The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1904-11-23
THE BLAZED TRAIL.
From page 8.

THAT Seventeen white pine is going
to underrun." said Dyer. 1T won't
skid over 3,O0O."
"It's small stuff" agreed Railway,
"and so much the worse for us. But
the company II stand in on it, because
small stuff like that always overruns
on the mill cut"
The scaler nodded comprehension.
when are you going to dry haul
that Norway across Pike lake?"
Tomorrow. She springs. but the
book says five inches of ice will hold
team, and there's more than that
How much are we putting in day
nowT"
About 10000"
Railway fell silent
That's mighty little for such a
crew." he observed at last doubtfully
Il always said you were too easy
with them. You got to drive them
more''
swell, it's a rough country" apollo
g1zed Railway, trying, as was his Gus
tom, to find excuses for the other par
his blame. There's any amount of
pot holes, and then we've had SO much
snow the ground amt really froze I'M
derneath. 1t gets pretty soft in some
Of them swamps. Can't figure on put
ting up as much in this country as we
used to down on the Muskegon.'
The scaler smiled a thin smile all to
himself behind the stove. Dyer knew
perfectly well that the work was be-
hind, and he knew the reason. For
some time the men had been relaxing
their efforts. They had worked hon
estly enough, but a certain snap and
vim had lacked. This was because
Railway had been too easy with them.
Your true lumber jack adores of all
things in creation a man whom he
feels to be stronger than himself. If
his employer is big enough to drive
him, then he is willing to be driven to
the last ounce of his strength. But
once he gets the notion that his "boss"
is afraid of or for him or his feelings
or his health, he loses interest in his
working for that man. AS you value
your authority, the love Of your men
and the completion of your work, keep
a bluff brow and an unbending single
ness of purpose.
Thorpe had already commented on
the feeling among the men, though,
owing to his inexperience, he was not
able to estimate it's full value. The
men were inclined to semiapologetic
air when they spoke Of their connec-
ton with the camp Instead Of being
honored as one of series Of jobs this
seemed to be considered as merely
temporary halting place in which they
took no pride and from which they
looked forward in anticipation or back
in memory to better things.
"Old Shearer, he's the bully boy"
said Bob Stratton. 'I remember when
he was foreman Of NJ. & D. at Camp
o. Saw-we did hustle them saw logs
I'M / should rise to remark! Out in
the woods by first streak of day. / re-
call one mornin' she was pretty cold,
and the boys grumbled some about turn
in out Cold, says Tim, you sons Of
guns! You got your chico. 1t may be
too cold for you in the woods, but it's
q blame sight too hot for you in hades,
and you're goin' to one or the otherp
And he meant it too. Them was great
days! Forty million year and not a
hitchv'
The next morning Railway trans
ferred Molly and Jenny, with little Fa-
bian Laveque and two of the younger
men, to Pike lake. There earlier in
the season a number of pines had been
felled out on the ice, cut in logs and
left in expectation of ice thick enough
to bear the travoy "dray." Owing to
the fact that the shores of Pine lake
were extremely precipitous it had been
impossible to travoy the logs up over
the hill
Railway had sounded carefully the
thickness of the ice with an ak. AL
though the weather had been sufficient
ly cold for the time of year, the snow,
as often happens, had fallen before the
temperature. Under the warm white
blanket the actual freezing had been
slight. However, there seemed to be
at least eight inches of clear ice, which
would suffice.
Four logs had been safely hauled.
The fifth was on its journey across the
lake. Suddenly without warning and
with scarcely a sound both horses sank
through the ice, which bubbled up
around them and over their backs in
irregular rotted pieces. Little Fabian
Laveque shouted and jumped down
from his log. Pat Mcguire and young
Henrys came running.
The horses had broken through an
air hole about which the ice was
strong. Fabian had already seized
Molly by the bit and was holding her
head easily above water.
"Kitch Jenny by dat he't! he cried to
Pat.
Thus the two men without exertion
sustained the noses of the team above
%ba curfaQn Tho noSition demanded