The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-04-21

arm, motioning the dazed and bloody
victim of the attack to get out of sight.
Thorpe shook his foreman of with one
inpatient motion and strode away up
the river. his head erect. his eyes flash
ing his nostrils distended.
II reckon you'd better mosey.' Shear
er dryly advised the dam watcher, and
followed.
Late In the afternoon the two men
reached Dam Three. or. rather. the spot
OH which Dam Three had stood. The
same spectacle repeated itself here. ex-
cept that Ellis, the dam watcher. was
nowhere to be seen.
"The dirty whelps.' cried Thorpe.
''Thcy did good job"'
He thrashed about here and there
and so came across Ellis blindfolded
and tied. When released the dam
watcher was unable TO give any ac-
count of his assailants.
"'rhey came up behind me while ]
was cooking" he said. "One of 'em
grabbed me and the other one kivered
my eyes. Then hears the shot and
knows there's trouble"
Thorpe listened in silence. Shcarer
asked few questions. After the low
voiced conversation Thorpe arose ab-
ruptly.
Where YOU going?" asked Shcarer.
But the young man did not reply. He
swung. with the same long. nervous
stride. into the down river trail.
Until late that night the three men
for Ellis insisted on accompanying them
hurried through tho forest. Thorpe
walked tirclrssly. upheld by his violent
but reprcssed excitement Shearer
noted the fire in his eyes and. from the
coolness Of his greater age, counseled
moderation.
painted for the pace was very swift
They'll kill some one over there; 1t III
be murder On both sides"
He received no answer. About mid
night they came to the camp
Two great fires lcaped among the
trees. and the men were grouped be-
tween them, talking Evening had
brought its accumulation of slow anger
against the perpetrators of the outrage.
Even ms The woodsmcn joined their
group they had reached the intensity
OF execution. Across their purpose
Thorpe threw violently his personality.
"You must not go." he commanded.
Through their anger they looked ut
him askance.
II forbid it, Thorpe cried.
They shrugged their indifference and
arose. This was an affair Of caste
brotherhood. aud the blood of their
mates cried out 10 them.
"The work" Thorpe shouted hoarse-
ly. "The work. We must get those
logs out! We haven't time"
Then swiftly between the white
strained face of the madman trying to
convince his heart that his mind had
been right and the fanatcally exalted
river men interpGsed the sanity of Rad
way. The old iobber faced the mer
calmly almost humorously. and some
how the very bigness Of the man com
manded attention.
"You fellows make me sick" said he
''YOu haven't got the sense God gave Q
rooster. Don't YOU see you're playing
right in those fellows hands? Wha
! do you suppose they dynamited then
dams for? To kill our boys? They
, sever dreamed we was dry pckin' tha
lam. They sent some low lived whclI
down there to hang our drive, and Il
looks like they was going to succeed
thanks to you mutton heads.
"S'pOse you 90 over and take 'em
apart. What then? Then have a scrap
Probably you lick 'em. You whale day
: lights out OF lot of men who probably
don't know any more about this here
shooting OF our dams than a hog doei
about rufiled shirt. Meanwhile YOU
drive hangs. Well? Well, do you sup
pose the men who were back OF thai
shOoting-do you suppose Morrison
Daily give Il tinker's dam how many
, men of theirs you lick? What they
want is to hang our drive. II they
=. hang our drive. it's cheap at the price
Of a few black eyes"
4 The speaker paused and grinnet
: good humoredly at the mems attentive
faces. Then suddenly his own became
!. grave.
= "Do you want to know how to ge
Z event" he asked. do you want t
know how TO make those fellows SIM
J, 80 small you can't hear them? Well
Q Ill tell you. Take out this drive. d,
] II In spite Of them. Show them they'Y'
no good when they buck up agains
Thorpe's One. Our boys died dolni
their duty, the way river man ough
to. Now hump yourselves! Don't le
Q them die In vain!"
The crew stirred uneasily, looking a
J, each other for approval of the con
T. version each had experienced. Rad
{ way turned easily toward the blaze.
Better turn in. boys. and get som
. Sleep" he said. We've got a har,
I day tomorrow" He stopped to ligh
i his pipe at the fire. When he hal
+ again Strengthened his back after rath
er a prolonged interval the group ha'
Q already disintegrated. A few minute
8 later the cookee scattered the brand
I Of the Ore from before . sleepin
. camp.
! Before daylight Injun Charley drift
J. ed into CAMP TO nne Thorpe alrsad