Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-01-28

III yOuIlk nan w as SuuueUIy uHkTy III
xactly the same blind. unreasoning
manner as when he had leaped single
handed to tackle Dyer's crew.
Without word he sprnng across the
shack, seized two bladed AK from the
pile behind the door, swung it around
his head and cast 1t full at the now
frightened teamster. The latter lodged.
and the swirling steel buried itself IL
the snow bank beyond. Without an in
stant's hesitation Thorpe reached bach
for another The man took to his
heels.
II don't want to see you around here
again" shouted Thorpe after him.
Then in moment he returned to the
Office and sat down, overcome with con.
triton.
ut might have been murder" he told
himself, awe stricken.
But. as it happened, nothing could
have turned ont better.
Thorpe had instinctively seized the
only method by which these strong
men could be impressed. Now the en-.
tire crew looked with vast admiration
on their hess as a man who intended to
have his own way no matter what diff
lcultles or consequences might tend to
deter him. And that 10 the kind Of man
they liked
1njun Charley, silent and enigmatical
as ever. had constructed log shack
near little creek in the hard wood.
There he attended diligently to the
BUSINESS cf trapping. Thorpe rarely
found time TO visit him. but he often
Glided int the ofAce. smoked a pipeful
Of the white mans tobacco in friendly
fnshien by the stove and glided out
again without having spoken a dozen
words.
Wallace aade one visit before the
big SHOWS cnme. and was charmed. He
ate with guste Of the salt horse"
baked beans. stcwed rrunrs. mnce pie
and cakes he tranped around sayly
in his nsceaGns or a. the fancy snow
shoes he promptly purchased Of InjuA
Charley. There was nothing new to
report in regard to financial matters.
| The loan had been negotiated easily on
! the basis Of mortgage guaranteed by
Carpenters personal signature. Moth
| Ing had bsen heard from Morrison &
DAILY.
By tho end If the winter some 1000
900 fest Of log were piled in the bed or
| upon the banks Of the stream. To un.
| derstaxd what that means you must
| imagine y ~. Of solid timber a mile in
length. :. 4 tremendous mass lay d.
rectly il e course Of the stream.
when tho winter broke Mp IT had to he
separated and Heated piecemeal down
the current. The process ia an interest
ing and dangerous enc and one Of
great delicsey. 1t requires for its sue
csssful completion picked men ef skill
and demands as toll Ito yearly quota Of
cripples and dead. while or the drive
men verk fourteen hours a day up to
their waists in water Alled with float
ing Ice.
On the Ossa vinam kec, as has been
stated. three dams had been erected to
simplify the process Of driving. When
the log, were in right distribution the
gates were raised, and the proper head
Of water aoated them down.
Now. the river being naviCable,
Thorpe was possessed Of certain rights
on it. Technically he was entitled to a
needed 1t. or a special head. according
to agreement with the parties owning
the dam. Early in the drive he found
that Morrison & DAILY intended to cause
him trouble. 1t began In q narrows OF
the river between high. rocky banks.
Thorpe's drive was floating though
close packed. The situation was tic
klsh Men with spiked boots ran here
and there from one hobbing log to an
other. pushing with their peaveys, hur-
rying one log, retarding another, work
ing like beavers to keep the whole mass
straight. 40 entire surface Of the wa
ter was practically covered with the
floating tirnbers.
In a moment. rs though by magic.
the loose wooden carpet ground togeth-
er. A log in advance ur-snded, another
thrust under it. The whole mass ground
together, stopped and began rapidly to
pile up. The men escapes to the shore
in marvellous Banner of their own.
Tim Shearer found that the gate at
the dam above had been closed The
man in charge had simply obeyed or
ders. He supposed NJ. & D. wished to
back up the water for their own logs.
Tim INDUCED in some picturesque
language.
You amt got no right to close off
more'n enough to leave us tn nat'ral
flow unless by agreement" he conclud.
cd, and opened the gates.
Then it was 4 question Of breaking
; the Jam. This had IA he done by pull.
ing out or cheFpng through certain
key" logs which locked the whole
mass. Men stood under the face Of i'm.
minent ruin-over them frownin:
sheer wall ef bristling logs, behind
which pressed the weight Of the rislnl
waters-and hacked ana tugsed calmly
until the mass began to stir. Theu
they escaped. A moment later. with Z
roar, the jam vomited down on tbs
spot where they had stood. 1t VA,
dangerous work. Just ono half day
later 1t had to be done again and fol
the same reason.
This time Thorpe went bnck with
, Shearer No one was at the dam, bu
, the gates were closed. The two opened
them again.
A., That very evening a man rode up or
horseback inqulring for Mr.. Thorpe.
I'm he" said the young fellow.