Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-25
CHAPTER XIV.

fVsTa1NTER set in early and contin
MAJ ued late, which in the end was
WI a good thing for the years cut
49, The season was capricious
hanging for days at time at the
brink of thaw, only to stitfen again
into severe weather. This was try
ing on the nerves, for at each of these
false alarms the six camps fell into
a feverish haste to get the job finished
before the breakup. 1t was really quite
extraordinary how much was accom-
plished under the nagging spur OF
weather conditions aud the cruel rowel
ing of Thorpe.
The latter had now no thought be.
You'd his work, and that was the
thought of Il mailman He had been
stern and unyielding enough before,
goodness knows. but now he was terri
bic. Not for an instant was there Il
resting spell. The yeriest chore boy
but saw logs. Men whispered vaguely
of record cut The difficulties of
snow, accident, topography, were
swept aside like straws. Little time
was wasted and no opportunities. 1t
! did not matter how smoothly affairs
happened to be running for the mo-
ment: every advantage. even the small
est, was eagerly seized to advance the
work A drop Of five degrees during
/ the frequent warm spells brought out
the sprinkiers even in the dead OF
| night. At night the men fell into their
hunks like sand bags. aud their last
conscious thought. If indeed they had
any at all. was of eagerness for the
morrow. 1t was madness. but it was
the madness these men loved.
For now to his old religion Thorpe
had added fanaticsm. and over the
fanaticism was gradually creeping
film OF doubt To the conscientious
energy which sense of duty supplied
was added the tremendous kinetic
force of n love turned into other chan
nels. And in the wild nights while the
other men slept Thorpe's half crazed
brain was revolving over and over
again the words Of the sentence he had
Acuil llCul IiiiuU > lips, LnCIt Gull De
nothing better than love-"
His actions, his mind, his very soul,
vehemently denied the proposition. He
chung as ever to his high Puritanic
idea of mans purpose. But down deep
in a very tiny. sacred corner of his
made itself heard when other more
militant voices We're still: 1T may be.
1t may be"
The last month of hauling was also
one of snow. Each day little fell.
BY and by the accumulation amounted
to much In the woods here the wind
could not get at it it lay deep and soft
above the tops of bushes. On either
side of the logging roads the snow piled
SO high as to form a kind of rampant.
When all this water in suspense should
begin to flow and to seek it's level in
the water courses of the district the
logs would have plenty to float them
at least
So late did the cold weather last that,
even with the added blowing to do, the
six camps beat all records. On the
banks ut Camp One were 100000
feet. The totals of all five amounted
to 100000. About 100000 of this
was on French creek, the remainder
on the main bank of the Ossawina-
makee. Besides this the firm up river,
Sadler & Smith, had put up some H.
COG, 900 more. The drive promised to
be quite an affair.
About the 18th Of April attention be-
came strained. Every day the mount
ing sun made heavy attacks on the
snow: every night the temperature
dropped below the freezing point. The !
river began to show more air holes, oc-
casional open places. About the cen
ter the ice looked worn and soggy. I
Some one saw flock of geese high in
the air. Then came rain.
One morning early Long Jim Pine T
came into the mems camp bearing a {
huge chunk of tallow. This he held
against the hot stove until its surface
had softened. when he began to swab
liberal quantities of grease on his
spiked river shoes. which he tished out
from under his bunk.
"She's comm, boys" he said.
He donned a pair of wooden trousers
hat had been chopped off at the knee,
thick wooden stockings and the river
shoes. Then he frightened his broad
leather belt about his heavy shirt,
locked his little hat over his ear and
walked over in the corner to select
peavey from the lot the blacksmith had
ust put in shape. A peavey is like a
amt hook except that 1t is pointed at
he end. Thus it can be used either as
| hook or a pike AT the same moment
'hearer, similarly attired and equipped.
lppeared in the doorway. The opening
II the portal admitted roar of sound.
The river was rising
Come on, boys; she's on!' said he
harply.
Lively. boys. livelyw shouted
thorpe. She'll be down OF us before
We know it!'
Above rhe creaking Of dead branches
4 the wind sounded steady roar like
he believing of wild beast flashing
self to fury. The freshet was abroad.