Mower County transcript., 1904-02-17

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Visions Thorpe set about ai idiuxs him
and % found himself for tie nrrf tfrne 1,,,t,
IN q cook camp. 4
It was q asconlnod diouss building. one
end furnished space for two cooking
ranges and two hunks placed one over
the other Along. one side ran d broad
table shelf. with other shelves over it
and numerous barrels undernea III. AL
dlled with cans, loaves sof bread cook.
les and pies. The center was occupied
by four long bench f1anked tables. down
whose middle struggled utensils CON
tanning sugar, apple butter, condiments
and sauces and whose edges were Get
with tin dishes for about forty men.
The cook, rather thin faced man
with mustache, directed where the
provisions were to be slowed, and the
''cookee," hulking youth, assisted
Thorpe and the driver to carry them In.
In few moments the task was, fin.
ished, with the exception Of a half doz-
en- other cases, which the driver Sdesig-
mated as for the wan The horses
were unhitched and stabbed in the
third Of the big log buildings. The
driver indicated the second.
"Better go into the mems camp and
ut down till tn boss gets in,'' he ad-
vised. -
Thorpe entered a dim, overheated
structure, lined on two sides by dou-
bic tier Of large hunks partitioned
from one another like cabins of a boat
and centered by huge stove over
which hung slender poles. The latter
We're to dry clothes on. Just outside
the hunks ran straight, hard bench.
Thorpe stood at the entrance trying to
accustom his eyes to the dimness.
"Set down." said a voice. ION tn fioor
If you want to, but ia prefer th' dea-
con seat" a.
Thorpe obediently took position on
the bench, or deacon seat" Hisxeyes,
more used to the light, could make out
a thin, tall, bent old man, with bare
Uranium, two Visible teeth and a three
days stubble of white beard over his
meager, twisted face.
He caught, perhaps. Thorpes surpris-
ed expression.
"You think th' old mans no good, do
you?" he cackled without the slightest
malice. Looks is deceivin'." He
sprang up swiftly, seized the toe of his
right foot in his left hand and jumped
his left foot through the loop thus
formed. Then he sat down again and
laughed at Thorpes astonishment
"Old Jackson's still purity smart
said he. Pm barn boss. They amt a
man in tn country knows as much
about bosses as do. We amt had
but two sick this fall, an between you
an me they's skate lot. You're
greenhorn, amt you?'
"Yes," confessed Thorpe. IT,
SWELL" said Jackson refectively. but
rapidly, lie Fabian, he's quiet. but
ban; and O'Grady, he talks loud, but
you can bluff him; and Perry. he's only
bad when he gets full of red likker:
and Norton, he's bad when he gets
mad like, and will use axes
Thorpe did not know he was getting
valuable points on the camp tbullies. ~
At dark the old man lit two lamps.
which served dimly to gloze the shad-
OWs, and thrust logs Of wood into the
cast iron stove. Soon after. the men
came in. They were queer. mixed
lot. There were active. clear built.
precise Frenchmen. with small hands
and feet and Il peculiarly trim way of
wearing their rough garments; typical
native born American lumber Jacks
powerful in frame, rakish in air. reck
less in manner; big blond Scandina-
v1ans and SWedes, strong men at the
saving; an Indian or so, strangely in
contrast to the rest, and a variety of
1rishmen, Englishmen and Canadians.
These men tramped in without a word
and set busily to work at various tasks.
Some sat on the deacon seat and be-
gan to take off their socks and rubs
bers. Still others selected and lii. Ian.
terms from pendant \row near the
window and followed old Jackson rout
of doors. They were the teamsters.
you'll find the old man in the office. ;"
said Jackson. mi .
Thorpe made his way across to the
small log cabin indicated as the office
and pushed open the door. 4 IN
A man sat at desk placing figures
on sheet of paper. He obtained fthe
figures from statistics penciled onthree
thin leaves Of beechwood riyeted,, to-
gether. In chair by the Stove lounged
a bulkier figure, which Thorpe con-
cluded to be that of the ''old man,
II was sent here by Shearer,'"S said
Thorpe directly. "He said you might
give me some work" ~z,-a,:.-=@.
T. So long a silence fell that the appli.
cant began to wonder it his question
had been heard. ~. ~. "a |.s
II might" replied the man dryly, at
last. - ~... =.
+ :"Well, will your Thorpe inquired
the humor of the situation overcoming
him. = H.. r.. -.
'Have you ever worked in the woods?,
"No." ~ / IL. d.. H. r =. .s.S,ss 2
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