Courier Democrat., 1904-07-21
kcoNT1NuEpl

In the long dining room the river
men consumed a belated dinner. They
had no comments to make It was
over.
The two ON the veranda smoked. Tc
the right, at the end Of the sawdust
street, the mill sang its varying and
lulling keys. The odor Of fresh sawed
pine perfumed the air. Not a hundred
yards away the river slipped silently
to the distant blue Superior, escaping
between the slanting stone filled cribs
which held back the logs. Down the
south and west the huge thunder heads
gathered and flashed and grumbled, as
they had done every afternoon for
days.
"Queer thing" commented hamilton
finally, stthese cold streaks In the air.
They are just as distinct as though
they had partitions around them.''
"Queer climate anyway" agreed Car
penter.
Excepting always for the mill, the
title settlement appeared asleep. The
main booms were quite deserted. Aft
e awhile Hamilton noticed something.
LQQk here, Carpenter" said he.
What's happening out there? Have
spme Of your confounded logs sunk, or
that? There don't seem to be near 80
many Of them somehow
mo; II isn't that" proffered Carpen-
tef after moments scrutiny. ''rhere
are tust as many logs. but they are
getting separated little so you can
zee the open water between them.'
~Guess you're right Say, look here.
I.believs that the river is rising"
Nonsense! We haven't had any
min"
"She's rising Just the same. You see
that spie over there near the left hand
CRIB? Well, sat on the boom this
morning watching the crew, and
whitfield the spile with my knife. You
can.see the marks from here. cut the
thing about two feet above the water.
Look at it now"
She's pretty near the water line,
that's right" admitted Carpenter q
About an hour later the younger man
In his turn made q discovery.
"She's been rising right along" he
submitted. "Your marks are nearer
the water, and, do you know, believe
the logs are beginning to feel It. See,
they've closed up the little openings
between them, and they are beginning
10 crowd down to the lower end Of the
pond"
II don't know anything about this
business" hazar6ed the Journalist, but
should think there was good deal of
pressure on that same lower end. BY
JoDe, look here! See those logs upend.
l believe you're going to have jam
right here in your own booms."
II don't know" hesttated Wallace.
Il never heard of It's happening"
'You'd better let some one know"
Il hate to bother Harry or any of
the river men. I'll Just step down to
the mill. Mason-he's our mill fore
man-he'll know"
Mason came to the edge Of the high
Hestle and took one look.
Jumping fishhooksv' he cried. ''Why,
the rivers up six inches and still
s-comtn'! Here you, Toni" he called
10 one of the yard hands. "You tell
Solly to get steam on that tug dou-
bic quick and have Dave hustle to-
getber his driver crew.
''What are you going to doY' asked
Wallace
II got to strengthen the booms," ex.
nlafned the mill foreman. well drive
some piles across the cribs"
els there any daneer?'
''Oh, no. The river would have to
r1De good deal higher than she ts now
10 make current enough to hurt
They've had a hard rain up above.
THIS will go down in few hours"
After time the tug pulled up to the
booms, escoTttng the pile driver. The
latter toWed little raft of long, sharp
ened ptles, which it at once began to
drive in such positions as would most
enrectually strengthen the booms. In
the meantime the thunder heads had
slyly climbed the heavens, so that q
sudden deluge of rain surprised the
uorkmen. For an hour It poured down
In torrents, then settled to steady
gray beat Immediately the aspect
had changed.
Solly, the tug captain, looked at his
mooring hawsers and then at the near.
est crib.
''Sbe,s rfs two inches in tn last two
hours" be announced, land she's run.
MN lihe a mill race" Solly was q
typical north country tug captain, short
and broad, with brown, clear face
and the steadiest and calmest Of steel
blue eyes. when she begins to feel
n pressure behind" be went on,
s'there's goin' to be trouble"
Toward dusk she began to feel that
pressure. Through the rainy twilight
the logs could be seen raising their
ghostly arms Of protest. Slowly, With
out tumuIt, the jam formed. In the
mar they pressed in, were sucked un-
der In the swift water and came TO
nsst at the bottom Of the river. The
current Of the river began to protest.
pgeasing tts hydraulics through the na1-
fuwino ryevfceR The HftuatiOn demand