Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-08

The scaler smiled thin smile all to
himself behind the stove. Dyer knew
perfectly we'll that the work was be-
hind, and he knew the reason. For
some time the men had been relaxing
their efforts. They had worked hon
estly enough, but a certain snap and
vim had lacked. This was because
Railway had been too easy with them.
Your true lumber jack adores Of all
things in creation a man whom he
feels to be stronger than himself. If
his employer is big enough to drive
him, then he is willing to be driven to
the last ounce of his strength. But
once he gets the notion that his "boss"
is afraid of or for him or his feelings
or his health, he loses interest in his
working for that man. AS you value
your authority, the love Of your men
and the completion Of your work, keep
bluff brow and an unbending single
ness Of purpose.
Thorpe had already commented on
the feeling among the men, though,
owing to his inexperience, he was not
able to estimate its full value. The
men were inclined to a semiapologetic
air when they spoke of their connec-
ton with the camp. Instead Of being
honored as one of series Of jobs this
seemed to be considered as merely a
temporary hating place in which they
took no pride and from which they
looked forward in anticipation or back
in memory to better things.
"Old Shearer, he's the bully boy"
said Bob Stratton. Il remember when
he was foreman of M. g. D. at Camp
O. Saw-we did hustle them saw logs
in! 1 should rise to remark! Out in
the woods by first streak of day. I re-
call one mornin' she was pretty cold,
and the boys grumbled some about turn
in out. Cold says Tim, you sons of
guns! You got your chico. 1t may be
too cold for you in the woods, but it's
blame sight too hot for you in hades,
and you're goin' to one OF the other!
And he meant it too. Them was great
days! Forty million year and not a
hitchH
The next morning Railway trans
ferred Molly and Jenny, with little Fa-
bian Laveque and two Of the younger
men, to Pike lake. There earlier in
the season number Of pines had been
felled out on the ice, cut in logs and
left in expectation of ice thick enough
to bear the travoy "dray." Owing to
the fact that the shores Of Pine lake
were extremely precipitous it had been
impossible to travoy the logs up over
the hill.
Railway had sounded carefully the
thickness of the ice with an ak. AL
though the weather had been sufficient
ly cold for the time of year, the snow,
as often happens, had fallen before the
temperature. Under the warm white
blanket the actual freezing had been
slight. However, there seemed to be
at least eight inches of clear ice, which
would suffice.
Four logs had been safely hauled.
The fifth was on its journey across the
lake. Suddenly without warning and
with scarcely sound both horses sank
through the ice, which dubbed up
around them and over their backs in
irregular rotted pieces. Little Fabian
Laveque shouted and jumped down
from his log. Pat Mcclure and young
Henrys came running.
The horses had broken through an
air hole about which the ice was
strong. Fabian had already seized
Molly by the bit and was holding her
head easily above water.
"Kitch Jenny by dat he'tw he cried to
Pat.
Thus the two men without exertion
sustained the noses of the team above
the surface. The position demanded
absolutely no haste, for it could have
been maintained for good half hour
Molly and Jenny, their soft eyes full of
the intelligence of the situation, rested
eossssy in full confidence. But Pat and
Henry& new to this sort Of emergency,
were badly frightened and excited.
ooh, Lord" cried Pat, clingipg des-
perately to Jenny's headpiece, "what
will WEI be dom? We can't niver haul
them two horses on the Ice"
'Tak' de log chain," said Fabian to
Henrys, "an' tie him around de neck-of
Jenny"
Henrys after much difficulty. and
nervous fumbling managed to loosen
the swamp hook and after much more
difficulty succeeded in making it fast
about the gray mares neck Fabian
intended with this to choke the animal
to that peculiar state when she would
noat like balloon on the water ana
two men could with ease draw her over
the edge Of the ice. Then the unexpect-
ed happened.
The instant Henrys had passed the
end of the chain through the knot Pat,
possessed by some Hibernian notion
that now all was fast, let so of'the bit.
Ienny's head at once went under, and
the end of the logging chain glided
over and fell plump in the hole.
Immediately all was confusion. Jen-
ny kicked and struggled, cilurned the
water, throwing it about, kicking out
in every direction. Once a horses
head dips strongly the game is over.
No animal browns more quickly. The
two young boys scrambled away, and
French oaths could not induce them to
| annroanb hToIlr c4;Jl h1y 10