out chants so popular with the shanty
boy Thorpe shrewdly guessed his
companion to be man Of some weight
and did not hesitate to ascribe his i'm
munity from annoyance to the others
presence.
Its bad thing" said the walking
boss. 81 used to be at it myself, and l
know"
"Bees'n Laker' cried Jimmy fiercely
through the aperture Of the door.
You'll find the boardin' house just
across over the track said the woods
man, holding out his hand. SO long.
See you again If you don't find job
with the old fellow. My names
Shearer."
mime Is Thorpe" replied the other.
THANK you
Thorpe followed and found himself
on the frozen platform of q little dark
railway station. Directly across the
track from the railway station a sim
gle building was pricked from the dark
by solitary lamp in lower story
room. The four who had descended
before Thorpe made over toward this
light, stumbling and laughing uncer-
tainly, SO he knew 1t was probably the
boarding house and prepared to follow
them.
The five were met at the steps by the
proprietor Of the boarding house. This
man was short and stout, with hare
lip and cleft palate, which at once gave
him the well known slurring speech |
OF persons so afflicted and impaired
also to the timbre Of his voice pecul-
iarly hollow. resonant, trumpetlike
note. He stumped about energetically |
on wooden leg Of home manufacture,
1t was cumbersome instrument, |
heavy. with deep pine socket for the |
stump and projecting brace which |
passed under leather belt around the |
mans waist. This instrument he used |
with the dexterity Of third hand. As
Thorpe watched him he drove in pro-
jecting nail, kicked two turkeys" In
side the open door and stuck the armed |
end of his peg leg through the top and
bottom Of the whisky jug that one Of
the new arrivals had set down near
the door. The whisky promptly ran
out. At this the cripple firted the inn
paled jug from the wooden leg far out
over the rail Of the veranda into the |
snow.
A growl went up.
What n thunder's that forY' snarl- |
ed one Of the owners Of the whisky |
threateningly.
I Don't allow no whisky here" SNUFF
ed the hareiip.
The men We're very angry. They adj
vanced toward the cripple, who re-
treated with astonishing agility to the
lighted room. There he bent the wood
en- leg behind him, slipped the end OF
the brace from beneath the leather
belt, seized the other peg end IN his
right hand and so became possessed OF I
9 murderous bludgeon. This he brand
ished, hopping at the same time back
and forth In such perfect poise and yet
with so ludierous an effect of popping |
corn that the men were surprised into
laughing.
"Bully for you, pegleg" they cried.
"Rules an regerlations. boys" replied
the latter, without, however, a shade
Of compromising in his tones. Had
supper?"
(To Be Continued.)