Mower County transcript., 1904-03-30

before. The decapitated stumps were
already beginning to turn brown with
weather; the tangle of tops and limbs
was partially concealed by poplar
growths and wild raspberry vines;
10 Thorpe this particular clearing be-
came at once Of the greatest interest
He scrambled over and through the
ugly debris which for year or two
after logging operations cumbers the
ground. by a rather prolonged search
he found what he sought-the section
corners of the tract, on which the GOV
ernmcnt surveyor had long ago marked
the prescriptions" \ glance at the
map confirmed his suspicious. The
slasiling lay some two miles north Of
the sections designated as belonging TO
private parties. 1t was government
land.
Thorpe sat down, lit a pipe and did a
little thinking.
He had that very morning passed
through beautiful timber lying much
nearer the mouth Of the river than
either this or the sections farther south.
Why had Observation-Disclosures telNascend-
ed the stream? Why had they stolen
timber eighteen miles from the bend
when they could equally well have stol-
en- just as good fourteen miles nearer
The terminus Of their drive?
Thorpe suddenly remembered the
two dams and his idea that the men in
charge Of the river must be wealthy
and must intend operating on large
scale. He thought he glisnpscd it. Aft
er another pipe he felt sure.
The unknowns were indeed going in
on large scale. They intended even
tually to log the whole of the Ossa-
Winamakee basin. For this reason they
had made their first purchase, planted
their first foothold, near the headwa-
ters. Some day they would buy all the
standing government pine in the basin.
but in the meantime they would steal
all they could at a sufficient distance
from the lake to minimize the danger
of discovery. Every stick cut meant
70 much less to purchase later on.
the man appeared scrupulously honest
was never intrusive land even seemed
genuinely desirous of teaching the
white little tricks of the woods brought
to their perfection by the Indian alone
He ended by liking him. The two rare
ly spoke. They merely sat near each
other and smoked. One evening the In
dian suddenly remarked:
you look 'um tree?'
"What's that?" cried Thorpe, star
tied.
"You no hunter, no trapper. You look
'um tree for make 'um lumber"
what makes you think that, Char
ley?" he asked.
You good man in woods" replied
Injun Charley sententiously. 81 1nil
by way you look at him pine"
Thorpe rulninated.
"Churlcy," said he, "w'hy are you
staying here with meW
big fricn',' replied the Indian
promptly.
"Why are yo'> NY friend? What have
ever uont you?'
"Iou got 'um chiefs eye," replied his
companion, with simplicity.
Thorpe looked at the 1ndian again.
There seemed to be only one course.
"Yes I'm lumberman." he confess
ed, "and Pm looking for pine. But,
Charley, the men up the river must not
know what I'm after"
"They get 'um pine,' interjected the
Indian like flash.
Exactly" replied Thorpe surprised
afresh at the others perspicacity.
Good" exclaimed Injun Charley and
fell silent.
With this, the longest conversation
the two had attempted in their peculiar
acquaintance Thorpe was forced to be
content.
Three days later he was intensely
thankful the conversation had taken
place.
After the noon meal lie lay on his
blanket under the hemlock shelter,
smoking and lazily watching Injun
birch bark canoe.
So idly intent was Thorpe on this
piece Of construction that he did not
notice the approach Of two men from
the down stream side. They Wrrr
shor1, alert men, plouuing along with
the knce-bent persistency of the wood
walker, dressed in broad hats, flannel
shirts, coarse trousers tucked in high
laced ''cruisers" and carrying each a
bulging meal sack looped by cord
across the shoulders and chest Both
were armed with long slender scalers'
rules. The first intimation Thorpe re-
ceived Of the presence of these two men
was the sound OF their voices. s~
Hello, Charley!" said one Of them.
what you doing here? Amt seen you
since the Sturgeon district"
"Mak' 'uln canoe" replied Charley
rather obviously. -
$50 I see. But what do you expect to
get In this God forsaken country?"
Beaver, muskrat, mink, otter.",
Trapping, eh2' the man gazed keen
~ atThorpe's recumb bent figure. ..Who's $
the other fellow y''s
Thorpe held his breath. then exhaled