The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-12-02


was wild cry, as from man IN the
extremity of pain and terror.
Maston sprang to the floor and be-
gan hurrying on his boots.
up, men,. up!" he shouted.
One by one the SLEEPY loggers poked
their heads out Of their hunks, and
again came the terrible cry.
'Dcwn by the river, boys!" Maston
said; and without waiting for them to
follow, ne seized lighted lantern
and a peevy and ran outdoors toward
| the rollway.
AS the swirling waters of the river
flashed in the glare of the lantern, he
| heard a weak voice calling:
Quick, boss! Come quick! can't
hol' dem log no longer."
Then Mastcn saw Pock's faco,
strangely contorted, straining abovs
the bottom log Of the tier
| Loosed by the breaking Of the prop
at the end of it, this log had swung
forward down the rollway toward the
river, until it had nearly wrenched
away the prop at the outer end.
Pock crouched, with his shoulder be-
meath bending lever, striving against
the further slipping Of the ponderous
tree trunk.
AS yet the friction was sufficient to
hold the logs behind in place, but they
might move at any moment; and
should the prop at the ether end give
way, the whole mass would overwhelm
Pock, and sliding like an avalanche,
| plunge into the river
Maston sprang over the log and
threw his peevy into position beneath
it. Bending to the lift with all his
great strength, he stopped the sliding.
Pocky, feeling the terrible strain
upon his shoulder relax, grcaned fee
bly, and sank down upon the ground.
in a few seconds that elapsed be-
fore the men came running down, Mas
ton heard at his right and almost I'M
der him moan of suffering; and when
the men pried up the log, Maston drew
out from under it Peter, crushed and
senseless.
The cook was still breathing, how
ever, and when he had been carried
back to the camp and carefully exam
ined Maston was relieved to finu Inctc
he had received no worse an injury
than a broken leg.
By that time Pocky had recovered
sufficiently to tell his story, although
he was still too exhausted to empha-
size it with his profuse gestures.
81 no like the way Peter act some
time. So l keep watch, and t'ink he
goin' hurt the boss. Tonight | hear
him get up in his bunk and go out;
and then / get up and go benin him.
l take one peevy to break his hade II
do something bad.
HE has enc bulls eye lantern, and
goes up, down the pile of log. He sees
stick what hop the log from goin'
down river. Then he takes big skid
and runs hard to knock out the prop.
Some time l throw peevy stick very
quick between his legs, and he falls
down like one frog, JUS wen he
knocks out prop.
ooh ba gollee! l never hear one
man squeal so bad like him. And
take my peevy to try lif' the log, but
it keep squeezin him more an more,
an by n by the boss come, and all
is right | pooty glad, me-"
1t was with some emotion that Mas
ton shook the little mans hand.
You're a good, brave boy" he said
you've saved mans life, and you've
saved me money, and I don't believe
either of us are likely to forget it."
The raft of logs went safely down
stream in the end, and out of his pro-
fits Maston provided a handsome re
ward for Pocky. AS for Peter, he did
some thinking during the weeks that
he lay on his back, and when he was
at last we'll enough to take his de
parture from the camp, he said to his
former assistant:
81 much obliged, Pocky. You good
man. try my bes' to be so good a
man as you, me."-Youth's Compan
ion.