The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-03-17

er evinced no astonishment nor ap-
proval.
you done WELL" he commented final.
~. Then, after another interval:
Have you found out who was the
men stealin' the pine"
Yes" replied Thorpe quietly, at was
Morrison K DAILY"
The old man flickered not an eye.
lid. He slowly filed his pipe and III IL.
I'll get you a crew Of men," said
he. III you'll take me as foreman"
But It's little job at hrst," protest
ed Thorpe. II only want camp Of
twenty. II wouldn't be worth your
WHILE"
That's my lookout. I'll take the
job" replied the logger grmly. You
got 300.OO0,00O 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 scalcr. 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. Shearcr. IL you take this
job we may as well understand each
other at the start. This is going to he
|
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. II want to discharge man, he
walks without any question. l know
about what shall expect of each man,
and intend TO get II out of him. And
in questions of policy mine is the say
so every trip Now, | know you're
good man-one of the best there is
end presume I shall find your judg-
mcnt the best but I don't want any
mistakes to start with. II you want
to he 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 a single instant, its
mask of immobility. His steel blue
eyes flashed; his mouth twitched with
some strong emotion. For the first
time, too, he spoke without contcmpla-
tive pause of preparation.
THAT'S the way to talk" he cried.
"Go with you? Well, | should rise to
remark! You're the boss, and | always
said it. I'll get you gang of bully
ing in Tophet."
Thorpe left, after making an ap-
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, rlatches, all sorts Of hard
ware-in short all the thousand and
one things, from needles to court plas-
ter. of which self suficing 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. A cheap piano
ratified and thumped through an open
window. Mems and women's voices
mingled in rising and falling gradua-
tiOns of harshness. Lights streamed
irregularly across the dark.
Thorpe became aware of figure
crouched in the doorway almost at his
feet. The pickering rays Of a distant
street lamp threw into relief the high
lights of a violin and head. The face
upturned to him was thin and white
and wolfish under broad white brow.
Dark eyes CLEANED at him with the
expression Of a fierce animal. Across
the forehead ran a long but shallow
cut from which blood dripped. The
creature clasped both arms around q
violin. He crouched there and stared
up IT Thorpe. who stared down at him.
whats the matterY' asked the lat
ter finally.
The creature made no reply, but
drew his arms closer about his instru-
ment. Thorpe made sign to the un-
known to RISE,
Come with me-" said he, "and I'll
have your forehead attended to-"
The eyes cleaned into his with
sudden savage concentration. Then
their owner obediently arose.
Thorpe now saw that the body be-
fore him was Of cripple, short legged,
hunchbacked, long armed, pigeon
breasted. The large head sat strangely
top heavy between even the broad
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